London is a popular place to live, offering a range of attractions and convenient travel, but it’s not for everyone. A new study reveals the worst London boroughs for commuting, where people sacrifice extra precious hours trying to get to and from work than most of the city.
The analysis by the moving company platform Demenagement24.com uses the latest available 2021 Census data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Researchers calculated the average commute distance for each London borough to determine the ranking.
This study uses ONS Travel to Work data from the 2021 Census (the most recent to be conducted by the UK government) to rank each England and Wales local authority based on the average commute distance.
Table: London boroughs with the longest commute times
| Rank | London borough | Average commute distance (km) |
| 1 | Havering | 12.32 |
| 2 | Barking and Dagenham | 11.90 |
| 3 | Redbridge | 11.44 |
| 4 | Harrow | 10.93 |
| 5 | Bexley | 10.90 |
| 6 | Bromley | 10.76 |
| 7 | Hillingdon | 10.54 |
| 8 | Greenwich | 10.52 |
| 9 | Newham | 10.31 |
| 10 | Croydon | 10.04 |
From the above table, Havering has the longest commute times. The average commute is 12.32 km, or over seven miles one way, slightly more than the national average of 11.9 km.
That’s the equivalent of 31 minutes to and from work each day, or around two and a half hours per week, based on a 30mph drive. Around one in 10, or almost 13,000 workers, commute even further (10.4%).
In second place Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge, also ranked among the longest commute times in London, in second and third, with average commutes of 11.90 km and 11.44 km, respectively.
Meanwhile ,Bexley has the longest commute times in South London. With a working population of nearly 118,000 people and an average distance of 10.90 km (6.77 mi), residents travel the furthest to clock in compared to any borough in the south.
That’s a 26-minute daily round trip based on a 30mph drive. While that might not sound like much on its own, it adds up to over two hours each week. Over one in 20 workers travels twice as far.
Harrow, Bromley, Hillingdon, Greenwich, Newham, and Croydon comprise the top 10, with average commutes of between 10 and 11.5 km, roughly two hours round trip per week, based on a 30mph drive.
Table: London boroughs with the shortest commute times
| Rank | London borough | Average commute distance (km) |
| 1 | Westminster | 6.41 |
| 2 | Kensington and Chelsea | 6.78 |
| 3 | Islington | 6.79 |
| 4 | Camden | 6.82 |
| 5 | Hackney | 6.90 |
| 6 | Hammersmith and Fulham | 6.98 |
| 7 | Tower Hamlets | 7.53 |
| 8 | Southwark | 7.57 |
| 9 | Lambeth | 8.05 |
| 10 | Wandsworth | 8.06 |
From the second table, Westminster ranks joint first overall with the shortest commutes of any other borough at 6.41 km on average. That’s equal to just under eight minutes to get to work, when driving at 30mph. Almost every Westminster worker travels under 10 km to get to work, with just one in eight exceeding this (13.52%).
Kensington and Chelsea and Islington have the second and third-shortest commutes. Workers travel around 6.78km and 6.79km to start their work day.
Camden, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lambeth, and Wandsworth make up the rest of the best commuter boroughs, with average commutes of up to 8.06km. That’s at least a quarter less time spent in traffic or on public transit than the national average.
Demenagement24.com has told Digital Journal in a statement accompanying the data: “Extended commute times tend to mean more pressure on people. Aside from the clear financial burden, long commutes mean there is less free time to spend with family or on other aspects of life, which can impact happiness levels.
“Rural areas are disproportionately affected, likely due to a more spread-out population and a lack of road and transport infrastructure, making the populations far more car-dependent, which can have its hidden costs that make country living less affordable compared to cities.
“The best commuter cities benefit from compact centers where there is a concentration of transport links and employer hubs, which can make getting to work more convenient and far less stressful.”
There are other factors to consider which the survey does not comment on. For instance, the best commuter areas combine excellent transport links with strong local amenities – good schools, green spaces, shopping centres, restaurants, and cultural venues. These are in addition to affordable housing.
