The 5 most ‘desirable’ towns to live in Britain have been crowned (and they are all near London)

The Home Counties offer a best of both worlds. You get to enjoy gorgeous English countryside and a slower pace of life while still being able to commute to a London office and enjoy the buzz and culture (and higher salaries) of the capital whenever you fancy it. That’s probably why every single one of the country’s top five most desirable towns for 2026, according to the Telegraph, are in one of the counties bordering the Big Smoke.

For its ranking, the newspaper collaborated with Savills estate agents and ranked each town based on factors like green spaces, travel links and schools. The report also looked well as the proportion of residents holding managerial and professional jobs, their level of qualifications and the state of their health. 

With all of those factors combined, towns within 90 minutes of the capital city dominated the ranking. In first place was the Hertfordshire town of Harpenden, which is just 30 minutes from St Pancras. The Telegraph said that the town has ‘village charm’ with a ‘superb range of restaurants, wine bars and leisure facilities’. It also boasts a bunch of schools that are highly rated by Ofsted and 60 percent of its population have a bachelor’s level qualification.

Of course, the more desirable a place is, the more expensive it tends to be, with the average property in Harpenden going for £950,000. 

The Telegraph’s second most desirable town is Cobham in Surrey, just over an hour from the Big Smoke. An local estate agent told the paper that Cobham ‘has a real warmth to it and a generational feel that is almost unique’. It’s the most expensive place on the list, with around £1.4 million for a property.

Third place went to Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, which can be reached by train in less than 30 minutes for Marylebone. The Telegraph says it has an ‘excellent high street’, ‘great schools’ and ‘the Chilterns right on your doorstep’, but for all that you’re looking at an average price of £1.2m.

In fourth place, it was Chorleywood, which is on the Metropolitan line and can be reached in a swift 16 minutes (average properties there are £984,000), and in fifth was Amersham, which is also a stop along the Metropolitan line. It’s the cheapest of the top five, with average properties going for £737,000. 

Britain’s 20 most desirable towns in 2026, according to the Telegraph 

As for the rest of the list, 15 out of the top 20 towns were in the Home Counties. See the Telegraph’s list below. 

1. Harpenden, Hertfordshire
2. Cobham, Surrey
3. Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
4. Chorleywood, Hertfordshire
5. Amersham, Buckinghamshire 
6. Hale, Greater Manchester
7. Esher, Surrey
8. Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire
9. Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire
10. St Albans, Hertfordshire
11. Virgina Water, Surrey
12. Sevenoaks, Kent
13. West Bridgford, Nottingham
14. Ashtead, Surrey
15. Farnham, Surrey
16. Cambridge
17. Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
18. North Ascot, Berkshire
19. Altrincham, Greater Manchester
20. Weybridge, Surrey 

Read the Telegraph’s piece in full here.

ICYMI: The best place to live in London in 2026. 

Plus: Every London borough ranked from happiest to most miserable. 

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