LONDON, 10 May 2025 – As London’s housing affordability crisis forces growing numbers of families to move out of the capital—leading to widespread school closures—new research by Zoopla has identified the capital’s most attractive and budget-friendly boroughs for family living.
Despite soaring property prices across the city, Barking & Dagenham, located in east London, has emerged as the most popular affordable area for families seeking three-bedroom homes. With average property prices at £440,300, the borough offers homes priced at just 5.5 times the average local income—well below the London-wide ratio of eight times earnings.
The findings are part of a broader analysis by Zoopla, which ranked boroughs based on two main factors:
- Affordability – the ratio between average house prices and local salaries.
- Popularity – the average number of views per Zoopla listing for typical three-bedroom homes.
The study, which also included a nationwide survey of 2,000 adults by Opinium in April, revealed that 34% of respondents feared being priced out of their ideal family home location.
Barking & Dagenham was followed by:
- Bexley (SE London): £493,500, 5.3x income
- Havering (E London): £488,700, 5.2x income
- Newham (E London): £508,400, 6.3x income
- Enfield (N London): £523,700, 5.8x income
Beyond London, Glenrothes in Fife, Scotland was named Britain’s most popular affordable town for families. Nestled between rolling hills and within commuting distance to Edinburgh, Glenrothes offers a compelling mix of value, scenery, and access.
Scotland and Wales dominated the rest of Zoopla’s top 10 affordable family-friendly towns, underscoring a wider trend of families relocating outside England’s major urban centres.
Richard Donnell, Executive Director at Zoopla, commented:
“The willingness of many to consider different regions or compromise on property features further highlights the adaptive strategies families are employing in today’s market.”
