What you need to know about Croydon
Alongside the boroughs of Lambeth and Sutton, the London Borough of Croydon forms part of South London and shares borders with Bromley to the east and Surrey to the south. Notable areas in the borough include Upper Norwood to the north, New Addington to the east, Old Coulsdon to the south, and Waddon to the west. The borough is also home to the areas of Purley, Selsdon, Selhurst, and Thornton Heath.
Sold prices in Croydon have increased by 7% since 2018 when the average property was fetching £418,713. Now, terraced properties are fetching an average price of £421,223 with flats selling for £306,182 on average. The average price for a semi-detached property in the borough is currently £526,271.
Croydon is the most affordable borough within South London with an average property price of £449,220. This is markedly lower than the most expensive borough in South London, which is Lambeth with an average property price of £660,727. Within the borough of Croydon itself, Woodcote Green comes out on top with an average property price of £804,355. Conversely, Forestdale, which was created in the mid-1970s, is the most affordable part of the borough, with average properties fetching £292,722.
What is living in Croydon like?
As part of Outer London, the borough of Croydon can offer a markedly different lifestyle than Inner London boroughs. Croydon can be seen mentioned in the Domesday Book, which goes some way to indicate the rich history that can be uncovered here. What was once a small market town has grown to become one of the leading cultural, financial and business centres in London.
Croydon is a vibrant borough comprised of myriad attractive areas. Addiscombe is a favoured area for commuters frequently travelling into central London whereas Coombe has retained its village like feel and many of its original large properties remain untouched. Coulsdon sits to the south west of Central Croydon and benefits from a wide selection of restaurants and high street shops.
Conversely, Kenley is located within the Green Belt and therefore benefits from sweeping views of open green space. Croydon shares Mitcham common with Merton and Sutton, which has been identified as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for its nature conservation efforts.
Enterprise and retail are the two leading employment sectors in Croydon, with major employers including IKEA and Tesco. Croydon town centre is a major shopping area, containing a variety of department stores, recognisable high street names, and independent boutiques. In 2010, Croydon had retail expenditure that reached £770 million, placing it in 6th position out of all boroughs in Greater London behind the likes of Westfield London and Kingston upon Thames.
Croydon is part of the Connect2 scheme, which is linked to the National Cycle Network. The North Downs is popular amongst on-road and off-road cyclists, offering incredible views and fresh air. The borough is home to a variety of schools, containing more than any other London borough. It benefits from 14 libraries, more than 120 open spaces and parks, and is home to several sports teams including Crystal Palace F.C, South London Storm Rugby League Club, and the Croydon Pirates baseball team.
Living in Croydon pros and cons
Pro: Strong cultural hub
In addition to being the home of the BRIT School, which is famed for producing a string of talent including Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash, and Adele, Croydon also benefits from Fairfield Halls, which is an arts and entertainment centre with a concert hall, gallery, and 200-seat theatre space. The Croydon clocktower forms part of the 19th century Town Hall and now contains the Croydon Central Library and the Museum of Croydon which has a collection of more than 2,000 sketches, drawings, prints and paintings. Surrey Street Market may be a familiar sight as it is often used as a filming location for advertising, film and TV.
Con: High crime rate
With a rate of 30.24, crime in Croydon can be described as 'reasonably higher than average.' In the year 2011/12, 7% of all rapes and 10% of all murders in London occurred in Croydon.
Pro: Rich history
The borough is home to a variety of notable landmarks, including Addington Palace which is a mansion built in the 18th century and has been the official second residence of many Archbishops of Canterbury. The Grade II listed Shirley Windmill is one of the last of Greater London's windmills and was constructed in the mid 19th century. Many successive Archbishops of Canterbury chose Croydon Palace as their summer residence and over the years it has welcomed a series of notable visitors including Queen Elizabeth I and Henry III.
Pro: Good transport connections
South Croydon, West Croydon and East Croydon are the borough's main stations, which collectively offer links to Brighton, Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Southampton, Gatwick Airport, and Portsmouth. It is also easy to reach London Victoria, St Pancras and Highbury & Islington, however Croydon is one of the only boroughs not to have an Underground station. The borough benefits from a robust bus network alongside the Tramlink service which has three lines running on the Croydon loop. Additionally, the borough is linked to the motorway network via the M25 and M23 and Croydon also benefits from the A22 and A23.
Is Croydon a safe place to live?
Croydon has one of the higher rates of crime across all London boroughs. Between November 2019 and October 2021, there were 66,421 offences reported with approximately one third of those categorised as violence against the person crimes. Instances of drug offences, theft and vehicle offences were also high. In the year to October 2021, crime was down by 4.06% when compared to the previous 12-month period. However, when compared to the previous month, reported crimes increased by 10.34% in October 2021.
Which celebrities live in Croydon?
From actors and comedians to sports stars and singers, a surprising number of famous faces have lived in Croydon over the years. MOBO-award-winning Stormzy was raised in Thornton Heath and attended what is now the Harris Academy in South Norwood. Supermodel Kate Moss grew up in Addiscombe and attended Ridgeway Primary School.
Although comedian Noel Fielding was born in Westminster, the star of the Mighty Boosh and the Great British Bake Off grew up in Pollards Hill and studied at Croydon College. Sue Perkins, another Bake Off star, also grew up in the borough and this proud resident went so far as to write a book called Easy of Croydon.
Things to consider when moving to Croydon
Most properties in the borough are either owned outright or with a mortgage, which means only 23.02% of properties in Croydon are rented privately and 16.5% available for social rent. In addition to thinking carefully about whether the type of property you need is available in the borough, it is also sensible to consider the high crime rate and whether the lack of Underground connectivity may prove to be an issue.
But with that said, every borough has its pros and cons. Croydon is an attractive place to live for many, as the area has lots going for it including plenty of parks, relatively low levels of air pollution (although they do still exceed yearly WHO guidelines) and excellent facilities. The relatively affordable rental figures are also an added benefit, with the average private rent in the borough costing £1,100 in 2018/19.