The 25 towns Londoners are leaving the capital for
Samuel Johnson might have suggested being tired of London meant being tired of life, but he probably hadn't had to endure astronomical house prices or daily elbow wars on the Tube.
Indeed, figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the capital has the highest level of internal migration net outflow, aka people getting out of there as fast as their legs can carry them, in the UK, with 9.1 per 1,000 residents leaving London in mid-2014.
But where are they going? And what are they doing when they get there? Analysis of the ONS's most recent internal migration data by City A.M. shows the majority of those who left London last year headed to Birmingham, where the average house price is £132,000, according to Land Registry data – decidedly more affordable than the average UK price of £220,000.
Second on the list was Brighton, where the average house price is £250,000, while Thurrock in Essex came third, with 4,861 people heading east.
Tired of life? Where people are moving after London
Town | How many Londoners moved there? | Average local house price | |
1 | Birmingham | 6529 | £132,000 |
2 | Brighton and Hove | 5590 | £250,000 |
3 | Thurrock | 4861 | £175,000 |
4 | Epping Forest | 4351 | £305,000 |
5 | Medway | 4332 | £160,000 |
6 | Dartford | 4259 | £200,000 |
7 | Bristol | 4208 | £177,500 |
8 | Elmbridge | 4169 | £429,000 |
9 | Manchester | 4140 | £128,000 |
10 | Hertsmere | 3854 | £310,000 |
11 | Reigate and Banstead | 3814 | £290,000 |
12 | Canterbury | 3726 | £210,000 |
13 | Welwyn Hatfield | 3496 | £249,500 |
14 | Slough | 3476 | £210,000 |
15 | Leeds | 3425 | £145,000 |
16 | Luton | 3334 | £155,000 |
17 | Basildon | 3320 | £190,000 |
18 | Nottingham | 3256 | £99,559 |
19 | Leicester | 3140 | £123,000 |
20 | Coventry | 3158 | £126,500 |
21 | Sevenoaks | 3128 | £285,000 |
22 | Epsom and Ewell | 3096 | £327,000 |
23 | Spelthorne | 2991 | £265,000 |
24 | Tandridge | 2907 | £310,000 |
25 | Broxbourne | 2865 | £237,000 |