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Last week we revealed that Woking had just been named London’s best commuter town. But what about the worst location for the capital’s commuters?
A new study by mortgage lenders Pepper Money has ranked the best and worst commuter towns in Britain. The analysts took into account average house prices (to buy and to rent), travel time, public transport cost and quality of life to come up with a total score.
While Woking in Surrey came out on top for London, thanks to its low crime rates, short commute time and relatively modest house prices, other locations didn’t perform so well.
Luton was named as not only the most rubbish commuter town for London, but the worst in all of Britain. Oh dear. Luton scored a meagre 114 points out of 469 in the report. While rents and house prices in the town northwest of London were low compared to the capital’s other commuter towns (they averaged at £1,190 per month and £285,000, respectively), the median salary in Luton was only £33,202, compared to Woking’s £42,624.
‘While Luton appears more affordable on paper, with lower house prices and rents, its longer commute (36 minutes) and lower average salary make it less attractive overall,’ the report wrote.
However, things could be looking up for Luton. The town’s ever-growing airport is to undergo a huge expansion over the next several years, which is predicted to create 11,000 jobs in the area. The Luton Airport expansion could also pave the way for the highly anticipated new Universal Studios UK, which is tipped to open nearby in Bedford within the next decade.
Find all of Pepper Money’s best commuter towns in England and Wales here.
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