England’s friendliest neighbourhoods – and how much it costs to live there

England’s friendliest neighbourhoods have been revealed, and the winner might surprise you.

Estate agents John D Wood and Co. ranked areas across the country based on factors such as access to green spaces, rates of anti-social behaviour and prevalence of community events.

Sutton, in south-west London, came out on top, with the borough scoring highly for its moderate levels of anti-social behaviour with just 15.6 reports per 1,000 residents.

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The borough also has high levels of home ownership – around 65% of properties are owned outright or have mortgages on them. The average house price is £457,497, according to the latest Land Registry data.

It also has a bundle of social amenities such as restaurants and pubs for residents to choose from, with 10.36 for every 10,000 residents, and plenty of public gardens to explore.

The borough has also notched up seven council award wins for community initiatives.

Where else are the friendliest neighbourhoods in England?

Behind Sutton in south-west London, Chester, Cheshire, came second in the John D Wood and Co. rankings. It scored strongly for safety – the historic city in North West England records just 7.7 reports of anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents.

Chester also benefits from high homeownership levels, with 69.4% of properties owned outright or with a mortgage on them.

There’s also an abundance of cafes, pubs and community spaces, while residents have access to an average of 4.84 public parks, gardens or paying fields within a 1,000 metre radius.

The average house price in Chester West and Cheshire is £267,668, according to the Land Registry.

Liverpool, Merseyside, came third in the rankings. The city records 13.5 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents.

John D Wood and Co. also said Google searches for community events among residents have increased by 33% in the last year, suggesting a growing interest in local activities and community spirit.

The average property price in Liverpool is just £177,378, based on Land Registry data, well below the UK average.

Source: John D Wood and Co. Average house price data is based on the latest Land Registry data, sourced by MoneyWeek.

What is the friendliest London borough?

Sutton was also named as the friendliest neighbourhood in London, as well as England.

Bromley, in south-east London, ranked second.

The borough, once home to rock legend David Bowie, records a homeownership rate of 69.04% while residents have a plethora of green spaces and high streets packed with shops to choose from. The average home there will cost you £515,200, according to the Land Registry.

Merton, in the south-west of the capital, came third in John D Wood and Co.’s London rankings. Home to areas like Wimbledon, the borough provides residents with plenty of parks, gardens and public fields to choose from, combined with decent homeownership rates and moderate levels of anti-social behaviour.

The average house price in Merton costs £604,042, says the Land Registry.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kensington and Chelsea also featured highly in the rankings, recording 11.42 cafes, pubs and community spaces per 10,000 residents.

Featuring iconic areas such as Notting Hill and Chelsea and no dearth of restaurants and boutique shops, the average house price is a steep £1,225,499, based on Land Registry data.

Hammersmith and Fulham also featured high in the London rankings, offering residents a mix of classy high streets and plenty of green spaces. The average house price is £727,665 says the Land Registry.