A beautiful town has been named the UK’s best place to live for commuters. Pepper Money used factors like hours prices, commuting times, and median salary to find the UK’s best commuting towns.
The study showed a northern advantage for commuters – with Sheffield emerging as the most commuter-friendly hub in the country. The South Yorkshire city is home to three of the top 10 spots for best commuter towns, thanks to a combination of affordable housing, accessible rail links, and growing local economies. Topping its list was Rotherham is a market town in South Yorkshire on the Rivers Rother and Don. It scored 358 out of a total 469, with an average house price of £193,000 and average rental cost of £653 a month. The town has an average commuting time of 17 minutes into Sheffield with a rail cost of £2.10. The median salary is £34,258 and Rotherham scored 7.9 for its quality of life.
Rotherham is home to the Magna Science Adventure Centre – an interactive science centre in a former steel works, Clifton Park and Museum, The Civic Theatre and Arts Centre, and Rotherham Minster and Gardens.
The town also hosts a number of public events throughout the year including a fashion show, an artificial beach in the summer, a real ale festival, a music festival, and a carnival.
Coming in second was Dronfield, also a commuter town for Sheffield, with 324 out of 469 points. It has a median salary of £35,713 and an average commuting time of 11 minutes.
Third place was taken by Beeston, just outside of Nottingham, with 322 out of 469. It has an average house price of £295,260 and a 7.4 score in quality of life.
And in fourth was Penarth, a commuter town for Cardiff, with 317 out of 469. It has an average rental cost of £1,408 a month and an average salary of £38,420.
Pepper Money said the top towns all had reasonable rail fares, and property prices far below the UK average, making them “increasingly attractive for professionals, families, and first-time buyers alike