Embargo 00.01 Thursday 21st February 2019
Six Hertfordshire towns take spots in the top 10 best places to live and commute into London for work, according to new research by the free credit report company, TotallyMoney.
Information page: https://www.totallymoney.com/commuter-hotspots/information/
Interactive tool: https://www.totallymoney.com/commuter-hotspots/
Waltham Cross, Hatfield and Hemel Hampstead all feature in the top 10, but the Hertfordshire town of Cheshunt takes the number one spot, offering those wanting to work in London but live outside the Capital the perfect work-life balance.
The study looked at 116 commuter belt towns. Counties including Essex, Kent, Surrey and Buckinghamshire all had eight or more of their towns featured in the rankings. But it was predominately Hertfordshire’s towns that fared best when assessing:
- Average house price
- Length of time to commute into London by train
- National Rail season ticket cost
- And ONS data on resident satisfaction.
From these findings, the 116 towns were ranked from most desirable London commuter location, to least.
Cheshunt — close to attractions around Lea Valley and home to many schools with a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating — is just a 26-minute train journey to Liverpool Street. The average season ticket costs £2,288, the fourth cheapest of all towns reviewed.
At the other end of the rankings, Virginia Water in Surrey and Ascot in Berkshire take the bottom two spots. Average property prices cost £1,13,574 and £814,808 respectively. Combined with commutes of over 45-minutes and season tickets costing £3,060 and £4,604, the differences between living in London and commuting into London for work, are negligible.
Although Hertfordshire towns did well overall, Harpenden struggled. Known for its green spaces, excellent schools and having a village vibe despite being a small town, this part of Hertfordshire ranked 114/116. Average property prices of £808,357 and rail season tickets costing £3,940 contribute to its lower ranking.
Commenting on the 2019 Commuter Hot Spot Rankings, Mark Moloney of Free Credit Report provider and credit experts TotallyMoney, said: “With London property and living prices showing no signs of cheapening, the study provides would-be homebuyers with data that can guide decisions on where to buy property, without sacrificing the excellent job opportunities only the Capital can offer.”
Top 25 London Commuter Hotspots for 2019
| Rank | Town | County | Commute Time (mins) | Av. House Price | Season Ticket Price | Life Satisfaction |
| 1 | Cheshunt | Hertfordshire | 26 | £384,248 | £2,288 | 7.92 |
| 2 | Waltham Cross | Hertfordshire | 28 | £390,612 | £2,028 | 7.92 |
| 3 | High Wycombe | Buckinghamshire | 30 | £331,092 | £3,668 | 7.95 |
| 4 | Hatfield | Hertfordshire | 25 | £344,459 | £2,808 | 7.83 |
| 5 | Gravesend | Kent | 23 | £284,497 | £3,616 | 7.76 |
| 6 | Broxbourne | Hertfordshire | 32 | £408,915 | £2,848 | 7.92 |
| 7 | Watford Junction | Hertfordshire | 19 | £416,680 | £3,204 | 7.76 |
| 8 | Basingstoke | Hampshire | 44 | £320,082 | £4,604 | 8.09 |
| 9 | Overton | Hampshire | 55 | £215,395 | £4,740 | 8.09 |
| 10 | Hemel Hempstead | Hertfordshire | 26 | £361,817 | £3,832 | 7.79 |
| 11 | Harlow | Essex | 34 | £297,226 | £2,288 | 7.7 |
| 12 | Didcot Parkway | Oxfordshire | 43 | £311,060 | £5,528 | 8.06 |
| 13 | Purfleet | Essex | 33 | £214,907 | £2,448 | 7.59 |
| 14 | Rayleigh | Essex | 44 | £378,427 | £4,028 | 8 |
| 15 | Potters Bar | Hertfordshire | 18 | £510,539 | £2,220 | 7.65 |
| 16 | Ebbsfleet | Kent | 18 | £339,462 | £4,816 | 7.7 |
| 17 | Walton-on-thames | Surrey | 29 | £574,314 | £3,036 | 7.9 |
| 18 | Staines | Middlesex | 35 | £296,258 | £3,024 | 7.71 |
| 19 | Maidenhead | Berkshire | 21 | £517,804 | £3,188 | 7.75 |
| 20 | Hitchin | Hertfordshire | 30 | £407,644 | £4,068 | 7.82 |
| 21 | Slough | Berkshire | 21 | £354,900 | £2,712 | 7.55 |
| 22 | Epsom | Surrey | 36 | £519,224 | £2,340 | 7.85 |
| 23 | Princes Risborough | Buckinghamshire | 39 | £461,332 | £3,788 | 7.95 |
| 24 | Leighton Buzzard | Bedfordshire | 32 | £300,289 | £4,600 | 7.77 |
| 25 | Baldock | Hertfordshire | 39 | £312,815 | £4,448 | 7.82 |