Moving onto North London now and to an area which is often underrated, find out why in my below Enfield Area Guide.
About Enfield
So welcome to Enfield, a charming borough located at the Northern tip of London.
Enfield effortlessly combines the best of both worlds, offering a blend of urban convenience and a dash of suburban living.
With its rich history, diverse communities, and a range of attractions, Enfield has something for everyone.
Whether you’re strolling through its well kept parks, exploring historical landmarks, or savoring the local food, you’ll find that Enfield has a unique character all its own.
Let’s examine what makes the area popular with commuters and families.
Enfield Area Guide – Transport Links
Noticeably, Enfield has a variety of overground rail links, including:
Enfield Town station: This station is on the London Overground network, with trains to London Liverpool Street, Cheshunt and Chingford.
Enfield Chase station: This station is on the Great Northern network, with trains to London Moorgate and Stevenage.
Southbury station: This station is on the London Overground network, with trains to London Liverpool Street and Cheshunt.
Enfield Lock station: This station is on the Greater Anglia network, with trains to London Liverpool Street and Stratford.
While this range of overground trains is impressive, what is noticeably absent is widespread access to the London Underground network.
This is rare for an area of its size and a bit of a shame.
Cockfosters on the Piccadilly Line falls within Enfield Borough boundaries as do a couple of other stops. But it is noticeable how large areas aren’t served by the tube.
Where it lacks in access to the London Underground service it gains in road networks.
Enfield is well connected, with the M25 motorway passing to the west of the borough.
The A10 and A111 roads also run through Enfield, providing links to central London and the north of England.
Crime – Is Enfield Safe?
The overall crime rate in Enfield has been decreasing in recent years.
In the year ending March 2023, there were 29,801 crimes reported in Enfield, a decrease of 4% from the previous year.
This added to the fact that the crime per 1,000 rate is just 89.3 makes it easy to conclude that yes, Enfield is a safe place.
For context the overall rate for London is 95 crimes per 1,000 so Enfield is noticeably lower than the rest of Greater London.
That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t be vigilant in Enfield, with noticeably vehicle crime being the most common offences.
But if you’re looking for an area where crime isn’t one of the most prominent factors then Enfield should be high on your list.
Enfield Area Guide – Demographics
There’s not an area of London which isn’t diverse to a degree so it is no surprise to find Enfield having its fair share of diversity.
In terms of a racial breakdown of the area it is as follows;
52.1% are White British
18.3% are Black
11.5% are Asian
12.1% are Other
Enfield is a relatively affluent borough with a higher than average home ownership rate.
The average income in Enfield in 2022 was £36,600 for males and £35,000 for females. This is higher than the national median income of £31,500.
The highest paying industries in Enfield are finance and insurance, professional, scientific and technical activities, and information and communication.
In terms of religion, according to the 2021 UK Census, the most common religion in Enfield is Christianity, with 46.4% of the population.
This is followed by Islam (18.6%), Hinduism (3.1%), Sikhism (1.7%), and Judaism (0.8%).
The remaining 19.8% of the population identified as having no religion or a religion that was not listed on the census.
Enfield Area Guide – House Prices
The house prices in Enfield paint an interesting picture as there is a great variance across the Borough.
Overall however properties in Enfield had an overall average price of £565,026 over the last year. This is much lower than London as a whole which averages £709,000.
In terms of a trend, sold prices are fairly static, not having changed in the past 12 months. This is better than some of the more expensive areas in London which have seen falls.
Prices are 10% up since 2020.
Verdict – Is Enfield a nice place to live?
Having spent a good stint in the area and poured over the data I believe yes, Enfield is a nice place to live.
Naturally it is not perfect by any stretch, noticeably in the rhelm of transport. Roads are overcrowded with only a couple of tube stations to take some slack.
But upon walking around and exploring Enfield I found it to be a charming place. It certainly felt safe with little to no signs of crime (burnt vehicles, graffiti, crime scene tape etc) visible.
House prices vary wildly but there is a property for nearly everyone’s budget.
Overall, Enfield is a great place to live, work and raise a family.
It’s a diverse and vibrant borough with a lot to offer residents and visitors alike. There are a few things that Enfield could improve on, but these are minor niggles in the grand scheme of things.
If you’re looking for a place to live that’s close to Central London but has a more relaxed feel, then Enfield is the place for you.
