LONDON LIVING
COVER FEATURE
LONDON'S
BEST BOROUGHS
Talk to any Londoner and they will likely have an opinion on where is best to set up home. At the very least, they will try to persuade you why north or south of the river is superior! Many factors will play a part in your decision but, for most first time buyers, affordability and connectivity are key. Debbie Clark explores which London boroughs are topping the charts in 2026, to help you make the most sensible move
almost £100,000 less than the London first time buyer average of £463,000. Tower Hamlets ranked second overall, benefiting from the fastest average commute time among the top-performing boroughs at just over nine minutes, with higher average purchase prices pushing it below Newham overall. Barking and Dagenham and Croydon ranked highly due to offering some of the lowest first time buyer prices in London. Notably, locations in East Croydon offer direct services into London Bridge in just 14
We can reveal that Newham topped the rankings thanks to its strong combination of relatively affordable first time buyer prices and excellent transport links, with average journey times to major hubs of just 12.5 minutes. Areas like Stratford and West Ham offer quick access to London Liverpool Street and London Fenchurch Street, with journey times as short as nine minutes. Its prime position in the rankings is a result of this connectivity coupled with an average first time buyer purchase price of £368,000 –
New research from Pocket Living ranked all 33 London boroughs based on average first time buyer house prices and travel times to major transport hubs. The study analysed 264 locations across London, comparing average journey times from locations across each borough to major London transport hubs, alongside borough-level first time buyer house prices. Boroughs were then ranked on both factors to create an overall score to identify where buyers can get the best mix of value and connectivity.
Total Score
Avg Time (minutes)
Avg FTB House Price Time Ranking Price Ranking
Ranking
Borough
Newham
15.1
£368,000 £436,000 £349,000 £338,818 £434,000 £456,667 £419,000 £405,000 £486,000 £482,000
8 3
4
1 2 3 4 4 6 7 8 8
12 15 22 24 24 26 27 28 28 29
Tower Hamlets
9.4
12
Barking & Dagenham
24.0 25.8 18.1 17.7 19.6 23.7 13.8 15.1
20 23 13 11 17 19
2 1
Croydon Lewisham
11 15 10
Harrow
Greenwich Hillingdon
9
Lambeth
7 9
21 20
Ealing
10
24 First Time Buyer October/November 2026
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