Commuter towns have been thrust back into buyers’ thoughts as pandemic restrictions continue to be lifted and workers start to return to the office.
But where are the UK’s best commuter towns?
We’ve looked at areas around major cities like London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Leeds to provide the definitive list of UK commuter towns…
The best commuter towns for London
The London commute can be busy, arduous and expensive.
So, these are the best commuter towns for the capital based on property prices, monthly rent, commuting distance and journey times:
1. Colchester
Just over 60 miles east of London, Colchester sits close to Essex’s border with Suffolk. But despite its distance to the capital, the town offers brilliant rail links.
A mix of Edwardian, Georgian and Victorian homes in the town are balanced by newer properties in North Colchester, close to the mainline rail station into Liverpool Street.
Average property prices in Colchester remain under £300,000 and monthly rents are below £1,000 – and those figures alone make it a top hotspot for London commuters.
Rail journey: Colchester North to London Liverpool Street
Journey time: 50 minutes
Average property price: £297,102
Average monthly rent: £856
2. Redhill
Redhill is close to Reigate in Surrey and is ideally located for commuting into London.
Just over 20 miles south of Central London, property prices in Redhill are what you might expect from the Surrey commuter belt but remain cheaper than many other comparable commuter hotspots.
Rail journey: Redhill to London Bridge
Journey time: 31 minutes
Average property price: £387,502
Average monthly rent: £1,045
3. Crawley
Crawley offers commuters easy access to London by rail, but it’s the town’s location in the heart of Sussex that also appeals to buyers and renters.
Crawley is located halfway between London and Brighton, meaning that comfortable commute is backed up good access to the south coast for those weekends away from the office.
Rail journey: Crawley to London Victoria
Journey time: 45 minutes
Average property price: £341,187
Average monthly rent: £1,042
The cheapest London commuter towns
While property prices outside of London are considerably lower than inside the M25 in most cases, the further away from the capital you go, the longer your commute is likely to be.
Here, we’ve listed three of the cheapest London commuter towns within 90 minutes of the capital by train, where property prices are under £300,000 on average and monthly rents under £1,000:
1. Ipswich
Rail journey: Ipswich to London Liverpool Street
Journey time: 72 minutes
Average property price: £274,942
Average monthly rent: £743
Search for a property in Ipswich
2. Southampton
Rail journey: Southampton Central to London Waterloo
Journey time: 80 minutes
Average property price: £227,386
Average monthly rent: £868
Search for a property in Southampton
3. Northampton
Rail journey: Northampton to London Euston
Journey time: 59 minutes
Average property price: £250,870
Average monthly rent: £793
Search for a property in Northampton
The best Kent commuter towns
Kent is one of the most popular counties for commuters and has plenty of towns offering easy access to London. Here, we’ve listed three of the best commuter towns within an hour of the capital…
1. Chatham
Rail journey: Chatham to London Victoria
Journey time: 43 minutes
Average property price: £225,498
Average monthly rent: £866
Search for a property in Chatham
2. Ashford
Rail journey: Ashford International to St Pancras International
Journey time: 38 minutes
Average property price: £329,557
Average monthly rent: £953
Search for a property in Ashford
3. Folkestone
Rail journey: Folkestone Central to St Pancras International
Journey time: 57 minutes
Average property price: £296,621
Average monthly rent: £771
Search for a property in Folkestone
The best commuter towns in Hertfordshire
Although more expensive than counties like Kent, Hertfordshire’s commuter towns are among the closest to London, with our two hotspots both within 30 minutes of the capital…
1. St Albans
Rail journey: St Albans City to St Pancras International
Journey time: 22 minutes
Average property price: £568,671
Average monthly rent: £1,214
Search for a property in St Albans
2. Welwyn Garden City
Rail journey: Welwyn Garden City to London Kings Cross
Journey time: 29 minutes
Average property price: £432,720
Average monthly rent: £1,155
Search for a property in Welwyn Garden City
The best commuter towns in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire commuter towns offer the best of both worlds – easy access to London and other major cities. In fact, trains from Milton Keynes to Birmingham take just five minutes longer than services to the capital.
