Continuing our travels around East London, today we have for you our Leyton Area Guide.
We’ve been to the area in addition to researching everything you need to know.
If you want to jump to any of the relevent sections please do via the below links.
Table of Contents
- About Leyton
- Leyton Area Guide – Transport Links
- Leyton area guide – Crime
- Leyton Area Guide – Population and Demographics
- Leyton Area Guide – House Prices
- Things To Do In Leyton
- Verdict – Is Leyton a nice place to live?
About Leyton
Leyton is a vibrant and popular place to live, with a diverse population you’d come to expect from East London.
The area has a good selection of housing, with both new and period properties available.
Leyton is also a relatively affordable place to live, compared to other parts of London but we’ll expand on that below.
It is around seven miles North East from central London.
In terms of trivia, Leyton is home to the second oldest London football club, Leyton Orient FC.
To add to football related history, one of England’s most revered players was born in Leyton, David Beckham.
Leyton Area Guide – Transport Links
On visiting and then writing these guides we end up comparing pros and cons of many areas.
It has to be said that the transport links for Leyton are very good.
A lot of that is down to the Central Line with Leyton being just one stop from Stratford and 4 from Liverpool Street.
But in addition to the Central Line, Leyton is also served by the Overground Line via the station at Leyton Midland Road.
There are also countless buss services which will take you into places like Walthamstow with ease.
One factor which is of note is the heavy use of 20mph limits. Driving around it seemed like every back street is littered with speed humps and are all 20mph limit.
Some may see this as a positive but others may find it frustrating, as we did.
Leyton area guide – Crime
Like any area in London, crime is something to consider in Leyton.
According to available statistics online, the crime rate for Leyton is 96.3 per 1,000 people.
This is marginally above the average for London (95) but considerably better than areas like Forest Gate (123) and Ilford (104).
In terms of the types of crime being committed in Leyton the most common report was theft.
The second most common type in 2022 was violence.
Leyton Area Guide – Population and Demographics
As with most areas in East London, Leyton is very diverse with a wide mix of cultures and ethnicities.
The overall population of Leyton is 13,114 according to the most recent census.
The area has a large black and minority ethnic (BAME) population, with over 40% of residents identifying as being from a BAME background.
The largest ethnic groups in Leyton are White British, Black African, and Bangladeshi.
Here is a breakdown of the ethnic makeup, according to the 2021 census:
White British: 34.1%
Black African: 14.9%
Bangladeshi: 12.7%
Other White: 11.5%
Pakistani: 8.5%
Indian: 5.9%
Black Caribbean: 4.5%
Other Asian: 3.6%
White/Black Caribbean: 2.3%
White/Other Black: 1.4%
White/Asian: 0.5%
Leyton Area Guide – House Prices
According to Rightmove, properties in Leyton had an overall average price of £554,281 over the last year.
The majority of sales during the last year were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £682,992.
Flats sold for an average of £404,032, with semi-detached properties fetching £754,548.
Overall, sold prices in Leyton over the last year were 2% up on the previous year and 10% up on the 2020 peak of £503,704.
Things To Do In Leyton
Leyton is one of those areas with plenty to do for all ages, here are some of our picks.
Visit the Olympic Site
Although the games were sold as being in Stratford, the park straddled Leyton also.
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is an attraction in its own right, after being built for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The park has a variety of things to see, including the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the London Aquatics Centre, and the Lee Valley VeloPark.
Visit Leyton Marsh
Leyton Marsh is a 100-acre nature reserve located on the edge of Leyton. The marsh is home to a variety of birds and wildlife, and is a popular spot for walking, cycling, and birdwatching.
Visit Leyton Mills Retail Park
Despite being so close to Stratford, Leyton is well served by a number of shopping options.
One to consider is Leyton Mills Retail Park. Featuring a number of large stores it is a good place to pick up some bargains or pass some time.
Catch a game at Leyton Orient
Ok so they are not in the premier league and are unlikely to go on a cup run any time soon but watching football at Leyton Orient is a nice experience.
Tickets are reasonably priced and the management should be credited for creating a family friendly feel.
Verdict – Is Leyton a nice place to live?
This one is quite easy as frankly Leyton has a lot to offer families and professionals.
Yes in our opinion Leyton is a nice place to live. House prices are reasonable considering the access to the central line, crime is managed well and there’s a lot to do.
When comparing Leyton to some of its surrounding areas we felt very comfortable and at ease. The streets were clean and the people were welcoming.
There are parks and open spaces available and clearly you have London at your fingertips being on the central line.
The speed bumps could become tedious but these are offset by the attractive properties and leafy feel (for East London).
So in summary, although not perfect it is one of East London’s gems.
