Yahoo News London's best place to live in 2024 named as 'area for the wealthy' as every borough ranked
The best place to live in London has been named 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 upmarket style, leafy green spaces and great transport links, it's easy to see why.
Richmond has been described as a great place to live for young people to live in London by locals, so it's understandable that there would be a high vote for the borough. Speaking to MyLondon in 2023, Guy Chance, 69, said Richmond is "great fun for youngsters, all the things they can do on the social side, it's a buzzy place to live".
But while it's very popular, it's also very expensive for many, making living in the borough a challenge. Tony Khatchik, who runs children's shop The Toy Station, says: "Average families are younger now than they used to be 20 years ago, however they have big mortgages because prices are very high and everything else is expensive so they don’t have as much disposable income."
READ MORE: Depressing new map shows London boroughs with the highest rent price increases for 2024
He said said central Richmond was always "a playground of the wealthy and the millionaires" but that this has spread to the outskirts now so homes "which were affordable... have tripled in price". He remembered a time, now 20 years ago, when it was possible to buy an apartment or house on a modest income.
But now, the area is just for the very wealthy, he said. According to the ONS, the average price of a house 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 border with Kent. The borough includes parts of Crystal Palace as well as Penge, Orpington and Anerley within its borders, as well as several football teams.
But while it's proved popular with MyLondon readers, it's one of six London boroughs not to have any Underground stations within its boundaries. Connections to Central London and further afield are provided through the London Overground and railway 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-earning' neighbourhood in the UK, one of only two areas in the country where average household incomes are more than £100,000.
Wandsworth is full of green, leafy spaces including both 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 Underground stations on the Northern line.
But such great amenities also come with a price tag. House prices are currently averaging £604,000 in Wandsworth, as of March 2024, according to the ONS.
Full list of the best places to live in London
From a total of 3,138 votes, MyLondon has drawn together a list of the best place to live in London, according to our readers. Here it is from last to first place. It's worth noting that City of London didn't get any votes, but given it's got 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 - Tower Hamlets
19 - Hackney
18 - Lewisham
15 - Westminster
14 - Hammersmith and Fulham
13 - Camden
12 - Islington
11 - Greenwich
10 - Croydon
9 - Barnet
7 - Ealing
6 - Waltham Forest
5 - Hillingdon
4 - Kensington and Chelsea
3 - Wandsworth
2 - Bromley
1 - Richmond Upon Thames
Got a story for us? Email anna.willis@reachplc.com.
Get the biggest stories from around London straight to your inbox. Sign up to MyLondon's The 12 HERE for the 12 biggest stories each day.
