London’s best place to live in 2024 named ‘area for the rich’, as each borough was ranked

The best place to live in London has been voted by MyLondon readers – and it probably won’t come as much of a surprise to most. According to our readers, Richmond Upon Thames in South West London is the best place in the city to live, and with its luxurious style, leafy green spaces and excellent transport links, it’s easy to see why.

Richmond has been described by locals as a great place for young people to live in London, so it’s understandable that there would be a high vote for the borough. Speaking to MyLondon in 2023, Guy Chance, 69, said Richmond was “a lot of fun for young people, all the things they can do on the social side, it’s a lively place”.

But while it’s very popular, it’s also very expensive for many, making living in the neighborhood a challenge. Tony Khatchik, who runs children’s store The Toy Station, says: “The average family is younger now than it was 20 years ago, yet they have big mortgages because prices are so high and everything else is expensive, so they don’t have so much. lots of disposable income.”

READ MORE: A depressing new map shows the London boroughs with the biggest rent price increases for 2024

He said central Richmond had always been “a playground for the rich and the millionaires” but that this had spread to the outskirts now so that homes “that were affordable … have tripled in price”. He remembered a time, now 20 years ago, when it was possible to buy an apartment or a house with a modest income.

But now, the area is only for the very rich, he said. According to the ONS, the average house price in Richmond in March 2024 was £746,000, compared to the London average of £500,000 for the same month.

The second best place to live, according to readers, is Bromley in south London, on the Kent border. The borough includes parts of Crystal Palace as well as Penge, Orpington and Anerley within its boundaries, as well as several football teams.

But while it has proved popular with MyLondon readers, it is one of six London boroughs that has no Tube station within its boundaries. Connections to central London and beyond are provided via London Overground transport and rail services.

Average house prices in Bromley are £495,000 according to the ONS, which is significantly cheaper than in Richmond. But some areas of the borough are known for their multi-million pound mansions, including Kings Hall Road in Beckenham.

Third on the list of the best places to live in the capital is Wandsworth. The Zone 2 borough is home to the ‘highest income’ borough in the UK, one of only two areas in the country where average household incomes exceed £100,000.

Wandsworth is full of green, leafy spaces, including Clapham and Wandsworth Commons, as well as upmarket restaurants, pubs and bars along Northcote Road and in Wandsworth Town. Travel links are excellent with trains from Clapham Junction and Wandsworth Town stations as well as Balham and Tooting Broadway tube stations on the Northern line.

But such great amenities also come with a price. House prices currently average £604,000 in Wandsworth as of March 2024, according to the ONS.

The full list of the best places to live in London

From a total of 3,138 votes, MyLondon has compiled a list of the best places to live in London, according to our readers. Here it is from last to first place. It’s worth noting that the City of London didn’t get any votes, but given that it has so few residents compared to other boroughs, that’s not surprising. So the list only includes 32 of London’s 33 boroughs.

32 – Hounslow

31 – Brent

30 – Bexley

29 – Haringey

28 – Enfield

27 = Barking and Dagenham + Havering

25 – Merton

24 = Lambeth + Newham

22 = Redbridge + Sutton

20 – Hamlets Tower

19 – Hackney

18 – Lewisham

17 = Southwark + Harrow

15 – Westminster

14 – Hammersmith and Fulham

13 – Camden

12 – Islington

11 – Greenwich

10 – Croydon

9 – Barnett

8 – Kingston Upon Thames

7 – Ealing

6 – Waltham Forest

5 – Hillingdon

4 – Kensington and Chelsea

3 – Wandsworth

2 – Bromley

1 – Richmond Upon Thames

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