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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 86%
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'Average detached house price: £431,944
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'Season ticket cost: £3344
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'Minutes from London by train: 28
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'Number of private schools: 6
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'
The best commuter towns around London: High Wycombe, Chelmsford and Epsom have the best schools, lowest house prices and quickest commutes
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Want to get out of the Big Smoke, but keep your commute to a minimum? You could do worse than moving to High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, where the schools are ranked well, property prices are (fairly) reasonable – and the journey to the capital is a mere 28 minutes.
That's according to a study by buying agents Garrington Property Finders, which has compiled a list of the top 15 commuter towns around London based on the quality of schools, house prices, season ticket cost and commute length.
Also on the list are Chelmsford in Essex – just 36 minutes away from Liverpool Street Station – and Epsom, where the commute is also 36 minutes, although house prices are rather steeper, with the average home priced at more than £660,000, compared with Chelmsford's £420,000.
Click on the numbers for a breakdown of each town/city. See full table below for full breakdown
Press the numbers for a breakdown of each town/city. Scroll below map for full breakdown
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High Wycombe
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Chelmsford
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 86%
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'Average detached house price: £417,945
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'Season ticket cost: £3728
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'Minutes from London by train: 36
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'Number of private schools: 8
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Epsom
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 85%
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'Average detached house price: £662,888
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'Season ticket cost: £1920
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'Minutes from London by train: 36
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'Number of private schools: 6
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Reading
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'With a burgeoning local tech scene, the town will be even closer to London once Crossrail launches in 2018
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 75%
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'Average detached house price: £467,931
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'Season ticket cost: £4188
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'Minutes from London by train: 27
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'Number of private schools: 14
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Haywards Heath
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'A former market town, Haywards Heath is just 12 miles from the coast
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 79%
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'Average detached house price: £523,608
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'Season ticket cost: £3840
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'Minutes from London by train: 45
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'Number of private schools: 12
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Colchester
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'With quaint streets and a "bookish air", this is the UK's oldest recorded town
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 79%
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'Average detached house price: £297,575
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'Season ticket cost: £4796
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'Minutes from London by train: 49
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'Number of private schools: 9
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Maidenhead
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 78%
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'Average detached house price: £627,956
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'Season ticket cost: £3640
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'Minutes from London by train: 20
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'Number of private schools: 5
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Sevenoaks
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'Not cheap, by any stretch of the imagination - but the area's local (largely private) schools are ranked highly
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 65%
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'Average detached house price: £1,044,251
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'Season ticket cost: £3288
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'Minutes from London by train: 33
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'Number of private schools: 13
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Cambridge
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'With a popular tech sector, this is a great location for entrepreneurs looking to get out of the Smoke
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 80%
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'Average detached house price: £693,401
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'Season ticket cost: £4648
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'Minutes from London by train: 52
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'Number of private schools: 37
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Guildford
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'Voted one of the UK's 20 best places to live, Guildford's schools are a draw for many of its residents
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 79%
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'Average detached house price: £761,757
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'Season ticket cost: £3400
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'Minutes from London by train: 37
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'Number of private schools: 8
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St Albans
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 76%
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'Average detached house price: £702,581
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'Season ticket cost: £3288
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'Minutes from London by train: 17
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'Number of private schools: 5
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Oxford
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'Oxford's dreaming spires have attracted students for centuries - but in recent years its popular tech scene has proven a draw for Londoners
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 84%
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'Average detached house price: £844,892
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'Season ticket cost: £4788
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'Minutes from London by train: 57
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'Number of private schools: 27
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Brighton
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'With its pebble beach and alternative culture, Brighton is one of the most popular destinations for those looking to escape the capital
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 72%
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'Average detached house price: £579,449
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'Season ticket cost: £4056
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'Minutes from London by train: 66
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'Number of private schools: 11
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Tunbridge Wells
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'With gorgeous countryside close by, Tunbridge Wells attracts a steady stream of ex-Londoners
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 79%
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'Average detached house price: £671,761
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'Season ticket cost: £4364
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'Minutes from London by train: 54
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'Number of private schools: 6
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Winchester
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'One of the UK's most beautiful towns, its schools - including the much-coveted Winchester College - are nonetheless one of its most attractive features
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'State schools with “good” Ofsted rating or above: 82%
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'Average detached house price: £664,962
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'Season ticket cost: £4812
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'Minutes from London by train: 58
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'Number of private schools: 57
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The research was inspired by "the questions most commonly asked by parents moving to the commuter belt in search of a better standard of living and a better education for their children", said the company.
Jonathan Hopper, its managing director, said there was "still good value – and a good quality of life – to be found within easy reach of the capital".