League table

The 8 boroughs of West London

Heathrow-friendly, well-connected and family-heavy — from period Ealing streets and Harrow's grammar catchments to riverside Hammersmith. Below: every west London borough, ranked for families on schools, safety, commute and green space — all on the same yardstick. Top of the table: Hammersmith and Fulham at 51/100.

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West avg

Boroughs in West London

West London has 8 London boroughs in our coverage:

  1. Brent
  2. Ealing
  3. Hammersmith and Fulham
  4. Harrow
  5. Hillingdon
  6. Hounslow
  7. Kensington and Chelsea
  8. Richmond upon Thames

What each West 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.

Hammersmith and Fulham

Hammersmith and Fulham averages 51/100 for families across the 4 postcodes we cover, scoring 50/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 130 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 25th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £1,420 a year. Its strongest postcode is W6 (Hammersmith Broadway) at 66/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to W14 (Avonmore) at 36/100 — a 30-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Ealing

Ealing averages 41/100 for families across the 6 postcodes we cover, scoring 17/100 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 14th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,200 a year. Its strongest postcode is W5 (Ealing Broadway) at 66/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to W13 (Hanwell Broadway) at 36/100 — a 30-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Hounslow

Hounslow averages 40/100 for families across the 7 postcodes we cover, scoring 14/100 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 16th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,179 a year. Its strongest postcode is W4 (Chiswick Gunnersbury) at 66/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to TW14 (Feltham North) at 36/100 — a 30-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Kensington and Chelsea

Kensington and Chelsea averages 40/100 for families across the 7 postcodes we cover, scoring 14/100 on schools, 100/100 on safety, 0/100 on green space and 70/100 on commute. Met Police recorded 165 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 30th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £1,652 a year. Its strongest postcode is W11 (Notting Dale) at 66/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to W10 (Dalgarno) at 36/100 — a 30-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Brent

Brent 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 105 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 17th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,232 a year. Its strongest postcode is HA0 (Wembley Central) at 36/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to NW10 (Harlesden & Kensal Green) at 36/100 — a 0-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Harrow

Harrow 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 65 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 3rd lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,310 a year. Its strongest postcode is HA1 (Greenhill) at 36/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to HA7 (Belmont) at 36/100 — a 0-point spread that shows why a borough average only gets you so far.

Hillingdon

Hillingdon 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 92 offences per 1,000 residents in the year to 2024 — the 12th lowest rate of London's 32 boroughs. Band D council tax is £2,085 a year. Its strongest postcode is HA4 (Ruislip Manor) at 36/100, and the widest gap inside the borough is down to UB10 (Hillingdon East) 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.

Frequently asked questions

How many boroughs are in West London?
West London has 8 London boroughs: Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Richmond upon Thames.
Which West London borough is best for families?
Hammersmith and Fulham tops our ranking at 51/100 — strongest on schools, safety, commute and green space combined. See the full table above.
What's the safest borough in West London?
Hammersmith and Fulham scores highest for safety in West London at 100/100, based on Met Police crime data.
Where do the West London boroughs sit vs the rest of London?
See the full 32-borough London ranking to compare West London boroughs against North, South, East, West and Central on the same yardstick.

West London boroughs ranked

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

  1. 1

    Hammersmith and Fulham4 postcodes

    Schools 50 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: W6 Hammersmith Broadway (66)

    51
  2. 2

    Ealing6 postcodes

    Schools 17 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: W5 Ealing Broadway (66)

    41
  3. 3

    Hounslow7 postcodes

    Schools 14 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: W4 Chiswick Gunnersbury (66)

    40
  4. 4

    Kensington and Chelsea7 postcodes

    Schools 14 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: W11 Notting Dale (66)

    40
  5. 5

    Brent5 postcodes

    Schools 0 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: HA0 Wembley Central (36)

    36
  6. 6

    Harrow5 postcodes

    Schools 0 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: HA1 Greenhill (36)

    36
  7. 7

    Hillingdon4 postcodes

    Schools 0 · Safety 100 · Green 0 · Commute 70 · Top: HA4 Ruislip Manor (36)

    36
  8. 8

    Richmond upon Thames6 postcodes

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

    36