Which London boroughs score best for living?
On our Liveability index the highest-scoring boroughs are Islington, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Westminster and Merton. The score combines safety, public transport, shops and services, green space, schools, air and flood risk, and how deprived an area is, each compared across London. Every borough below links to a full guide with each of its wards.
| Borough | Liveability | Average price | Average rent | Crimes per km² a month | State schools outstanding | Land in flood zones 2 or 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islington | 60 | £679k | £2,811 | 250 | 24% | 0% |
| Tower Hamlets | 59 | £458k | £2,410 | 220 | 32% | 32% |
| Hackney | 59 | £611k | £2,615 | 175 | 38% | 11% |
| Westminster | 59 | £844k | £3,149 | 320 | 30% | 13% |
| Merton | 59 | £601k | £2,097 | 37 | 31% | 10% |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 58 | £1.26m | £3,597 | 185 | 36% | 8% |
| Southwark | 58 | £564k | £2,395 | 160 | 27% | 47% |
| Haringey | 58 | £647k | £2,214 | 109 | 36% | 8% |
| Wandsworth | 58 | £672k | £2,599 | 85 | 19% | 21% |
| City of London | 58 | £595k | – | 219 | 100% | 13% |
| Camden | 58 | £772k | £2,724 | 198 | 37% | 0% |
| Lambeth | 58 | £554k | £2,529 | 165 | 27% | 15% |
| Lewisham | 57 | £490k | £1,816 | 95 | 12% | 16% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 56 | £731k | £2,755 | 137 | 38% | 59% |
| Richmond upon Thames | 56 | £786k | £2,307 | 23 | 40% | 23% |
| Croydon | 55 | £389k | £1,565 | 43 | 18% | 2% |
| Barnet | 55 | £588k | £1,931 | 37 | 19% | 4% |
| Sutton | 55 | £451k | £1,547 | 33 | 28% | 4% |
| Waltham Forest | 55 | £528k | £1,758 | 64 | 21% | 12% |
| Greenwich | 55 | £466k | £1,949 | 62 | 18% | 23% |
| Redbridge | 54 | £501k | £1,724 | 44 | 20% | 8% |
| Ealing | 54 | £567k | £2,057 | 69 | 31% | 6% |
| Harrow | 54 | £530k | £1,755 | 38 | 23% | 4% |
| Newham | 54 | £384k | £1,918 | 119 | 36% | 52% |
| Kingston upon Thames | 54 | £573k | £1,799 | 36 | 23% | 11% |
| Bexley | 53 | £410k | £1,525 | 30 | 17% | 20% |
| Brent | 53 | £538k | £1,990 | 81 | 17% | 5% |
| Barking and Dagenham | 52 | £361k | £1,688 | 58 | 19% | 25% |
| Hounslow | 50 | £509k | £1,922 | 51 | 19% | 13% |
| Enfield | 50 | £464k | £1,775 | 38 | 9% | 13% |
| Bromley | 50 | £518k | £1,673 | 18 | 28% | 5% |
| Havering | 49 | £441k | £1,565 | 19 | 16% | 13% |
| Hillingdon | 45 | £471k | £1,553 | 29 | 16% | 11% |
Average price: HM Land Registry, March 2026. Average rent: ONS, May 2026 release. Crime: police.uk, June to August 2026. Schools: DfE and Ofsted. Flood zones: Environment Agency, ignoring defences.
Is there a guide for outside London?
Guides cover London's 33 boroughs for now. For anywhere else in England, the area report gives crime, flood zones, planning rules, schools, shops, air, traffic, deprivation and recent sold prices for any address or postcode.