The 10 Happiest and Most Affordable Commuter Towns
Those living in London are more likely to have little money and be unhappy than residents in other parts of the country. With high house prices and small spaces, Londoners are not the most content with their living conditions.
But if your job is in the capital, finding a good commuter town can be the perfect alternative.
The Telegraph and Hamptons International have analysed data on travel time to London, property prices, average wages and life satisfaction ratings to uncover the ten happiest and most affordable commuter towns.
Here is the countdown, starting at number ten…
|
Position |
Town | Commute time | Average house price (two-bed property) | Average salary |
Life satisfaction rating |
| 10 | Basingstoke | 50 minutes | £202,000 | £39,459 | 7.5 |
| 9 | Tunbridge Wells | 55 minutes | £232,000 | £44,032 | 7.6 |
| 8 | Maidstone | 57 minutes | £181,000 | £35,448 | 7.6 |
| 7 | Aylesbury | 1 hour | £199,000 | £35,448 | 7.6 |
| 6 | Chelmsford | 35 minutes | £208,000 | £42,963 | 7.6 |
| 5 | Ashford | 40 minutes | £172,000 | £32,424 | 7.6 |
| 4 | North Hertfordshire | 45 minutes | £219,000 | £41,829 | 7.6 |
| 3 | East Cambridgeshire | 1 hour 10 minutes | £173,000 | £43,434 | 7.6 |
| 2 | Hertsmere | 38 minutes | £287,000 | £45,913 | 7.7 |
| 1 | Test Valley | 1 hour 11 minutes | £191,000 | £36,219 | 7.8 |
At number ten is Basingstoke, a town in Hampshire where trains to London Waterloo take just 50 minutes.
The 10 Happiest and Most Affordable Commuter Towns
If you’re looking for higher wages, then Tunbridge Wells has some of the highest on the list, at just 35 miles from central London.
Trains from Maidstone East take commuters to London Victoria in under an hour.
If you don’t mind spending an hour on the train, then look to Aylesbury, where the average two-bed property costs under £200,000.
The shortest commute on the list is in the Essex town of Chelmsford, with trains reaching Liverpool Street in only 35 minutes.
Although Ashford in Kent is 60 miles from central London, the high-speed rail link gets you to St Pancras in just 40 minutes. But beware of the £6,000 per year season ticket!
A historical Hertfordshire market town, Hitchin has all the appeal of the countryside, but trains take you to central London in 45 minutes.
The rural atmosphere can still be felt in Ely, Cambridgeshire, despite a journey to London taking just over an hour.
Hertsmere has high satisfaction levels and is a short 38 minutes from central London.
But Test Valley in Hampshire is the best option for affordability and happiness, with an average life satisfaction rating of 7.8