Whether you’re on the hunt for a new home or looking to sell, it’s handy to know which areas of the UK are at the top of people’s wish lists. According to new research by the Telegraph and Savills estate agents, towns across the Home Counties are the most hotly sought after right now. And the number one most desirable spot in all of Britain is just a stone’s throw from the Big Smoke.
Savills scored each town according to things like their green spaces, travel links and schools as well as the proportion of residents holding managerial and professional jobs, their level of qualifications and the state of their health (if you want to see a desirability ranking based on actual demand, see here instead).
Based on those factors, the research concluded that that being within a commutable distance of London is a major contributor to a town’s desirability. Posh places in the south east of England dominate the top 20, and in first place is the Hertfordshire town of Harpenden.
It takes just 30 minutes to get from Harpenden to London St Pancras on the train. The Telegraph said that the town has ‘village charm’ with a ‘superb range of restaurants, wine bars and leisure facilities’. It also boasts a bunch of schools that are highly rated by Ofsted and 60 percent of its population have a bachelor’s level qualification.
One local told the paper that newcomers to Harpenden should be prepared to ‘navigate a lot of SUVs’ through the town and another said that it attracts families with ‘every club or class imaginable’. With all those things in mind, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that property prices there are well above the national average. The average property in Harpenden will set you back £950,000.
But that’s nowhere near the most expensive place on the list. The Telegraph’s second most desirable town is Cobham in Surrey. To enjoy its ‘easy access to green spaces’ and ‘cafe society’, you’ll need to be prepared to part with around £1.4 million for a property. Third place went to Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, which has an ‘excellent high street’, ‘great schools’ and ‘the Chilterns right on your doorstep’. To own a property there, you’re looking at an average price of £1.2m.
Britain’s top 20 most desirable towns, according to the Telegraph
- Harpenden, Hertfordshire
- Cobham, Surrey
- Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
- Chorleywood, Hertfordshire
- Amersham, Buckinghamshire
- Hale, Greater Manchester
- Esher, Surrey
- Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire
- Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire
- St Albans, Hertfordshire
- Virgina Water, Surrey
- Sevenoaks, Kent
- West Bridgford, Nottingham
- Ashtead, Surrey
- Farnham, Surrey
- Cambridge
- Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
- North Ascot, Berkshire
- Altrincham, Greater Manchester
- Weybridge, Surrey
In London itself, the Telegraph named Richmond Green the most desirable place to live. Read more about that here and read the Telegraph’s list in full here.
Did you see that London’s legendary no trousers tube ride returns this weekend?
Plus: 12 major changes coming to London transport in 2026.
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