If you have read the news, you would know that many Hong Kong immigrants choose Sutton in the UK as their place to live. But why is it so good?
In Greater London, there are some posh areas, for example, Richmond upon Thames and Kensington. These areas also have very good school systems, low crime rates, clean environments, and good planning. However, the house price and the rent here are incredibly expensive. The average house price in Richmond and Kensington in 2022 is £755, 970, and £1,303,740, respectively.
But in Sutton, the schooling system, safety, the environment, and the planning are also very good. The average house price here is £444,230. But don’t forget that there are some outliers in the data, the median actually is lower than the average price. To live and settle here is not something impossible for a middle-class family.
I have lived in the Borough of Croydon before moving to the Borough of Sutton. Although the Borough of Croydon is only next to the Borough of Sutton, they are two different worlds!
The planning of Croydon is awful. The crime rate here is high. Croydon is the second worst Borough for Knife Crime in London.
From my own experience, the public services here are also so underperforming. Take Library Services as an example. When I am printing in a Library in Croydon, I can’t pay the money through a card, and only cash is accepted. However, in Sutton, printing is very convenient because I can just use my mobile phone to order the printing job and pay the money via Apple Pay/card.
In terms of education, the passing rate of GCSE in Sutton is much higher than in Croydon. Sutton’s ranking is the third best in London and Croydon’s is the fourth worst in London. It is also because of the resources available in the schooling. It is an important factor to be considered by the parents.
However, do not think that the Council Tax in Croydon is cheaper than in Sutton despite bad public services. Take Band A Council Tax as an example, the total council tax yearly in 2023-2024 for Croydon and Sutton are £1,493.04 and £1,365.59. Apparently, Sutton’s is £127.45 lower than Croydon’s, but Sutton offers much better public services. This is a strong comparison of how both Borough Council manages their finances.
Overall, the Price-Performance Ratio is a key factor in considering where to live.