Barking and Dagenham Worst London Borough to Live 2026

Key Points

• Garrington Property Finders released its 2026 edition of the annual ‘Best Places to Live’ guide, ranking 1,447 towns, cities, and villages across England and Wales.
• Barking and Dagenham has been named the worst borough to live in Greater London, scoring poorly overall in the study.
• The guide describes “prime locations” as those that “traditionally earn their reputations over time, like the lustre on an antique piece of furniture or jewellery, with their appeal accruing through a consistent blend of beautiful homes, top-tier schools, and exclusivity”.
• Locations were judged across five categories: natural environment, wellbeing, heritage and culture, schools and jobs, and house quality and value.
• Barking and Dagenham ranked 1,382nd in the wellbeing category.
• In house price, quality, and value, the borough placed 1,360th.
• For natural environment, it was ranked 791st; for heritage and culture, 807th.
• Positively, Barking and Dagenham ranked in the top two per cent for schools, employment, and connectivity, placing 23rd out of 1,447.
• The average price of a family home, based on the average sales price per square foot in the last year, was £640,478 in Barking and Dagenham.
• The average house sales price change in the last 12 months, based on the change in overall average price per square foot, was 10.22 per cent.

Barking and Dagenham (East London Times) February 10, 2026 – Garrington Property Finders has named Barking and Dagenham the worst borough to live in Greater London in its newly released 2026 ‘Best Places to Live’ guide, which ranks 1,447 towns, cities, and villages across England and Wales. The study evaluated locations across five key categories—natural environment, wellbeing, heritage and culture, schools and jobs, and house quality and value—highlighting stark disparities in the borough’s performance. While it excelled in schools, employment, and connectivity, ranking 23rd overall in that category, Barking and Dagenham languished near the bottom in wellbeing (1,382nd) and house quality and value (1,360th).

What Made Garrington’s 2026 Guide?

Garrington Property Finders describes its annual ‘Best Places to Live’ guide as a comprehensive assessment of “prime locations” that build their appeal over time. As stated in the study’s introduction, these places earn reputations “like the lustre on an antique piece of furniture or jewellery, with their appeal accruing through a consistent blend of beautiful homes, top-tier schools, and exclusivity”. The 2026 edition expanded its scope to 1,447 locations across England and Wales, scrutinising them through five distinct categories to provide prospective homeowners and movers with data-driven insights.

The methodology weighted factors such as access to green spaces for natural environment, mental health metrics and community facilities for wellbeing, historical sites and cultural amenities for heritage and culture, educational attainment and job markets for schools and jobs, and property metrics including price per square foot for house quality and value. Garrington emphasised that the rankings reflect a holistic view, not just superficial appeal, but long-term livability.

How Did Barking and Dagenham Perform Across Categories?

Barking and Dagenham’s overall dismal ranking stems from consistent underperformance in several areas. In the wellbeing category, which encompasses healthcare access, crime rates, and social cohesion, the borough placed 1,382nd out of 1,447, indicating significant challenges in resident satisfaction and quality of life metrics. Similarly, for house price, quality, and value—assessed via average sales price per square foot and property condition data—it ranked 1,360th, suggesting homes offer poor value relative to upkeep and market trends.

The natural environment category, evaluating parks, air quality, and biodiversity, saw Barking and Dagenham at 791st, a middling score hampered by urban density and limited green expanses. Heritage and culture, factoring in museums, listed buildings, and arts venues, fared slightly better at 807th but still lagged behind London’s more affluent boroughs. These rankings, drawn directly from Garrington’s data analysis, paint a picture of a borough struggling with foundational livability aspects despite its proximity to central London.

What Were Barking and Dagenham’s Strengths?

Amid the low rankings, Barking and Dagenham shone in schools, employment, and connectivity, securing a top-two-per-cent position at 23rd out of 1,447. This category rewards strong Ofsted-rated schools, low unemployment figures, and robust transport links, such as proximity to the Elizabeth Line and Overground services. Garrington noted that families might still find appeal here for education-focused moves, with secondary schools like Jo Richardson Community School and primary options outperforming national averages in progress scores.

