Halton has been named England’s best place to raise a family after research compared house prices, earnings, schools, crime and access to outdoor space.
The Cheshire local authority topped an index produced by Pepper Money covering 126 areas across England, scoring 77.04 out of 100.
York finished second with 69.36, followed by Warrington on 67.44, Blackburn with Darwen on 66.88 and Swindon on 65.84. Derby, Northumberland, Milton Keynes, Barnsley and Darlington completed the top 10.
The index gives equal weighting to average semi-detached house prices, workplace earnings, the proportion of homes with private outdoor space, the proportion of schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted and crime rates.
AFFORDABILITY COUNTS
Halton performed particularly strongly on housing affordability, with an average semi-detached property price of £205,000.
York’s average of £305,000 is considerably higher but remains well below the £497,707 average across the locations included in the study. Average workplace earnings in York stand at £39,337.
Warrington combines average earnings of more than £41,000 with relatively affordable housing and strong access to private outdoor space, with 93% of addresses having access.
London’s high property prices weighed heavily on the capital’s overall performance.
Havering was London’s highest-ranking borough but came just 53rd nationally, meaning none of the capital’s boroughs made the top 50.
That was despite London performing particularly strongly for schools. Harrow had the highest proportion rated good or outstanding at 75%, followed by Camden at 73% and Waltham Forest at 72%.
NORTH EAST VALUE
The North East dominates the most affordable locations for family-sized housing.
County Durham recorded the lowest average semi-detached price in the study at £149,950, followed by Hartlepool at £155,750 and Blackpool at £157,000.
Sunderland, Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough all recorded average prices of £160,000, while Redcar and Cleveland stood at £165,000.
At the opposite end of the market, average semi-detached prices in Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster exceeded £4m.
The research also found South Tyneside had the greatest access to private outdoor space, with 97% of addresses having access. Across the entire study, 51% of areas recorded private outdoor space at 90% or more of addresses.
FAMILY BALANCE
Pepper Money’s Paul Adams (main picture, inset) says: “Finding the right area to raise a family can be complicated, with priorities varying depending on each family’s circumstances.
“The data shows that families across the UK have a range of options, whether they’re looking for more affordable housing in the North East, access to highly rated schools in London, or the strongest overall combination of factors in Cheshire.
“For families considering a move, affordability is likely to be a key part of the decision.”
Reading also performed strongly, ranking 11th overall while recording average workplace earnings of £49,062.
Oxford was 12th, while Cheshire West and Chester and Windsor and Maidenhead shared 13th place.
At the bottom of the overall index were areas including Salford, Tameside and Greenwich.
