UK’s Best Commuter Towns 2023

Here at Selecta we’re passionate about the small details that make each day incredible. Whether it’s the first warming sip of your morning latte, or the first bite of an energising treat on the ride home, we’ve got your back.

In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic increasing numbers of city workers are seeking to relocate further afield, and remote working flexibility from employers is driving a revolution in how we approach the working week.

Many rail commutes in the UK benefit from Selecta’s on-the-go refreshments, offering convenient food and drink to those who chose the green option when traveling to work.

In a new original study, Selecta has dived into the latest data to crown the most desirable commuter towns for those whose work takes them into Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and London.

We have standardised the latest city and country-level data available for key categories including train travel time to city centres, annual season ticket cost,

school ratings, crime ratings and available wellness facilities, to rate the most desirable commuter towns to major UK office hubs from best to worst.

Our study identified the following locations as the UK’s most desirable railway commuter towns:

1. Ashtead, Surrey

2. Thames Ditton, Surrey

3. Oxted, Surrey

Ashtead, meaning ‘Homestead among the ash trees’ dates to the Iron Age, making it one of the oldest and most historic settlements in Surrey. Being only 46 minutes from London, it’s a reasonable length journey for commuters and hybrid workers.

The town scores favourably in most of the categories but in particular for the percentage of outstanding schools (30 percent), for which it receives the highest score out of all the towns listed.

Ashtead also receives the top score for the number of picturesque National Trust properties in its vicinity. For example, Box Hill - the perfect place to discover a family walk in the Surrey Hills- is just 20 minutes away. So is, Claremont Landscape Gardens, a grade 1 listed garden created by the great landscape designers of the 18th century.

Finally, Ashtead has the second highest number of available wellbeing facilities on the list. Facilities like medical clinics, wellness centres, gyms and yoga studios are essential for social connection, according to scientists, as well as boosting general health and happiness.

It also has the fifth lowest crime rate and the fifth lowest cost annual season ticket of £3,492 a year. The only low score Ashtead receives is for the number of Instagram posts in which it is tagged.

1. Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan

2. Bridgend, Bridgend

3. Pontyclun, Rhondda Cynon Taf

Penarth, a Victorian seaside town, is a popular filming location with Doctor Who, Gavin and Stacey and His Dark Materials (to name but a few) having been filmed in the picturesque coastal and countryside town. It is a mere 12-minute journey from Cardiff.

The town’s quirkiest attributes are the telephone and post boxes that are crowned with ‘national importance’ as the “smallest Grade II listed structures in the town” and Penarth Pier is its most treasured landmark.

The town scores favourably in most of the categories but in particular for having the cheapest annual season ticket cost (£624) and shortest train journey (12 mins) to Cardiff, for which it receives the highest scores out of all the towns listed.

Penarth also receives the top score for the number of picturesque National Trust properties in its vicinity. For example, Dyffran Gardens is just 21 minutes away and was named by the British Tourist Authority as one of the Top 100 gardens in the UK.

Finally, Penarth has the highest number of Instagram posts (215,000) than any other on the list suggesting the beauty of this coastal town is irresistibly ‘Instagrammable’

1. Musselburgh, East Lothian

2. Linlithgow, West Lothian

3. Dunbar, East Lothian

With beautiful beaches, countryside, and a commutable distance to Edinburgh, it’s understandable why Musselburgh in the county of East Lothian is first place on the list.

Musselburgh is great for those looking for a bit more space, but who still want to be close to the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh. It offers a wide variety of homes and amenities, plus walks at Musselburgh Lagoons and Newhailes Estate.

Often confused as being a suburb of Edinburgh, Musselburgh is actually in East Lothian and only six minutes away from the city by train, making it the shortest commute of the towns studied. The cost of an annual season ticket is also the cheapest at just £772 a year.

Other categories where Musselburgh scores favourably include the number of wellbeing facilities in the area, for which it receives the second highest score, and for its Instagrammable location. There are 123,000 Instagram posts featuring Musselburgh, which is the second highest number after Dunbar.

1. Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

2. Tipton, West Midlands

3. Warwick, Warwickshire

Bromsgrove is well-known for a prestigious and independent residential school called Bromsgrove School. The town also has plenty of green, outdoor space, with 90 percent of its 217 square kilometres listed as greenbelt. Being only a short 26 minutes from Birmingham, it’s a quick and easy journey for commuters and hybrid workers.