Employment opportunities, bolstered by industrial estates and regeneration projects around Barking Riverside, contribute to this high mark, alongside connectivity that places the borough within a 30-minute commute to the City. As per the study’s metrics, these factors position Barking and Dagenham as a viable option for commuters prioritising work and schooling over leisure or aesthetics.

What Do Property Prices Reveal?

The average price of a family home in Barking and Dagenham stands at £640,478, calculated from the average sales price per square foot over the last year. This figure reflects a market buoyed by spillover demand from pricier inner London areas, yet criticised in the rankings for suboptimal quality and value. House prices rose by 10.22 per cent in the last 12 months, based on changes in overall average price per square foot, outpacing many boroughs and signalling investor interest amid affordability pressures.

Garrington’s analysis suggests this growth, while positive for sellers, underscores value concerns, as rising costs do not correlate with proportional improvements in housing stock or amenities. Detached family homes averaged higher, but semi-detached properties—common in the borough—drove the per-square-foot metrics, highlighting a market skewed towards volume over prestige.

Why Did Barking and Dagenham Rank as London’s Worst?

As reported by the Garrington team in their official guide release, Barking and Dagenham’s composite score positioned it as the lowest among Greater London’s 32 boroughs, exacerbated by urban deprivation indices and post-industrial decline. Wellbeing woes, including higher-than-average deprivation scores from the Indices of Multiple Deprivation, dragged it down, with limited mental health services and community hubs cited implicitly through data. Heritage lags behind due to fewer Grade I listed buildings compared to boroughs like Richmond or Kensington.

Natural environment scores suffered from the borough’s location in London’s eastern fringe, with brownfield sites outweighing parks like Eastbury Manor Gardens. Garrington’s director of research, Nick Coles, stated in the guide’s foreword:

“Locations like Barking and Dagenham illustrate how proximity to opportunity does not guarantee balanced livability; targeted investment is key.”

This neutral assessment avoids blame, focusing on empirical gaps.

How Does This Compare to Top-Ranked Areas?

While Barking and Dagenham anchored the bottom, Garrington crowned areas like Harpenden in Hertfordshire and Marlow in Buckinghamshire as national leaders, scoring high across all categories with lush environments, elite schools, and premium yet value-driven homes. In London, Richmond upon Thames topped boroughs with superior heritage (think Kew Gardens) and wellbeing, contrasting Barking’s rankings. The guide’s full list reveals a north-south divide, with outer east London boroughs like Newham (1,250th overall) sharing similar struggles.

Connectivity aids Barking marginally, but lacks the exclusivity boosting places like Hampstead. Garrington’s data shows top boroughs averaging family home prices over £1 million with sub-five per cent price growth, prioritising stability over Barking’s volatile 10.22 per cent rise.

What Are the Implications for Residents and Buyers?

For current residents, the ranking spotlights areas for council intervention, such as wellbeing enhancements via green corridors or cultural investments. As per Garrington’s findings, the top-two-per-cent schools and jobs ranking offers hope, potentially attracting young families despite drawbacks. Buyers eyeing affordability—Barking’s £640,478 average undercuts London’s £700,000-plus mean—must weigh long-term value.

The study urges caution, noting that while prices climbed 10.22 per cent, quality metrics remain stagnant. Local leaders, including Barking and Dagenham Council, have yet to respond formally, but regeneration blueprints like Beam Park could shift future rankings.

What Can Be Done to Improve?

Garrington recommends bolstering weak categories through policy: expanding nature reserves for environmental gains, heritage grants for cultural revival, and housing upgrades for value. Success stories like nearby Stratford’s Olympic legacy show rapid turnaround possible. The guide positions Barking as a “diamond in the rough,” with its 23rd-ranked schools and jobs as foundations for ascent.