Look, as far as I’m concerned, London will always reign supreme as the best place to live. But if you’re a city-dweller who’s quite fond of the idea of residing somewhere with pint prices that don’t resemble the cost of a small mortgage and people who actually acknowledge each other’s existence, it might be time for you to consider vacating the capital and dipping your town in the (cleaner and far less chaotic) waters of the London commuter belt. But with the sheer number of scenic spots buckled into that belt, it can feel a tad overwhelming to know which of them are worthy of opting out of London life for. And so it’s pretty darn handy that the property pros over at Rightmove have done some digging for us and uncovered the most popular London commuter town for 2026.
Using facts and figures from Rightmove and National Rail, they analysed an array of commuter hotspots within a 45-minute train ride from the city – each of which are home to at least 20,000 inhabitants – to find out exactly where buyer demand is currently highest. Once all the data was gathered and all the numbers were thoroughly crunched, they revealed that the medieval market town of Hitchin topped the charts as the most popular commuter town of all.
Hitchin, Hertfordshire
This historic hotspot is picture-perfectly perched just 31 minutes from King’s Cross but feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of the capital. Offering character and charm in abundance, Hitchin dates all the way back to the 7th century – and so the cute cobbled streets certainly have plenty of tales to tell. The town is filled to the brim with timber-framed buildings and ancient architecture, and it’s frequently dubbed ‘Little Provence’ due to its breathtaking lavender fields that certainly wouldn’t look out of place in the sweeping French countryside.
Rightmove’s research revealed that the average price of a property in Hitchin is £495,800, a certified bargain compared to London (where the average property will currently set you back around £666,650). And so I suppose it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise that Hitchin has recently generated almost twice the number of buyer enquiries per Rightmove property listing than London.
The most popular commuter towns for buyers 2026
- Hitchin, Hertfordshire
- Harpenden, Hertfordshire
- Chelmsford, Essex
- Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire
- Basingstoke, Hampshire
You can peruse Rightmove’s full findings here.
