Hertfordshire dominates new London commuter hotspots list - but Harpenden’s nowhere to be seen

A new countdown of London commuter hotspots has been published and it’s overwhelmingly Hertfordshire-centric - with one notable exception.

Cheshunt topped the list, while Waltham Cross, Hatfield, Broxbourne, Watford Junction and Hemel Hempstead all made the top 10.

The Totally Money study looked at 116 commuter belt towns across counties including Essex, Kent, Surrey and Buckinghamshire.

Rankings were based on a combination of factors, including average house price, time taken to commute into London by train, season ticket cost and ONS data on resident satisfaction.

Cheshunt, which is close to attractions around the Lee Valley, is just 26-minutes from Liverpool Street by train. The average season ticket costs £2,288, the fifth cheapest of all towns reviewed.

Potters Bar, Hitchin and Baldock also made the top 25, followed by the likes of Letchworth (28), Stevenage (55) and St Albans (67).

At the other end of the spectrum - just two places from the bottom - was Harpenden, behind Virginia Water in Surrey and Ascot in Berkshire.

An average property prices of £808,357 and rail season tickets costing £3,940 are all factors in the upmarket town’s low ranking.

Mark Moloney, CEO of TotallyMoney, said: “With London property and living prices showing no signs of cheapening, the study provides would-be homebuyers with data that can guide decisions on where to buy property, without sacrificing the excellent job opportunities only the capital can offer.”