Key differences
Median price: Barking and Dagenham (£362k) is ahead of Kingston upon Thames (£473k)
Liveability: Kingston upon Thames (63/100) is ahead of Barking and Dagenham (53/100)
Crime rate /1k: Barking and Dagenham (86) is ahead of Kingston upon Thames (95)
Head-to-head comparison
The Verdict
Kingston upon Thames has a stronger liveability score — 63/100 vs 53/100. Barking and Dagenham is more affordable at £362k median vs £473k.
Barking and Dagenham is cheaper, but Kingston upon Thames scores higher on liveability.
Best for
Barking and Dagenham
Barking and Dagenham suits first-time buyers and value-focused buyers on tighter budgets.
Best for
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames suits buyers who want the strongest overall quality of life.
Barking and Dagenham vs Kingston upon Thames: what the data says
Overall, Kingston upon Thames scores higher on liveability (53/100 vs 63/100), reflecting a better combined picture across safety, transport, schools and environment.
Property in Barking and Dagenham is more affordable — median price £362k vs £473k in Kingston upon Thames, a difference of around 23%. Over the past year prices changed +1.7% in Barking and Dagenham and +1.3% in Kingston upon Thames.
Barking and Dagenham has a lower crime rate (86 incidents per 1,000 residents vs 95 in Kingston upon Thames). Central London boroughs typically show higher per-resident figures due to large daytime populations.
Kingston upon Thames edges ahead on public transport connectivity (score 34/100 vs 30/100).
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