Families often move for more space and good schools, but it’s important not to forget about teenagers' needs, even if your children are still young.

Easy access to local transport and amenities such as shops, cinemas and leisure centres is vital as children grow up and become more independent, otherwise parents risk quickly becoming taxi of mum and dad. 

But where are these areas?

We have devised a metric for house hunters with teenagers which analyses English local authorities in the top half of the deprivation index. We then mapped these areas according to the availability of ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ secondary schools, the number of train stations and journey times to a nearby town centre, either by walking or public transport. 

The North 

North Lincolnshire, part of the Yorkshire and Humber region, is the best place in the whole of England for families with teenage children to live. There are 13 good or outstanding schools across the local authority, and the average walking or public transport journey time to a town centre is just 19 minutes. Second-hand house prices here average £186,144. 

For the North East, Northumberland ranked top. Homes here are slightly more expensive, averaging £233,301. To the North West, parents with teenagers should consider Wirral. Here there are 15 good or outstanding secondary schools and the time it takes to travel to the nearest town is only 16 minutes. Homes here cost an average of £231,538.

The South 

There are 14 secondary schools rated good or outstanding across East Hertfordshire. On average, everyone in the district can walk or get public transport to a town centre within 21 minutes. Homes here cost an average of £498,896.

Meanwhile, the South East was home to the second and third top spots for more urban locations, including Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, and Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, where the journey time to a town centre is just 15 minutes. Average house prices were £664,981 and £558,476 respectively.

London 

The London Borough of Kingston upon Thames, which sits across the Thames just south of Richmond Park, was the top-performing urban location for buyers moving with teenage children. There are 0.6 good or outstanding secondary schools for every 10,000 people, and homes cost an average of £634,214.

Those looking to get more value for money should head further south to the London Borough of Sutton, where homes cost an average of £480,434.

Midlands 

The Derbyshire Dales in the East Midlands, which mostly consists of the peak district, came out top for this region. Despite being predominately rural, there are 11 train stations across the local authority, which is equivalent to 1.5 per 10,000 people. 

But Bromsgrove, which sits on the south side of Birmingham in Worcestershire, is better connected. No town centre here is more than a 19-minute journey away. The average house price here was £360,904.

Further information

Contact Frances Clacy

Savills Residential Research