GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Barking and Dagenham vs Hillingdon: which is the better place to live?
Is Barking and Dagenham or Hillingdon a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Barking and Dagenham and Hillingdon across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Hillingdon wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 75/100 versus 73.7/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Barking and Dagenham | Hillingdon | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 73.7/100 | 75/100 | Hillingdon |
| Better value | 60.9 | 58.7 | Barking and Dagenham |
| For families | 93.3 | 91.5 | Barking and Dagenham |
| For commuters | 77.8 | 66.2 | Barking and Dagenham |
| For healthcare access | 37 | 70 | Hillingdon |
| Avg house price | £360,007 | £469,888 | Barking and Dagenham (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,199 | £2,045 | Hillingdon (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 95.2% | 92.1% | Barking and Dagenham |
| Crime per 1,000 | 101.7 | 101.7 | Level |
| Gigabit broadband | 95.1% | 92.3% | Barking and Dagenham |
| Gera GP Access score | 37 | 70 | Hillingdon |
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Hillingdon wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 75/100 vs 73.7/100.
| Verdict | Barking and Dagenham | Hillingdon | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 73.7 | 75 | Hillingdon (+1.3) |
| Better value | 60.9 | 58.7 | Barking and Dagenham (+2.2) |
| For families | 93.3 | 91.5 | Barking and Dagenham (+1.8) |
| For commuters | 77.8 | 66.2 | Barking and Dagenham (+11.6) |
| For healthcare access | 37 | 70 | Hillingdon (+33) |
| Measure | Barking and Dagenham | Hillingdon |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £360,007 | £469,888 |
| Band D council tax | £2,199 | £2,045 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 95.2% | 92.1% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 101.7 | 101.7 |
| Gigabit broadband | 95.1% | 92.3% |
| Gera GP Access score | 37 | 70 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Barking and Dagenham or Hillingdon a better place to live overall?
- Hillingdon scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 75/100 versus 73.7/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 1.3 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Barking and Dagenham or Hillingdon?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Barking and Dagenham is better value. Average house prices are £360,007 in Barking and Dagenham and £469,888 in Hillingdon; Band D council tax is £2,199 versus £2,045 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Barking and Dagenham or Hillingdon better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Barking and Dagenham comes out ahead for families. Barking and Dagenham has 95.2% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 101.7 per 1,000; Hillingdon has 92.1% and 101.7 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Barking and Dagenham or Hillingdon?
- For connectivity, Barking and Dagenham has 95.1% gigabit-capable premises and Hillingdon has 92.3% (Ofcom, June 2026). Barking and Dagenham leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Barking and Dagenham or Hillingdon?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Barking and Dagenham scores 37 (North East London ICB) and Hillingdon scores 70 (West and North London ICB). Hillingdon has the better GP access (NHS England, June 2026).
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Contains public sector information published by GeraRent and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Gera Liveability Index — joined UK government open data (June 2026, published 2026-06-19).