The town scores favourably in most of the categories but in particular for the percentage of outstanding schools (28%), for which it receives the highest score out of all the towns listed.

Bromsgrove also has the top score for the number of picturesque National Trust properties in its vicinity. For example, Hanbury Hall and the 8 Hills Regional Park where you can enjoy long leisurely walks with the family or loved ones while basking in the sounds of the thriving ecosystem it is home to.

Bromsgrove has the lowest crime rate recorded out of the list of towns, testifying to the desirability of the area. This might be why house prices are the second highest, on average £347,200, in turn reflecting the town’s popularity.

1. Bingley, West Yorkshire

2. Shipley, West Yorkshire

3. Normanton, West Yorkshire

A small market town situated in the borough of Bradford, Bingley offers residents easy connections to both Leeds and Bradford. Bingley is famous for its canals – of note is the Five Rise Locks landmark. The picturesque stairway lock gives impressive views of the Aire Valley and is considered one of the seven wonders of the waterways.

The town performs well in most of the categories, but especially in the percentage of outstanding schools (74 percent), for which it receives the highest score out of all the towns listed.

Bingley also has high scores in the annual train season ticket cost and shortest train journey categories, ranking third for shortest train journey into Leeds at just 19 minutes. It has an annual season ticket price of £1,240 – four times cheaper than the most expensive town listed, Northallerton, which costs residents over £5,000 per year.

1. Wilmslow, Cheshire
2. Urmston, Greater Manchester
3. Cheadle, Greater Manchester

As part of Cheshire’s affluent ‘Golden Triangle’, together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury, it’s no surprise Wilmslow landed the top spot as Manchester’s most desirable commuter town with a score of 8.06.

The town is home to a whole host of celebrities, including Sir Alex Fergurson, footballer Rio Ferdinand and TV personality Kerry Katona and it has easy to access central Manchester, which is just an 18-minute train ride away.

Wilmslow scores favourably in most of the categories, but in particular for its ‘Instagrammability’. Wilmslow boasts of over 420,000 Instagram posts, significantly more than any other town, giving it the highest score out of all the towns listed.

It also receives the top score for the number of picturesque National Trust properties in its vicinity. For example, Quarry Bank – a grade 2 historic textile mill complete with gardens, a café and 400 acres to explore – is less than a 10-minute drive away.

Finally, Wilmslow has the highest percentage of outstanding-rated schools of all the surrounding towns (29 percent). Only Holmes Chapel, also in Cheshire, matched Wilmslow’s impressive school ratings.

But with all that Wilmslow has to offer, it’s no shock that house prices are high. The average house price is valued at £544,601, making it the most expensive town of all studied.

Each data point consists of the latest available research from reputable sources. To calculate our winners, the data was standardised using minmax normalisation. The minmax normalisation value is multiplied by 10 to create a score (between 0-10). A score of 10 is always the best result, while a score of 0 is the worst. Each town is then ranked on their overall rating across all points.

Selecta looked at a range of data points, from the journey into each city and the associated costs, to the quality of the attractions in each town. To qualify as a commuter town, the following requirements had to be met:

- Town has a train station.

- London commuter towns have a population of 5-20k, other commuter towns have a population of 5-50k.

- Maximum 1hr30 train journey to the following locations in each city:

• Trafalgar Square (London)
• Bullring Shopping Centre (Birmingham)
• Arndale Centre (Manchester)
• Edinburgh Castle (Edinburgh)
• Cardiff Castle (Cardiff)
• Leeds Town Hall (Leeds)

Train Journey Duration

The shortest train journey duration required to get to each city at peak times according to Trainline. 

Season Ticket Cost

Annual season ticket cost according to National Rail. 

Average House Prices

Each town's average house prices in the past 12 months according to Rightmove.

Crime Rate

Each location's number of crimes per 1,000 residents according to the Police.

% Outstanding Rated Schools

The percentage of schools within 3 miles of each town which had an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating according to Find School Performance Data.

Number of Health & Wellbeing Facilities

The number of health and wellbeing facilities (medical clinics, health services, wellness & fitness centres) within 3km of each town according to Google Maps.

Number of National Trust Properties

The number of National Trust properties within 10km of each town according to Google Maps.

Number of Instagram Posts

The number of Instagram posts per location using each town's hashtags.