Parents looking to move home when their children are at or approaching primary school age will often have a much longer must-have list than first-time buyers. As well as proximity to well-rated primary schools, access to healthcare facilities and green space also rank as important factors for families.

To aid buyers in their search for the best places to live with small children, which offer value for money, we have devised a metric that analysed English local authorities in the top half of the deprivation index. We then mapped the top 50 per cent according to the availability of state primary schools that were rated 'good' or 'outstanding' by Ofsted, the number of healthcare facilities for every 10,000 residents, and the proximity to a National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Interestingly, while the Midlands and North of England rank more highly overall, particularly for the best rural locations, the best urban locations ranked by these criteria are more heavily weighted to the South of England. Many of the highest ranked locations in the Midlands and North have a high proportion of both healthcare facilities and good or outstanding primary schools when compared to the population.

With full or part-time working from home likely to remain the norm for many, rural areas further from the UK’s traditional business centres are likely to see new demand from young families who might not have considered them an option previously.

In the North, Craven, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, came out as the top place in England for buyers with young children. Homes here are sold for an average of £280,166.

Those with a slightly lower budget should head to Eden, just north of Craven, which was the top hotspot in the North West (£255,387), while Northumberland came up top in the North East. The average price here was £233,201.

The Derbyshire Dales in the Midlands came second nationally. It has the highest number of good and outstanding primary schools at 7.5 per 10,000 residents. Homes here cost on average £341,660.

Shropshire, which sits on the border with Wales and encompasses the Shropshire Hills AONB, was top in the West Midlands, where homes are slightly cheaper, averaging £285,193.

In the South, Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire ranked top nationally for those families looking exclusively in urban locations. Homes here cost £664,981. For those happy to consider more rural locations, South Hams in the South West came out top, and third nationally. Homes here go for an average of £445,078.

Dacorum in Hertfordshire was the East of England hotspot, with average prices at £508,506.

For London, Bromley in the South East took the top spot. Homes average £557,332 here. It was followed by more expensive Merton, which covers much of Wimbledon and leafy Mitcham Common. Homes here cost an average of £731,077.

Further information

Contact Frances Clacy

Savills Residential Research