News: Rotherham ranked as best commuter town in the UK
Rotherham has come out on top as a place to live when it comes to value, commute, and quality of life, according to a new survey.
Pepper Money, a UK specialist mortgage lender, is highlighting that commuter towns are coming under the spotlight for UK professionals trying to strike the right balance between affordability and accessibility.
The firm's survey ranks areas on things like affordable housing, improved quality of life, and a manageable daily commute.
The data has revealed a clear northern advantage — with Sheffield emerging as the most commuter-friendly hub in the country. The South Yorkshire city claims three of the top 10 spots, thanks to a combination of affordable housing, accessible rail links, and growing local economies.
At number 1 on the list of commuter towns is Rotherham with an overall score of 358 out of 469.
The borough's standout stats include average house prices of £193,000 and average rents of £653. Median salaries are £34,258 and for those living close to Rotherham Central station, commuting time to the nearest city is 17 minutes at £2.10 - the lowest price on the list.
It is Rotherham's quality of life score that ensures it comes out on top. A score of 7.9 is the highest of all of the towns in the top 10.
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A spokesperson for Pepper Money, said: "Rotherham tops the list with an impressive score of 358 out of 469, edging out strong contenders like Beeston (Nottingham) and Penarth (Cardiff). Close behind is Dronfield, another Sheffield-adjacent town, with 324 points, and Barnsley, which ranks 8th with a solid 296. These towns benefit from fast commute times into Sheffield, reasonable rail fares, and property prices far below the UK average, making them increasingly attractive for professionals, families, and first-time buyers alike."
Opportunities for commuters living in Rotherham could also open up further with the potential return to the mainline.
Proposals are progressing for a new integrated station and a tram-train stop on land at Forge Way, Parkgate that aims to transform the regional and national connectivity of Rotherham.
Station opening has been pencilled in for "late 2030" creating additional rail services and faster journey times to the adjacent centres of Sheffield, Doncaster and Leeds whilst adding direct and quicker connections to key markets in the North West, the Midlands and the North East, as well as ports and airports.
Rothbiz reported last month that Rotherham had the fastest-growing sub-regional economy in the North, with a 63.9% increase in productivity between 2004 and 2023.
Pepper Money website
Images: RMBC
Pepper Money, a UK specialist mortgage lender, is highlighting that commuter towns are coming under the spotlight for UK professionals trying to strike the right balance between affordability and accessibility.
The firm's survey ranks areas on things like affordable housing, improved quality of life, and a manageable daily commute.
The data has revealed a clear northern advantage — with Sheffield emerging as the most commuter-friendly hub in the country. The South Yorkshire city claims three of the top 10 spots, thanks to a combination of affordable housing, accessible rail links, and growing local economies.
At number 1 on the list of commuter towns is Rotherham with an overall score of 358 out of 469.
The borough's standout stats include average house prices of £193,000 and average rents of £653. Median salaries are £34,258 and for those living close to Rotherham Central station, commuting time to the nearest city is 17 minutes at £2.10 - the lowest price on the list.
It is Rotherham's quality of life score that ensures it comes out on top. A score of 7.9 is the highest of all of the towns in the top 10.
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A spokesperson for Pepper Money, said: "Rotherham tops the list with an impressive score of 358 out of 469, edging out strong contenders like Beeston (Nottingham) and Penarth (Cardiff). Close behind is Dronfield, another Sheffield-adjacent town, with 324 points, and Barnsley, which ranks 8th with a solid 296. These towns benefit from fast commute times into Sheffield, reasonable rail fares, and property prices far below the UK average, making them increasingly attractive for professionals, families, and first-time buyers alike."
Opportunities for commuters living in Rotherham could also open up further with the potential return to the mainline.
Proposals are progressing for a new integrated station and a tram-train stop on land at Forge Way, Parkgate that aims to transform the regional and national connectivity of Rotherham.
Station opening has been pencilled in for "late 2030" creating additional rail services and faster journey times to the adjacent centres of Sheffield, Doncaster and Leeds whilst adding direct and quicker connections to key markets in the North West, the Midlands and the North East, as well as ports and airports.
Rothbiz reported last month that Rotherham had the fastest-growing sub-regional economy in the North, with a 63.9% increase in productivity between 2004 and 2023.
Pepper Money website
Images: RMBC
10 comments:
Good luck trying to get a peak rail ticket to Sheffield from Rotherham for £2.10!
How is that possible? We have bus services that never turn up and a very limited train service.
I travel from Rotherham into the Sheffield office 3 days a week and it's £2.10 before 7am. A lot of offices now do 8-4 so it's ideal for this.
That will have rained on the parade of some on here. Cheer up lads, and don't forget to keep moaning. After all, it's what you get out of bed for.
If this had been 10 years ago I might have agreed. Since then train service reduced by a third with regular cancellations, tram-train reduced by a third, bus services slashed to 1 per hour - unless you work on an 'X' bus route.
As someone who commutes to Sheffield and Leeds I have no issue with the rail links. There's normally up to 3 trains an hour into Sheffield and 1 to Leeds. You do occasionally get a cancelations but it is infrequent.
That's because the rail links only go to Leeds, Sheffield, or Doncaster directly. The Leeds link is terrible and takes way too long for the distance covered. It's much quicker to drive to Leeds.
Bus time table bad in evening , don’t care about people who work late til 8pm. 30 minute waits for buses, then if you miss it next bus is 2hrs this happens through week
Several of us who live in Rotherham centre work in Sheffield and we use the tram. No complaints from us.
I agree with this comment.
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