What you need to know about Westminster
Alongside the City of London, the borough of Westminster forms part of Central London. Central London has an average property price of £1,544,823, making it one of the most expensive areas in the city. Westminster is the most expensive part of Central London, boasting an average property price of £1,512,993, which is markedly higher than the nearby City of London which records average property prices of £869,719.
There are a variety of notable areas within Westminster, including St Johns Wood to the north, Bayswater to the west, Pimlico to the south, and Covent Garden to the east. Other key parts of the borough include Maida Vale, Hyde Park, Marylebone, Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Victoria, Soho, Charing Cross, and Covent Garden.
Flats are the most commonly sold type of property in Westminster, selling for an average £1,208,719. Terraced properties in the borough fetched an average £2,930,318 and semi-detached homes reached an average £5,244,333. Maida Hill is the most affordable part of the borough, with average prices reaching £624,893. Conversely, Mayfair recorded the highest prices, with the average sitting at £4,646,919.
Since 2017, property prices in Central London have fallen by 11% when the average was £1,729,050. Property prices in Westminster have fallen by 13% from £1,745,759 in the same timeframe.
What is it living in Westminster like?
Sharing borders with the City of London, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and Camden, Westminster forms most of Central London and contains a significant percentage of the West End. It is therefore a lively and vibrant borough, offering a variety of things to see and do.
Westminster is home to some of the most recognisable locations and buildings within London, which means that it is a hub of activity all year round. Some of its most notable landmarks include the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, 10 Downing Street, and Whitehall.
Unsurprisingly, Westminster is a very affluent part of London with property prices to match. There is, however, a surprising variety of property in the area suitable for both prospective buyers and renters.
Living in Westminster pros and cons
Pro: Lots of amenities
The borough of Westminster contains several major shopping areas, including Bond Street, Piccadilly, Regent Street, and Oxford Street which are packed with well-known high street and designer names.
Westminster also houses a variety of parks and open spaces, including most of Regent's Park which is shared with Camden, Green Park, Kensington Gardens, St James's Park, and Hyde Park. Notable features within these parks include ornamental lakes, monuments, playgrounds, cycle tracks, and various sports pitches.
Westminster also benefits from numerous public lending libraries, including Paddington Library, Mayfair Library, and Charing Cross Library.
Con: Within the ULEZ zone
As Westminster is so centrally located, the whole borough sits within the ULEZ zone, which was implemented to reduce levels of air pollution across the city. This means that owners of vehicles that do not conform to the scheme's emissions standards will be required to pay £12.50 per day to drive those vehicles.
However, Westminster is home to numerous electric charging points including both on-street and car park options, making it one of the most electric-car friendly boroughs in London.
Pro: Variety of entertainment options
In addition to being home to much of the West End, Soho is also within its boundaries which is one of the city's most popular night-time entertainment districts. Westminster has a wide variety of bars, restaurants and eateries, including both large chains and independent offerings.
Con: Unaffordability issues
Research published in 2017 found that Westminster is the third most unequal borough in terms of pay. It was also found to be one of the least-affordable boroughs for private rental properties for low earners, just behind Kensington and Chelsea.
Pro: Excellent transport links
Westminster is served by four National Rail stations: Charing Cross, Paddington, Marylebone, and Victoria. Collectively, these stations offer services to everywhere from Kent to Oxford, Birmingham, Brighton, Cardiff, Southampton, and Eastbourne. Additionally, Westminster is served by 27 Underground stations offering direct use of 10 of London's 11 tube lines.
Is Westminster a safe place to live?
Between March 2020 and March 2021, the borough of Westminster recorded a crime rate of 35.38. This is markedly higher than the overall London rate of 26.16, placing the borough in the very high category.
Between December 2019 and November 2021, 101,093 offences were reported in the borough of Westminster. 43,179 crimes were recorded under the category of theft which can, in part, be attributed to pickpocketing incidents reported by tourists. A further 19,258 reported crimes were categorised as violence against the person incidents and 7,407 vehicle offences were recorded.
Crime figures for Westminster in November 2021 were 4.73% lower than in October 2021. Additionally, in the 12-month period to November 2021, crime in Westminster fell by 8.25% when compared to the 12-month period to November 2020.
Which celebrities live in Westminster?
As Westminster is the wealthiest district in the UK, it should come as no surprise that the borough is home to myriad famous faces from a variety of industries.
Kelly Osborne, TV personality and daughter of rocker Ozzy Osborne, has lived in Westminster, alongside Brooklyn Beckham and Pixie Geldof. Popstar Dua Lipa and actors Damian Lewis, Carey Mulligan, Emma Thompson, Rachel Weisz, and Kiefer Sutherland have also called the streets of Westminster home.
St Johns Wood is a bit of a celebrity hot spot, with the likes of musicians Lily Allen and Sir Paul McCartney, and Ewan McGregor setting up home here.
Westminster has strong literary connections, with Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, Edward Lear, Dodie Smith, and H.G. Wells setting up home here. This is particularly fitting as Charing Cross is now renowned for its selection of second-hand and specialist bookshops.
But the list doesn't end there, with the likes of director Christopher Nolan, comedian Noel Fielding, and model Georgia May Jagger residing in this part of London at some point during their lives. Oh, and let's not forget that the Queen has also spent plenty of time in the borough too!
Things to consider when moving to Westminster
Affordability is one of the most important things to think about if you're considering looking for property in the borough of Westminster. Between 2018 and 2019, for example, the average private rent in Westminster was £2,275. This figure places the borough second only to Kensington and Chelsea as the most expensive borough in which to rent property privately. To put this in context, an annual income of £68,250 is required to afford this level of rent, which is considerably higher than the £44,711 median earnings recorded in the borough during the same timeframe.
Affordability issues extend beyond property prices and rental figures, and must include everything from leisure activities to transport and eating out because the associated costs are likely to be higher than in many other areas.
Westminster is surprisingly family-friendly, particularly in terms of schooling. Many of the primary and secondary schools in the borough have been awarded good or outstanding ratings from Ofsted, including Pimlico Primary School, Millbank Academy, Pimlico Academy, and Grey Coat Hospital. Tertiary educational options are also good with the likes of Harris Westminster Sixth Form receiving a glowing Ofsted report.
So, if you think Westminster might be the borough for you, don't automatically assume it's out of your budget. Spend some time exploring the area because you might be lucky to uncover a gem of a property that perfectly suits your lifestyle.