Havering Beats 30 London Boroughs to Be Named Capital’s Second Most Peaceful Place to Live!
Havering has been named London’s second most peaceful borough in a new study, beating 30 other London boroughs in a ranking that examined crime, night-time noise, green space and proximity to pubs, bars and clubs. But which borough took the top spot, and which was named the least peaceful in the capital?
The study, carried out by property specialists SAM Conveyancing, gave Havering a peacefulness score of 56.5 out of 100, putting it just behind Richmond upon Thames, which topped the London rankings with 58.1.
Merton came third, followed by neighbouring Redbridge in fourth place, with Bromley completing the top five.
For Havering residents, the findings offer a positive picture of the borough’s quieter residential areas, access to green spaces and relatively low exposure to night-time transport noise compared with other parts of the capital.
However, there is an important distinction: this was not a survey asking residents how peaceful or safe they feel. Instead, researchers assessed local authorities using a combination of environmental and crime-related measures.
London’s 10 most peaceful boroughs
The study ranked London’s boroughs using a score out of 100. Here are the top 10 results.
London ranking Borough Peacefulness score 1 Richmond upon Thames 58.1 2 Havering 56.5 3 Merton 56.3 4 Redbridge 55.9 5 Bromley 50.3 6 Sutton 49.8 7 Harrow 42.5 8 Barking and Dagenham 40.4 9 Hillingdon 39.2 10 Barnet 37.7
Source: SAM Conveyancing research, as reported by the Evening Standard.
Havering’s score put it just 1.6 points behind Richmond upon Thames, while neighbouring Redbridge also featured prominently in fourth place.
The results provide a striking comparison between London’s boroughs, with the top five scoring considerably higher than those further down the table.
What put Havering near the top?
One of Havering’s strongest results was its exposure to night-time noise.
The research identified Havering as having the quietest nights among London’s boroughs. It also found that just 1.41% of residents lived close to clusters of licensed premises.
The study considered four main factors:
- Recorded crime levels.
- Exposure to night-time noise.
- Access to publicly accessible green space.
- How close homes are to pubs, bars and clubs.
The researchers combined these measures into an overall score, meaning the ranking reflects several aspects of residential peacefulness rather than crime alone.
For a borough with green spaces, parks and residential neighbourhoods, the result provides a positive headline.
But the ranking should not be interpreted as proof that every part of Havering is quiet or free from crime. Experiences can differ considerably between neighbourhoods, streets and individual households.
Which London borough was named the least peaceful?
At the other end of the rankings, Kensington and Chelsea was named London’s least peaceful borough, scoring just 0.8 out of 100.
It also ranked last among the 316 local authorities across England and Wales included in the study.
According to the research, 89.3% of residents in Kensington and Chelsea were exposed to night-time transport noise above the 40-decibel guideline, while 29.5% experienced noise above 55 decibels, a level associated with sleep disturbance.
Islington and Southwark were also among London’s least peaceful boroughs, with the research highlighting their recorded crime levels and the concentration of nightlife venues.
The contrast between Havering and Kensington and Chelsea illustrates how differently residential environments can score when noise, crime and other factors are considered together.
A positive result, but how does Havering compare nationally?
Although Havering ranked second in London, its national position was 123rd out of 316 local authorities across England and Wales.
That means the borough performed strongly within the capital but was not among the highest-ranked areas nationally.
The findings also do not mean Havering has no problems with crime or anti-social behaviour. A borough-wide ranking cannot tell residents exactly what is happening on their street or how safe they feel when walking home at night.
The council’s own 2026 community safety survey, published in September, offers a different perspective.
Of the 226 people who responded, 40% said they felt fairly or very safe in their neighbourhood, while 42% said they felt fairly or very unsafe.
The survey also found that 57% were fairly or very satisfied with their neighbourhood as a place to live or work, compared with 29% who were fairly or very dissatisfied.
The two sets of findings measure different things. SAM Conveyancing assessed environmental and crime-related indicators, while the council survey asked respondents about their own experiences and perceptions.
Neither should be treated as a complete picture of every resident’s experience.
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