Living in a metropolis certainly has its upsides, with higher average salaries, more job opportunities, and a wealth of things to do during your time off.
The average salary of someone in London is around £44,356, while average earnings in other regions is much lower. The national average is around £37,430.
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For example, the average price of a UK house in July was £298,237, according to Halifax’s latest house price index, but this grows to £539,914 for an average home in London.
By scoring 66 of the UK’s most popular commuter towns on house affordability, rent prices, population, commute time and cost, median salaries, and quality of life, Pepper Money has shed light on the top commuter towns in the UK.
Top commuter towns in the UK
The best commuter town in the UK, according to Pepper Money’s calculations, is Rotherham, which provides quick access to Sheffield by a short 17-minute train journey.
Residents of the market town have an average annual salary of £34,258, just below the nationwide average salary of £37,430. The average price of a house in the area is £193,000 and average rents are £653, making it an affordable place to put down roots.
The second-best commuter town, Dronfield, also serves the hub city of Sheffield – it’s even closer to the city than Rotherham, as it’s just 11 minutes away by train.
Homes in Dronfield are quite a bit more expensive at an average price of £301,037, while rent is £1,074 a month. The town does boast slightly higher median earnings, though, at £35,713.
Beeston, which services the hub city of Nottingham, takes third place for top commuter towns in the UK. It’s just six minutes away from the city by train.
Homes in Beeston cost an average of £295,260, while the median salary is £38,535, just above the national average.
Pepper Money’s list of the ten best commuter towns did not include any that service London, by far the largest city in the UK.
London’s commuter towns rank poorly when it comes to affordability, a knock-on effect of high house prices in the capital itself.
A full list of the ten best commuter towns can be found below.
City | Commuter Town | House Affordability | Rental | Population | Commuting Time | Rail Cost | Median Salary | Quality of Life | Score (out of 469) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sheffield | Rotherham | £193,000 | £653 | 117,618 | 17 | £2.10 | 34,258 | 7.9 | 358 |
Sheffield | Dronfield | £301,037 | £1,074 | 21,000 | 11 | £5.20 | 35,713 | 7.7 | 324 |
Nottingham | Beeston | £295,260 | £1,078 | 52,000 | 6 | £3 | 38,535 | 7.4 | 322 |
Cardiff | Penarth | £364,349 | £1,408 | 28,394 | 12 | £3.80 | 38,420 | 7.8 | 317 |
Leeds | Pudsey | £246,915 | £1,210 | 25,393 | 12 | £4.30 | 36,318 | 7.5 | 308 |
Manchester | Stalybridge | £244,877 | £923 | 27,625 | 12 | £5.30 | 33,297 | 7.6 | 303 |
Nottingham | Long Eaton | £235,982 | £1,092 | 37,760 | 16 | £2.90 | 35,357 | 7.4 | 297 |
Sheffield | Barnsley | £170,000 | £642 | 256,164 | 23 | £3.60 | 34,511 | 7.5 | 296 |
Liverpool | Widnes | £226,847 | £986 | 61,464 | 23 | £2.60 | 36,077 | 7.4 | 296 |
Nottingham | Ilkeston | £193,573 | £1,095 | 40,953 | 14 | £4.80 | 35,357 | 7.4 | 294 |
Stockport | Manchester | £307,000 | £1,051 | 299,644 | 10 | £3.30 | 37,479 | 7.6 | 294 |
Source: Pepper Money, August 2025
Top commuter towns for London
While many of these commuter towns rank near the bottom of Pepper Money’s list, London’s commuter towns can still be attractive to those who work in the capital or otherwise have ties to it.
The best commuter town for the capital is Woking, just a 26-minute train journey from London. Median salaries of £45,481 fly above the national average while the average price of a home in the town is £460,000.
A trend of higher than average house prices and salaries can be seen in almost every commuter town servicing London.