Our two Buckinghamshire commuter hotspots are both within an hour of London…
1. Bedford
Rail journey: Bedford to St Pancras International
Journey time: 47 minutes
Average property price: £315,386
Average monthly rent: £847
Search for a property in Bedford
2. Milton Keynes
Rail journey: Milton Keynes to London Euston
Journey time: 44 minutes
Average property price: £296,323
Average monthly rent: £990
Search for a property in Milton Keynes
The best commuter towns for Manchester
The North West is home to some of the best commuter links in the country and Manchester is surrounded by great towns.
Our top Manchester commuter towns are all within 40 minutes of the city and have an average property price below £300,000.
1. Rochdale
Rail journey: Rochdale to Manchester Piccadilly
Journey time: 15 minutes
Average property price: £147,597
Average monthly rent: £645
Search for a property in Rochdale
2. Macclesfield
Rail journey: Macclesfield to Manchester Piccadilly
Journey time: 21 minutes
Average property price: £264,484
Average monthly rent: £698
Search for a property in Macclesfield
2. Widnes
Rail journey: Widnes to Manchester Piccadilly
Journey time: 31 minutes
Average property price: £149,163
Average monthly rent: £583
Search for a property in Widnes
The best commuter towns for Glasgow
Glasgow is one of Scotland’s busiest and most vibrant cities and it’s surrounded by superb commuter towns.
All three of our top choices have average property prices below £200,000, but are less than 60 minutes from the city…
1. Bathgate
Rail journey: Bathgate to Glasgow Queen Street
Journey time: 48 minutes
Average property price: £169,752
Average monthly rent: £676
Search for a property in Bathgate
2. Paisley
Rail journey: Paisley Gilmour Street to Glasgow Central
Journey time: 10 minutes
Average property price: £130,834
Average monthly rent: £711
Search for a property in Paisley
3. Stirling
Rail journey: Stirling to Glasgow Queen Street
Journey time: 34 minutes
Average property price: £199,424
Average monthly rent: £942
Search for a property in Stirling
The best commuter towns for Leeds
Northern powerhouse Leeds is bordered by some of Yorkshire’s best towns – all offering superb commuter links into the city.
Property prices in our top-three are also affordable, averaging under £200,000, with average monthly rents of less than £700.
1. Pontefract
Rail journey: Pontefract Monkhill to Leeds
Journey time: 34 minutes
Average property price: £167,357
Average monthly rent: £581
Search for a property in Pontefract
2. Huddersfield
Rail journey: Huddersfield to Leeds
Journey time: 19 minutes
Average property price: £178,132
Average monthly rent: £608
Search for a property in Huddersfield
3. Keighley
Rail journey: Keighley to Leeds
Journey time: 28 minutes
Average property price: £139,753
Average monthly rent: £512
Search for a property in Keighley
The best commuter towns for Birmingham
The UK’s second city, Birmingham offers great employment options and an explosion of culture and diversity.
That means the towns that surround the city are hugely popular with property hunters and our top-three all offer great options for commuters…
1. Shrewsbury
Rail journey: Shrewsbury to Birmingham New Street
Journey time: 58 minutes
Average property price: £246,085
Average monthly rent: £672
Search for a property in Shrewsbury
2. Tamworth
Rail journey: Tamworth to Birmingham New Street
Journey time: 18 minutes
Average property price: £213,010
Average monthly rent: £714
Search for a property in Tamworth
3. Hinckley
Rail journey: Hinckley to Birmingham New Street
Journey time: 37 minutes
Average property price: £225,570
Average monthly rent: £659
Search for a property in Hinckley
Further reading…
• Should I sell or rent out my house?
