[title]
Living in London is amazing – we’ve got many of the country’s best restaurants, museums, public parks, live music, theatre and more, all on our doorstep. But being surrounded by all that capital city concrete can also get a bit depressing, especially combined with the extremely high cost of living.
Property platform Rightmove has just unveiled its annual Happy at Home Index, revealing the locations in Britain where people are the most – and least – happy, at home. Rightmove surveyed thousands of Brits about where they live, taking into account not only how residents felt about their properties, but their thoughts on their community, local area and proximity to amenities.
The least happy borough in London, according to Rightmove’s data, was Barking and Dagenham. Coming in dead-last place out of the capital’s 33 boroughs, the east London area ranked 220th nationally.
To the residents of B&D, we say chin up, because we don’t actually agree. Not only is the postcode poised to receive a £200 million investment from the National Lottery Heritage Fund soon, but the area is home to a number of fascinating and beautiful historical attractions, including the Elizabethan Eastbury Manor House, and the Grade II*–listed manor with a medieval moat Valence House Museum.
B&D is also London’s most affordable location, where the average house price is just £335,500. This is much, much cheaper than London’s happiest borough, the affluent Richmond upon Thames, where the average house will set you back an enormous £760,700. And if saving all those pennies isn’t enough to make you content, we don’t know what is.
The capital’s second and third most depressing boroughs were also in east London, with Newham and Havering ranking nationally in 219th and 218th, respectively.
But hey, you don’t have to listen to Rightmove. There’s a reason why so many people want to live in east London, and that’s certainly not going to change because of this index. And if you don’t believe us, here’s our guide to the best things to do in east London.
The 5 least happy places to live in London
- Barking and Dagenham
- Newham
- Havering
- Enfield
- Brent
A new Overground line could open in north London by 2027.
38 London restaurants have been named the best in the UK in a prestigious new list – and this one ranks highest.
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.