SettleWithUs Search again
League table

The 12 boroughs of South London

Bigger gardens, more park acreage and the best value for family square footage inside Zones 2–5 — from riverside Richmond round to Bexley. Below: every south London borough, ranked for families on schools, safety, commute and green space — all on the same yardstick. Top of the table: Wandsworth at 66/100.

41
South avg

Boroughs in South London

South London has 12 London boroughs in our coverage:

  1. Bexley
  2. Bromley
  3. Croydon
  4. Greenwich
  5. Kingston upon Thames
  6. Lambeth
  7. Lewisham
  8. Merton
  9. Richmond upon Thames
  10. Southwark
  11. Sutton
  12. Wandsworth

What each South London borough is actually like

One paragraph per borough, built from the same four datasets: schools within a mile, Met Police recorded crime, green space, and typical peak commute — plus the Band D council tax bill for 2025/26.

Wandsworth

Wandsworth averages 66/100 for families across the 5 postcodes we cover, scoring 100/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 90 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 11th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £991 a year. Its strongest postcode is SW11 (Shaftesbury & Queenstown) at 66/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to SW18 (Wandsworth Town) at 66/100 — a 0-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Southwark

Southwark averages 49/100 for families across the 7 postcodes we cover, scoring 43/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 135 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 26th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £1,932 a year. Its strongest postcode is SE15 (Rye Lane) at 66/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to SE17 (North Walworth) at 36/100 — a 30-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Lambeth

Lambeth averages 47/100 for families across the 8 postcodes we cover, scoring 38/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 140 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 28th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,030 a year. Its strongest postcode is SE24 (Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction) at 66/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to SW16 (Streatham Common & Vale) at 36/100 — a 30-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Lewisham

Lewisham averages 45/100 for families across the 7 postcodes we cover, scoring 29/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 108 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 20th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,272 a year. Its strongest postcode is SE23 (Perry Vale) at 66/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to SE14 (New Cross Gate) at 36/100 — a 30-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Bexley

Bexley averages 36/100 for families across the 7 postcodes we cover, scoring 0/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 62 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 2nd lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,287 a year. Its strongest postcode is DA5 (St Mary's & St James) at 36/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to DA17 (Belvedere) at 36/100 — a 0-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Bromley

Bromley averages 36/100 for families across the 5 postcodes we cover, scoring 0/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 72 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 6th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,123 a year. Its strongest postcode is BR1 (Plaistow) at 36/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to SE20 (Penge & Cator) at 36/100 — a 0-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Croydon

Croydon averages 36/100 for families across the 6 postcodes we cover, scoring 0/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 105 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 18th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,621 a year. Its strongest postcode is CR0 (Park Hill & Whitgift) at 36/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to SE25 (South Norwood) at 36/100 — a 0-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Greenwich

Greenwich averages 36/100 for families across the 5 postcodes we cover, scoring 0/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 100 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 15th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,178 a year. Its strongest postcode is SE3 (Blackheath Westcombe) at 36/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to SE28 (Thamesmead Moorings) at 36/100 — a 0-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Kingston upon Thames

Kingston upon Thames averages 36/100 for families across the 6 postcodes we cover, scoring 0/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 75 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 7th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,488 a year. Its strongest postcode is KT1 (Kingston Town) at 36/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to KT9 (Chessington South & Malden Rushett) at 36/100 — a 0-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Merton

Merton averages 36/100 for families across the 4 postcodes we cover, scoring 0/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 82 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 10th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,225 a year. Its strongest postcode is CR4 (Figge's Marsh) at 36/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to SW20 (Raynes Park) at 36/100 — a 0-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Richmond upon Thames

Richmond upon Thames averages 36/100 for families across the 6 postcodes we cover, scoring 0/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 58 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 1st lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,379 a year. Its strongest postcode is TW1 (Twickenham Riverside) at 36/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to TW12 (Hampton North) at 36/100 — a 0-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Sutton

Sutton averages 36/100 for families across the 5 postcodes we cover, scoring 0/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 70 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 4th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,317 a year. Its strongest postcode is SM1 (Sutton Central) at 36/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to SM6 (Wallington North) at 36/100 — a 0-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Frequently asked questions

How many boroughs are in South London?
South London has 12 London boroughs: Wandsworth, Southwark, Lambeth, Lewisham, Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton.
Which South London borough is best for families?
Wandsworth tops our ranking at 66/100 — strongest on schools, safety, commute and green space combined. See the full table above.
What's the safest borough in South London?
Wandsworth scores highest for safety in South London at 100/100, based on Met Police crime data.
Where do the South London boroughs sit vs the rest of London?
See the full 32-borough London ranking to compare South London boroughs against North, South, East, West and Central on the same yardstick.

South London boroughs ranked

Ranked by overall family score. Tap a row for every postcode in the borough.

  1. 1

    Wandsworth5 postcodes

    Schools 100 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: SW11 Shaftesbury & Queenstown (66)

    66
  2. 2

    Southwark7 postcodes

    Schools 43 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: SE15 Rye Lane (66)

    49
  3. 3

    Lambeth8 postcodes

    Schools 38 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: SE24 Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction (66)

    47
  4. 4

    Lewisham7 postcodes

    Schools 29 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: SE23 Perry Vale (66)

    45
  5. 5

    Bexley7 postcodes

    Schools 0 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: DA5 St Mary's & St James (36)

    36
  6. 6

    Bromley5 postcodes

    Schools 0 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: BR1 Plaistow (36)

    36
  7. 7

    Croydon6 postcodes

    Schools 0 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: CR0 Park Hill & Whitgift (36)

    36
  8. 8

    Greenwich5 postcodes

    Schools 0 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: SE3 Blackheath Westcombe (36)

    36
  9. 9

    Kingston upon Thames6 postcodes

    Schools 0 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: KT1 Kingston Town (36)

    36
  10. 10

    Merton4 postcodes

    Schools 0 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: CR4 Figge's Marsh (36)

    36
  11. 11

    Richmond upon Thames6 postcodes

    Schools 0 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: TW1 Twickenham Riverside (36)

    36
  12. 12

    Sutton5 postcodes

    Schools 0 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: SM1 Sutton Central (36)

    36

Other parts of London

North LondonEast LondonWest LondonCentral London