GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Barking and Dagenham vs Islington: which is the better place to live?
Is Barking and Dagenham or Islington a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Barking and Dagenham and Islington across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Barking and Dagenham wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 73.7/100 versus 72.4/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Barking and Dagenham | Islington | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 73.7/100 | 72.4/100 | Barking and Dagenham |
| Better value | 60.9 | 47 | Barking and Dagenham |
| For families | 93.3 | 93.8 | Islington |
| For commuters | 77.8 | 63 | Barking and Dagenham |
| For healthcare access | 37 | 70 | Islington |
| Avg house price | £360,007 | £665,067 | Barking and Dagenham (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,199 | £2,108 | Islington (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 95.2% | 96% | Islington |
| Crime per 1,000 | 101.7 | 101.7 | Level |
| Gigabit broadband | 95.1% | 93.1% | Barking and Dagenham |
| Gera GP Access score | 37 | 70 | Islington |
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Barking and Dagenham wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 73.7/100 vs 72.4/100.
| Verdict | Barking and Dagenham | Islington | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 73.7 | 72.4 | Barking and Dagenham (+1.3) |
| Better value | 60.9 | 47 | Barking and Dagenham (+13.9) |
| For families | 93.3 | 93.8 | Islington (+0.5) |
| For commuters | 77.8 | 63 | Barking and Dagenham (+14.8) |
| For healthcare access | 37 | 70 | Islington (+33) |
| Measure | Barking and Dagenham | Islington |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £360,007 | £665,067 |
| Band D council tax | £2,199 | £2,108 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 95.2% | 96% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 101.7 | 101.7 |
| Gigabit broadband | 95.1% | 93.1% |
| Gera GP Access score | 37 | 70 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Barking and Dagenham or Islington a better place to live overall?
- Barking and Dagenham scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 73.7/100 versus 72.4/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 1.3 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Barking and Dagenham or Islington?
- 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 £665,067 in Islington; Band D council tax is £2,199 versus £2,108 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Barking and Dagenham or Islington better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Islington 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; Islington has 96% and 101.7 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Barking and Dagenham or Islington?
- For connectivity, Barking and Dagenham has 95.1% gigabit-capable premises and Islington has 93.1% (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 Islington?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Barking and Dagenham scores 37 (North East London ICB) and Islington scores 70 (West and North London ICB). Islington 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).