City | Commuter Town | House Affordability | Rental | Population | Commuting Time | Rail Cost | Median Salary | Quality of Life | Score (out of 469) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
London | Woking | £460,000 | £1,648 | 103,932 | 26 | £15.20 | 45,481 | 7.9 | 225 |
London | Epsom | £550,000 | £1,687 | 80,900 | 41 | £9.70 | 44,251 | 7.7 | 197 |
London | Basingstoke | £378,000 | £1,274 | 177,750 | 44 | £30.00 | 43,252 | 7.9 | 196 |
London | Slough | £355,000 | £1,529 | 161,690 | 31 | £12.60 | 38,846 | 7.6 | 196 |
London | Watford | £426,000 | £1,751 | 103,031 | 25 | £13.40 | 42,786 | 7.4 | 185 |
London | Sevenoaks | £572,000 | £1,738 | 121,106 | 35 | £15.30 | 45,565 | 7.6 | 178 |
London | Chelmsford | £387,000 | £1,378 | 181,763 | 38 | £20.90 | 39,708 | 7.6 | 174 |
London | Guildford | £543,000 | £1,637 | 71,873 | 38 | £17.70 | 44,602 | 7.4 | 171 |
London | Reading | £345,000 | £1,543 | 348,242 | 28 | £32.00 | 40,988 | 7.5 | 171 |
London | St Albans | £628,000 | £1,869 | 148,262 | 21 | £13.40 | 53,829 | 7.3 | 171 |
London | Maidstone | £361,000 | £1,246 | 107,627 | 53 | £17.90 | 35,917 | 7.3 | 132 |
London | Luton | £285,000 | £1,190 | 209,233 | 36 | £14.70 | 33,202 | 7.1 | 114 |
Top commuter towns for Birmingham
The best commuter town for Birmingham, according to Pepper Money, is Solihull, just a nine-minute train ride away from the city centre.
The average price of a home in the town is £326,000, above the UK average, but this is made up for by much higher median wages of £41,333.
City | Commuter Town | House Affordability | Rental | Population | Commuting Time | Rail Cost | Median Salary | Quality of Life | Score (out of 469) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Birmingham | Solihull | £326,000 | £1,242 | 216,200 | 9 | £4.80 | 41,333 | 7.8 | 290 |
Birmingham | Tamworth | £233,000 | £912 | 78,653 | 22 | £7.80 | 36,570 | 7.4 | 263 |
Birmingham | Lichfield | £317,000 | £1,013 | 34,738 | 40 | £7.00 | 38,900 | 7.6 | 257 |
Birmingham | Wolverhampton | £200,000 | £842 | 252,791 | 21 | £6.20 | 33,205 | 7.5 | 244 |
Birmingham | Walsall | £212,000 | £844 | 304,400 | 24 | £4.50 | 32,624 | 7.5 | 237 |
Birmingham | Coventry | £224,000 | £997 | 455,000 | 21 | £5.90 | 34,994 | 7.4 | 217 |
Birmingham | Leamington Spa | £397,742 | £1,339 | 95,000 | 34 | £9.50 | 41,760 | 7.6 | 214 |
Birmingham | Kidderminster | £246,247 | £1,107 | 57,059 | 45 | £9 | 33,663 | 7.7 | 211 |
Birmingham | Sutton Coldfield | £391,234 | £1,146 | 107,030 | 22 | £4.60 | 33,952 | 7.3 | 194 |
Birmingham | Redditch | £251,000 | £876 | 82,253 | 41 | £7.50 | 33,133 | 7.1 | 168 |
Top commuter towns for Manchester
The top commuter town for Manchester is Stalybridge, a town just 12 minutes away by train.
The median salary here is just below the UK average at £33,297, but so are house prices at £244,877.
