GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Havering vs Waltham Forest: which is the better place to live?
Is Havering or Waltham Forest a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Havering and Waltham Forest across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Havering wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 68.4/100 versus 68.1/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Havering | Waltham Forest | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 68.4/100 | 68.1/100 | Havering |
| Better value | 51.2 | 48 | Havering |
| For families | 94.2 | 91.4 | Havering |
| For commuters | 62.4 | 68.9 | Waltham Forest |
| For healthcare access | 37 | 37 | Level |
| Avg house price | £446,877 | £524,099 | Havering (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,425 | £2,387 | Waltham Forest (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 96.7% | 92% | Havering |
| Crime per 1,000 | 101.7 | 101.7 | Level |
| Gigabit broadband | 90.7% | 93.9% | Waltham Forest |
| Gera GP Access score | 37 | 37 | Level |
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Havering wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 68.4/100 vs 68.1/100.
| Verdict | Havering | Waltham Forest | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 68.4 | 68.1 | Havering (+0.3) |
| Better value | 51.2 | 48 | Havering (+3.2) |
| For families | 94.2 | 91.4 | Havering (+2.8) |
| For commuters | 62.4 | 68.9 | Waltham Forest (+6.5) |
| For healthcare access | 37 | 37 | Level |
| Measure | Havering | Waltham Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £446,877 | £524,099 |
| Band D council tax | £2,425 | £2,387 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 96.7% | 92% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 101.7 | 101.7 |
| Gigabit broadband | 90.7% | 93.9% |
| Gera GP Access score | 37 | 37 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Havering or Waltham Forest a better place to live overall?
- Havering scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 68.4/100 versus 68.1/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.3 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Havering or Waltham Forest?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Havering is better value. Average house prices are £446,877 in Havering and £524,099 in Waltham Forest; Band D council tax is £2,425 versus £2,387 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Havering or Waltham Forest better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Havering comes out ahead for families. Havering has 96.7% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 101.7 per 1,000; Waltham Forest has 92% and 101.7 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Havering or Waltham Forest?
- For connectivity, Havering has 90.7% gigabit-capable premises and Waltham Forest has 93.9% (Ofcom, June 2026). Waltham Forest leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Havering or Waltham Forest?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Havering scores 37 (North East London ICB) and Waltham Forest scores 37 (North East London ICB). The two are level for 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).