Last updated: August 12, 2022 at 9:57 am
As a capital city, London is inevitably quite a loud place to live, but that isn’t to say that all of it is unbearably noisy! There are plenty of places within the city that are quieter than the rest of the capital, you just need to know where to look. For example, the more touristy areas like Oxford Street are not going to make the list of the quietest neighbourhoods, but places that are less popular may be more suitable.
On average, the city of London measures 66 decibels, which is equivalent to raucous laughter. However, there are places like Islington that have noise measurements as high as 77 decibels, which is the same as a washing machine. Luckily, there are few places that are as high as 90 or 100 decibels, which is when the noise starts to become uncomfortable. A few streets within the city may occasionally experience this during events, but on a daily basis you can rest assured nowhere in London is that noisy.
Nonetheless, plenty of people choose to live in quieter areas for any number of reasons. If you need to live in the capital but love your peace and quiet, here are the 10 quietest neighbourhoods in London based on 4,000 sound readings from across the city. Included in the description is also the average rent for each borough so that you can see whether the noise levels are likely to have any effect on the cost of where you live in London.
IN THIS ARTICLE
10. Camden
Camden is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the capital, so it is surprising to find it on the list of quietest boroughs in London, but it is our loudest quiet neighbourhood. The sound levels within Camden measure at around 62.9 decibels, which is about average for London. It is often compared to the sound of laughter or loud conversation, which is to be expected in any large city.
Living in Camden is relatively quiet and has the added bonus of being very close to most of the major tourist and shopping destinations, as well as on one of the major tube lines in the city. If you can handle 62.9 decibels of sound and an average rent of £2,000 per month, why not take a visit to punk central?
9. Merton
Tennis fans will be familiar with the borough of Merton, as it is home to the beloved and famed Wimbledon. Despite this, the noise levels are relatively low! Around Merton, the average sound measurement sits at 62.5 decibels, just slightly quieter than Camden.
This might be because it is more towards the outskirts than Camden, but regardless, the borough is a nice enough place to live!
If you fancy living near the home of British Tennis, and you can handle noises as loud as laughter outside and an average rent of £1450, Merton might be home.
8. Bromley
Bromley is a south-eastern borough of London and doesn’t have the nicest reputation. Sandwiched between Croydon and Dartford, it is a very popular borough to live in, and it is easy to see why.
The sound measurements around the borough measure at 59.3 decibels, the same as a quiet office. Plus, you only have to pay an average rent of £1,300 to live there!
7. Kingston-Upon-Thames
Over in the southwest of London sits the borough of Kingston-Upon-Thames. It is 10 miles away from Charring Cross, giving residents the feeling of a small town whilst still being an easily commutable distance into the centre of the city.
The borough has an average sound reading of 59.3, just like Bromley, making it a very quiet place to live in London. And one that will only cost you an average rent of £1350 per month.
6. Southwark
Southwark is part of the inner city of London, and so you would expect it to be on the other end of this list, and yet here it is. The borough measures at only 57.7 decibels, despite all of the tourists and the hustle and bustle of the centre of London.
It is a reasonably nice place to live, with plenty going on right on your doorstep, and the average rent is £1650 per month.
5. Ealing
The borough of Ealing is lovely, with Walpole park and plenty of lush greenery around the streets. It attracts lots of families and couples, and is a great, young place to live in London. As an added bonus, the average sound measurements are merely 57.3 decibels, no higher than your average office.
You can move to Ealing and enjoy all of the great greenery for an average rent of £1495 per month.
4. Croydon
Despite having a more than questionable reputation, Croydon is actually one of the quietest London boroughs. It is a south-eastern borough, right next to Bromley, and has fantastic rail connections to the rest of the country as well as to and around London and has an average sound measurement of 56.5 decibels.
Plus, if nothing else, its reputation means that it is also one of the cheaper boroughs with an average rent of as little as £1250 per month.
3. Waltham Forest
All the way up in northeast London is the smaller borough of Waltham Forest. It is known to be a relatively poor borough, and for that reason, the average rent is quite low for London at only £1350 per month. But its noise levels are also quite low at only 56.1 decibels.
2. Sutton
Next to Croydon, and home to Manor Park, Sutton is a small London Borough with great links into the centre of London and one of the lowest sound readings across the whole city. On average, the borough produces a mere 53.8 decibels of noise, which is the equivalent of a very quiet office or library.
Sutton is a small borough and despite having plenty going on, residents pay an average rent of only £1175 per month!
1. Tower Hamlets
Right in the centre of London, The Tower Hamlets are a great place to be whether that is to live, visit, or to work. They’re busy, and interesting, and you’re close to everything that London has to offer, from big shopping streets to the quirkier places like Brick Lane and Camden. The borough has a very low sound measurement considering all of this, at only 53.3 decibels.
What it lacks in sound, though, it makes up in cost. To live in Tower Hamlets, you are looking at paying £1,650 per month rent on average.
Whilst these are the quietest boroughs in London, it is worth remembering that anywhere can be made quieter with the right tools. If you do move somewhere that isn’t perhaps as quiet as you’d like to be, try installing some basic soundproofing methods before you decide to up and move elsewhere.
You will be amazed how much of a difference things like soundproof curtains, thick carpet, and acoustic panels can make to a house or flat in a noisy home. Regardless of where in London you move to, making the right accommodations to keep your flat or home free from unwanted and unnecessary noise can help you to better relax and sleep.
Also, consider that many homes in London are apartments and flats and these will also have the noise from upstairs and downstairs neighbours. You can combat these noises by using carpet and by insulating the ceiling.
