Full list of most popular places Londoners are leaving the capital for

Is it time for you to leave the capital? (Credits: Getty Images)

Thinking of leaving the busy and overcrowded capital? Here, Metro takes a look at the most popular destinations London leavers are flocking to.

Following COVID and the ever-more prevalent cost-of-living crisis, fewer and fewer Londoners are choosing to leave the city.

In fact, rates of London outmigration reached their lowest level in the previous decade this year.

Just 5.7% of homes bought outside the capital were purchased by Londoners – that accounts for 50,020 properties.

Over the past 18 months, working from home is becoming more of a rarity as companies return to normality after the pandemic. This, coupled with falling house prices in London, has led to fewer movers.

But, where are those who do choose to move setting up base?

The most popular destinations for London leavers

Brentwood is one of the most popular destinations for London leavers (Credits: Getty Images)

Well, it’s fair to say that London leavers aren’t venturing too far out of the capital.

Movers bought homes an average of 45.4 miles outside of London in 2024, with destinations in Essex and Kent particularly popular with homeowners.

The most sought after destinations for London leavers in 2024 were Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, Brentwood in Essex and Mole Valley in Surrey.

Unsurprisingly, all of which offer quick and easy transport routes into central London for commuters with jobs in the capital.

Londoners accounted for 27% of homes bought in Colchester last year (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Other popular destinations for Londoners searching for a greener and quieter life included Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, Chelmsford in Essex, and Colchester also in Essex.

How are people finding life outside the capital?

As already mentioned, the phenomenon of working from home in recent years has prompted people to question why they’re paying huge sums of rent to sit in their living room on their laptop.

That, coupled with ever-increasing pint and food prices, is certainly a contributing factor behind London leavers’ thinking.

But it’s not always greener on the other side, as one Reddit thread has revealed.

Leavers have spoken of a ‘better quality of life’ outside the capital (Credits: Getty Images)

One user wrote: ‘I left London for a Home Counties commuter town, hated it, and so moved back.

‘Should have moved further to a different city. I learned my priorities include young people, culture, and a walkable daily existence.’

However, others called their decision to leave the capital one of their ‘best.’

@deva9292 wrote: ‘I do miss London sometimes – I mean, it is truly the greatest and most diverse city in the world.

‘However, it just got to the point where I absolutely needed my own space and a better quality of life. I would never go back to renting tiny, broken, mouldy flats, which is apparently all I could afford.

‘I basically worked 12 hours a day just to survive, and it simply wasn’t worth it anymore.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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