Safest places to live in London according to new study

The research, conducted by security company ADT, analysed the crime rate, quality of local schools, general area safety, and the number of parks to calculate the most family-friendly and secure locations.

According to its calculations, Harrow recorded an annual crime rate of 62 per 1,000 people for the year ending March 2023, making it second only to Dorset in terms of safety.

Another safe haven in London was revealed to be the borough of Bexley, which took the third spot on the list with a crime rate of approximately 65 per 1,000 people for the same year.

ADT used crime rates as one of the measures of safety in an area (Image: ADT)

Beyond crime rates, the study also examined which UK area is the most family-friendly.

Top in London, according to the study, is Sutton, with an overall score of 7.94 out of 10.

From a safety perspective, Sutton was notable for having the third-lowest crime rate and the tenth-lowest burglary rate per 1,000 people for the year ending March 2023.

It also boasted a high percentage of schools rated 'good' and 'outstanding' schools  by education watchdog Ofsted.

Based on factors like school quality, crime rates, and available green spaces, Waltham Forest in London also emerged as the ideal place for families, with a safety score of 7.23 out of 10.

According to the study, 82.8% of its schools gained a ‘good’ or higher Ofsted rating.

However, Waltham Forest does have a higher median house cost, standing at £520,000 as of December 2022.

Several London areas were in the top 5 most family-friendly places in the UK (Image: ADT)

Other London areas where families might consider laying down roots include Havering.

This borough scored 6.99 out of 10 on the family safety scale.

An impressive 89.5% of Havering's schools were rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, the highest percentage among London boroughs.

Despite its relatively high safety score, Havering only ranked 45th for the number of green spaces within a 1km radius and saw a median house price of £445,000 in December 2022.

The study used multiple datasets, including ONS' "Recorded crime data by Community Safety Partnership area" and "Access to gardens and public green space in Great Britain", to gather specific area information regarding crime rates, green spaces, school performance, housing prices, and bus fares.

With the collected data, calculations were made to work out crime and burglary rates, most accessible green spaces, percentages of 'good' or 'outstanding' local schools, and an overall 'Family Safety Score' for each area.