Last week, a journalist shared a view of the ‘best’ places to live in London, dubbing it ‘the London Banana’, It stretches from Kingston and Richmond, heading north through Wandsworth, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster, and curving round to Camden, Islington, and Barnet.
But does data back this up?
- There are lower levels of deprivation within the banana with Richmond and Kingston the least deprived boroughs in London. However outer London boroughs are generally less deprived than inner London boroughs and Bromley, Sutton, and Merton are the 3rd, 4th, and 5th least deprived boroughs. Barking and Dagenham, Hackney, and Newham are the most deprived boroughs in London.
- The 2021 census shows there are higher ratings of health in the banana with the top three boroughs in London reporting ‘very good health’ being Kensington and Chelsea (58%), Richmond (58%), and Wandsworth (54%). Residents in Tower Hamlets (43%), Newham (43%), and Barking and Dagenham (43%) are the least likely in London to report having ‘very good health’.
- Ofqual data for 2024 showed the best maths and English GCSE results were achieved in schools in the Richmond Park (Richmond), Hammersmith and Chiswick (Hammersmith and Fulham + Hounslow), and Chipping Barnet (Barnet) constituencies. The worst results were in Croydon East (Croydon) and Dagenham and Rainham (Barking and Dagenham).
- Areas within the banana are well connected to the underground and the northern line cuts through the centre of this area (although debatable if the northern line is the best line…). However the outer ends of the banana see far less tube connections.
- Crime rates appear worse inside the banana with Metropolitan Police crime statistics showing the top three boroughs with the highest crime rates since August 2024 were Westminster (94,903 reported offences), Camden (45,586 reported offences), and Southwark (44,345 reported offences).