GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Croydon vs Lewisham: which is the better place to live?
Is Croydon or Lewisham a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Croydon and Lewisham across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Croydon wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 62.4/100 versus 62.2/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Croydon | Lewisham | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 62.4/100 | 62.2/100 | Croydon |
| Better value | 49.8 | 53.2 | Lewisham |
| For families | 86.5 | 94.5 | Lewisham |
| For commuters | 45.9 | 56.5 | Lewisham |
| For healthcare access | 39.4 | 0 | Croydon |
| Avg house price | £395,442 | £489,995 | Croydon (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,600 | £2,237 | Lewisham (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 83.9% | 97.1% | Lewisham |
| Crime per 1,000 | 101.7 | 101.7 | Level |
| Gigabit broadband | 87.5% | 87.4% | Croydon |
| Gera GP Access score | 39.4 | 0 | Croydon |
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Croydon wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 62.4/100 vs 62.2/100.
| Verdict | Croydon | Lewisham | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 62.4 | 62.2 | Croydon (+0.2) |
| Better value | 49.8 | 53.2 | Lewisham (+3.4) |
| For families | 86.5 | 94.5 | Lewisham (+8) |
| For commuters | 45.9 | 56.5 | Lewisham (+10.6) |
| For healthcare access | 39.4 | 0 | Croydon (+39.4) |
| Measure | Croydon | Lewisham |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £395,442 | £489,995 |
| Band D council tax | £2,600 | £2,237 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 83.9% | 97.1% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 101.7 | 101.7 |
| Gigabit broadband | 87.5% | 87.4% |
| Gera GP Access score | 39.4 | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Croydon or Lewisham a better place to live overall?
- Croydon scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 62.4/100 versus 62.2/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.2 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Croydon or Lewisham?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Lewisham is better value. Average house prices are £395,442 in Croydon and £489,995 in Lewisham; Band D council tax is £2,600 versus £2,237 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Croydon or Lewisham better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Lewisham comes out ahead for families. Croydon has 83.9% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 101.7 per 1,000; Lewisham has 97.1% and 101.7 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Croydon or Lewisham?
- For connectivity, Croydon has 87.5% gigabit-capable premises and Lewisham has 87.4% (Ofcom, June 2026). Lewisham leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Croydon or Lewisham?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Croydon scores 39.4 (South West London ICB) and Lewisham scores 0 (South East London ICB). Croydon 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).