City | Commuter Town | House Affordability | Rental | Population | Commuting Time | Rail Cost | Median Salary | Quality of Life | Score (out of 469) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Manchester | Stalybridge | £244,877 | £923 | 27,625 | 12 | £5.30 | 33,297 | 7.6 | 303 |
Manchester | Stockport | £307,000 | £1,051 | 299,644 | 10 | £3.30 | 37,479 | 7.6 | 294 |
Manchester | Bolton | £194,000 | £804 | 302,383 | 23 | £3.20 | 33,575 | 7.7 | 289 |
Manchester | Altrincham | £543,385 | £1,531 | 52,500 | 28 | £2.30 | 39,246 | 7.5 | 256 |
Manchester | Bury | £231,000 | £939 | 195,422 | 33 | £3.80 | 35,195 | 7.6 | 253 |
Manchester | Macclesfield | £294,721 | £1,276 | 63,954 | 23 | £13.00 | 37,473 | 7.7 | 247 |
Manchester | Wilmslow | £510,057 | £1,751 | 26,213 | 29 | £4.40 | 37,473 | 7.7 | 246 |
Manchester | Warrington | £254,000 | £848 | 212,703 | 34 | £4.00 | 37,387 | 7.4 | 242 |
Manchester | Glossop | £304,555 | £959 | 33,000 | 34 | £6.60 | 34,215 | 7.4 | 214 |
Manchester | Huddersfield | £208,527 | £867 | 149,017 | 32 | £16.90 | 34,157 | 7.4 | 198 |
Top commuter towns for Liverpool
The top commuter town for Liverpool is Widnes, a small town between Liverpool and Warrington, which has a population of just 61,000 people.
It takes 23 minutes to get to Liverpool’s centre from Widnes by train. The average cost of a house there is £226,847 while the median salary is £36,077.
City | Commuter Town | House Affordability | Rental | Population | Commuting Time | Rail Cost | Median Salary | Quality of Life | Score (out of 469) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liverpool | Widnes | £226,847 | £986 | 61,464 | 23 | £2.60 | 36,077 | 7.4 | 296 |
Liverpool | Birkenhead | £155,266 | £1,093 | 336,000 | 7 | £3.95 | 36,355 | 7.2 | 274 |
Liverpool | Wallasey | £196,701 | £1,146 | 58,000 | 19 | £4.55 | 36,355 | 7.2 | 269 |
Liverpool | St Helens | £169,000 | £752 | 183,400 | 24 | £5.80 | 34,478 | 7.2 | 237 |
Liverpool | Ormskirk | £273,366 | £1,550 | 24,073 | 36 | £8.60 | 36,880 | 7.5 | 222 |
Liverpool | Southport | £245,188 | £1,442 | 91,703 | 46 | £8.50 | 36,590 | 7.6 | 203 |
Top commuter towns for Leeds
Pudsey is the best commuter town for those who work in Leeds, according to Pepper Money.
The town’s lower-than-average house prices mean that the town can be an affordable place to live, as the typical house will set you back £246,915. The average salary in Pudsey is £36,318.
City | Commuter Town | House Affordability | Rental | Population | Commuting Time | Rail Cost | Median Salary | Quality of Life | Score (out of 469) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leeds | Pudsey | £246,915 | £1,210 | 25,393 | 12 | £4.30 | 36,318 | 7.5 | 308 |
Leeds | Horsforth | £368,072 | £1,229 | 19,000 | 14 | £2.50 | 34,282 | 7.5 | 291 |
Leeds | Otley | £320,672 | £1,238 | 14,000 | 47 | £2.50 | 36,318 | 7.5 | 259 |
Leeds | Wakefield | £199,000 | £753 | 357,729 | 16 | £2.70 | 32,485 | 7.3 | 252 |
Leeds | Castleford | £194,316 | £1,075 | 45,885 | 20 | £5.30 | 32,485 | 7.3 | 247 |
Leeds | Bradford | £180,000 | £718 | 560,200 | 19 | £5.80 | 32,116 | 7.3 | 218 |
Leeds | Ilkley | £529,491 | £922 | 14,000 | 30 | £3.70 | 32,116 | 7.3 | 218 |
Leeds | Harrogate | £400,609 | £1,211 | 161,700 | 36 | £6.30 | 35,414 | 7.8 | 193 |
Top commuter towns for Sheffield
The best commuter town for Sheffield is Rotherham, just 17 minutes away from the city by train.
As mentioned previously, the town enjoys lower-than-average house prices, with the typical home costing just £193,000. Salaries here are, however, lower than the UK average at £34,258.
