Question 1

Which London borough is best for families?

Accepted Answer

On the SettleWithUs family score, Tower Hamlets tops the ranking at 83/100 — combining safety (67), green space (100) and commute (94). The right answer depends on your own weighting; the full ranking above is sortable.

Question 2

How is the family score calculated?

Accepted Answer

Family scores are existing composite area benchmarks, averaged across each borough’s postcodes. They are not School Owl school ratings or a prediction of admission. School information is now provided exclusively through School Owl’s catchment guidance.

Question 3

Are outer London boroughs better for families than inner?

Accepted Answer

Outer boroughs (Richmond, Kingston, Sutton, Bromley) usually win on green space, safety and space-per-pound. Inner boroughs (Wandsworth, Camden, Islington) offer shorter commutes. If both parents work in Zone 1, inner usually beats outer despite the score gap.

Question 4

Where in London is cheapest for families?

Accepted Answer

Bexley, Barking and Dagenham, and Havering top the value tables — but involve different commute trade-offs. Zone 3–4 postcodes in Lewisham, Waltham Forest and Croydon typically offer the best balance of family score vs house price.

#	Borough	Overall	Safety	Green	Commute
1	Tower Hamlets	83	67	100	94
2	Islington	80	62	100	91
3	Hammersmith and Fulham	79	69	100	75
4	Haringey	78	73	93	70
5	Hackney	75	69	96	69
6	Southwark	75	67	98	69
7	Waltham Forest	75	78	92	57
8	Wandsworth	75	86	80	59
9	Camden	74	49	100	81
10	Lambeth	74	64	94	72
11	Greenwich	73	82	83	57
12	Lewisham	73	78	83	64
13	Merton	73	90	96	39
14	Brent	71	80	90	39
15	Ealing	71	82	89	47
16	Newham	71	73	72	70
17	Kensington and Chelsea	70	53	79	89
18	Kingston upon Thames	70	93	89	29
19	Richmond upon Thames	70	100	92	25
20	Barnet	68	90	69	40
21	Sutton	68	95	100	9
22	Harrow	66	97	77	23
23	Enfield	64	85	65	41
24	Bromley	62	94	60	30
25	Hounslow	62	82	86	18
26	Westminster	62	10	100	94
27	Hillingdon	61	85	84	18
28	Barking and Dagenham	57	75	75	25
29	Bexley	57	98	48	24
30	Havering	57	94	59	11
31	Redbridge	57	90	47	39
32	Croydon	49	80	39	26

The best London boroughs for families, ranked

Top 5 for families

Full ranking — all 32 boroughs

Methodology

Frequently asked questions