City | Commuter Town | House Affordability | Rental | Population | Commuting Time | Rail Cost | Median Salary | Quality of Life | Score (out of 469) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sheffield | Rotherham | £193,000 | £653 | 117,618 | 17 | £2.10 | 34,258 | 7.9 | 358 |
Sheffield | Dronfield | £301,037 | £1,074 | 21,000 | 11 | £5.20 | 35,713 | 7.7 | 324 |
Sheffield | Barnsley | £170,000 | £642 | 256,164 | 23 | £3.60 | 34,511 | 7.5 | 296 |
Sheffield | Doncaster | £169,000 | £653 | 158,141 | 26 | £4.10 | 35,035 | 7.2 | 268 |
Sheffield | Worksop | £216,673 | £856 | 43,435 | 33 | £4.30 | 33,689 | 7.3 | 253 |
Sheffield | Chesterfield | £202,000 | £734 | 105,994 | 15 | £7.30 | 32,234 | 7.4 | 249 |
Top commuter towns for Bristol
The top commuter town for Bristol is Keynsham, a town just eight minutes away by train. It is also close to the nearby city of Bath.
The average price of a home here is £390,613, more than the national average, but this is balanced by the median salary also being above average (£40,218).
City | Commuter Town | House Affordability | Rental | Population | Commuting Time | Rail Cost | Median Salary | Quality of Life | Score (out of 469) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bristol | Keynsham | £390,613 | £1,720 | 19,603 | 8 | £5.40 | 40,218 | 7.4 | 277 |
Bristol | Yate | £309,542 | £1,686 | 23,703 | 22 | £7.20 | 39,263 | 7.6 | 268 |
Bristol | Clevedon | £424,367 | £1,161 | 22,000 | 34 | £9.20 | 38,430 | 7.5 | 230 |
Bristol | Bath | £394,000 | £1,747 | 111,897 | 13 | £10.50 | 40,218 | 7.4 | 207 |
Top commuter towns for Cardiff
Penarth is the best commuter town for Cardiff, according to Pepper Money’s analysis. The small sea-side town is just 12 minutes away by train and scores highly on quality of life and population.
The average price of a home in Penarth is £364,349, above the national average, and far above some of the other top commuter towns for workers in Cardiff.
An average salary here is, however, £38,420, the tied-highest for Cardiff’s commuter towns along with Barry.
City | Commuter Town | House Affordability | Rental | Population | Commuting Time | Rail Cost | Median Salary | Quality of Life | Score (out of 469) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cardiff | Penarth | £364,349 | £1,408 | 28,394 | 12 | £3.80 | 38,420 | 7.8 | 317 |
Cardiff | Barry | £238,106 | £1,407 | 56,605 | 28 | £4.50 | 38,420 | 7.8 | 287 |
Cardiff | Bridgend | £212,000 | £697 | 145,760 | 28 | £5.50 | 34,220 | 7.7 | 280 |
Cardiff | Pontypridd | £165,441 | £1,070 | 31,206 | 33 | £5.50 | 33,275 | 7.3 | 245 |
Cardiff | Newport | £225,000 | £929 | 325,000 | 15 | £6.30 | 35,891 | 7.4 | 242 |
Cardiff | Caerphilly | £194,000 | £684 | 176,000 | 19 | £5.50 | 31,923 | 7.1 | 231 |
Top commuter towns for Nottingham
Beeston has been named the top commuter town for Nottingham. It’s a six minute train ride away from the city centre.
The typical price of a house here is £295,260, while the median salary is £38,535, both above the UK average.
City | Commuter Town | House Affordability | Rental | Population | Commuting Time | Rail Cost | Median Salary | Quality of Life | Score (out of 469) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nottingham | Beeston | £295,260 | £1,078 | 52,000 | 6 | £3 | 38,535 | 7.4 | 322 |
Nottingham | Long Eaton | £235,982 | £1,092 | 37,760 | 16 | £2.90 | 35,357 | 7.4 | 297 |
Nottingham | Ilkeston | £193,573 | £1,095 | 40,953 | 14 | £4.80 | 35,357 | 7.4 | 294 |
Nottingham | Hucknall | £230,648 | £1,118 | 32,107 | 15 | £3.60 | 32,151 | 7.3 | 260 |
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