Is Dartford a Good Place to Live?

Dartford is a bustling commuter town very well connected to London. Not only are the transportation links excellent but Dartford also has beautiful countryside with amazing semi-rural villages. The town is within the greater boundary of London while still being within the M25.

It has excellent schools, houses, apartments, hospitals and other social facilities. I will not equate London’s bright lights and nightlife to Dartford’s but the latter’s quite good. If you are planning on moving to Dartford there is much to influence your decision.

Is Dartford a good place to live? The town has high employment rates, good schools and an excellent transportation system. The town’s real estate pricing is quite affordable. Add the town’s beautiful rural scenery and lively nightlife and you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the outskirts of London quite like it.

If you are planning on moving to Dartford because of a new job in London or you just want to move to a more affordable area, then Dartford should be on your list of towns to visit. You will have to put the town through rigorous scrutiny. Check the schools, the crime levels, population and transportation then make an informed decision. You may just be surprised by what Dartford has to offer if you keep an open mind.

In this article you will find out:

Dartford is one of the best commuter towns in the Greater London area with great road and rail links to London. You can use the M25 to commute to London via car in about an hour. The A2 is also a good option if you prefer to travel via car to London. You can also take the electric train which cannot connect you to London in either of 3 national rail lines.

According to Kent Police statistics, the most prevalent crimes in Dartford are violent and sexual offences, antisocial behaviour and vehicle crime. Dartford has one of the highest crime rates in Kent. However, most crimes are often resolved. This is one thing you need to keep in mind when moving to the UK.

There are good neighbourhoods and bad ones in Dartford as in every other town. The east side of Dartford contains three and four bedroom luxury Victorian houses while the west side mostly comprises of three bedroom detached and semi-detached houses. You will also find smaller two bedroom houses in the west side of Dartford.

Some of the most crime-infested places in Dartford include Dartford town centre, Stone village, Joyce Green Ward, Greenhithe and Swanscombe. The safest neighbourhoods include Belvedere and Eynsford.

Dartford has excellent primary and secondary schools. Dartford Grammar and Wilmington Grammar are the two best schools in the area each with boys’ and girls’ schools. Dartford Primary Academy and Bexleyheath Academy have good primary school facilities. Townley Grammar School and the Leigh Academy also deserve a mention for being quality secondary schools in the area. Dartford College of Science and Technology is the noteworthy tertiary institution in Dartford. With these amazing schools, Dartford is with no doubt a place worth living in if you are moving to the UK.

There are plenty of shopping facilities in Dartford including The Orchard, Prospect Place and The Priory Indoor shopping Centre. The Bluewater Centre is one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe with over 330 shops, 55 bars and numerous restaurants.

You can regularly find sold-out performances at both the Orchard Theatre and Mick Jagger Centre. If you prefer open spaces, you can spend time at Dartford Heath, Dartford Park and Darenth County Park. You can visit the Horse and Groom in Wilmington for the best home cooked food in London.

The Fighting Cocks Pub and Riverside Restaurant, Efes, Carnaval Meat & Tapas restaurant are great choices for a heavy meaty lunch. The Penny Farthing and the Dartford Jug are great watering holes, especially for beer lovers. Industry and ATIK are ideal venues for late nights and dancing.

Is Dartford a good place to work?

Dartford has an exceptionally high employment rate meaning that the level of income inequality is not as high as other parts of the country. As mentioned earlier, Dartford is a commuter town and a significant portion of the population plies their trade in the city.

Dartford has an unemployment rate that is lower than the Kent average and the country’s average too. More specifically, Dartford has an unemployment rate of about 2.7% while U.K’s unemployment rate is 4%.

The largest industry employing people in Dartford is the wholesale and retail trade sectors. The above statement is true even for those that work in London. About 20 per cent of Dartford’s population work in this sector with most residents working in either administrative positions or back office positions such as performing secretarial work.

The largest employer in Dartford is the Bluewater shopping centre which employs about 7000 people. The second largest industry employing people in Dartford is the real estate sector.

The average salary in Dartford is £36,900 and is higher than the national average which is £36,600. Men in Dartford earn an average salary of £40,200 while women earn an average of £33,600.

The median income in Dartford is £31,900. Therefore, it can be said that it is easy to find work in Dartford than in other areas of the country.

Is Dartford a good Place to buy a house?

Dartford has a very active real estate market. It is the fastest place to buy or sell a house in the whole of Britain. The high liquidity of real estate in Dartford is caused by the many people who would want to live in London but cannot afford it.

Being priced out of the London real estate market, they look to surrounding areas and Dartford is the primary choice. The best neighbourhoods include Shorne and Cobham. The worst neighbourhoods in Dartford are Greenhithe, Swanscombe and Gravesend.

The average property price in Dartford is £342,000. About 32% of houses sold in Dartford between March and February 2018 went for between £300,000 and £400,000.

Detached houses are the dearest in Dartford going for an average of £552,000 while semi-detached houses went for an average of £395,000. Flat apartments were sold on average for £224,000.

Most one bedroom flats in Dartford are charged rent between £500 and £1,000. Two bedroom flats were charged rent between £750 and £1,250.

The average rent range for three bedroom flats in Dartford is between £1,100 and £1,500. The average rent range for a five-bedroom flat in Dartford is £2,000 and £2,500.

The average price to buy a one bedroom flat in Dartford is £200,000. The average price to buy a two bedroom property in Dartford is £300,000. The average asking price for a three bedroom flat is £350,000. The average asking price for a five bedroom property in Dartford is £650,000.

Is Dartford a good place to retire?

Prices and rental rates for retirement properties in Dartford are not much different than those for regular flats. Since senior citizens require more safety than younger people, more secure places would be best but would cost slightly more than properties in other areas. Keyes Lodge on King Edward Avenue would be a proper place for someone to buy a retirement home in Dartford. Places such as Temple Hill should be avoided by retirees as it is quite dangerous.

Most one bedroom flats in Dartford are charged monthly rent between £500 and £1,000. Two bedroom flats were charged rent between £750 and £1,250. The average rent range for three bedroom flats in Dartford is between £1,100 and £1,500. The average rent range for a five-bedroom flat in Dartford is £2,000 and £2,500.

Is Dartford a good place to visit?

Dartford has plenty of attractions for visitors. Bluewater shopping centre has to be the town’s main attraction. About 20 million tourists pass through Bluewater each year. With over 330 shops, plenty of restaurants and bars, you will not lack something to do at Bluewater.

Though incomparable to New York’s Central Park, Dartford has a Central Park of its own located near the town’s city centre. There are over 45,000 species of plants on display in the park’s gardens. You can also get active at Central Park with swing sets, wall climbing and plenty of ball games going on at the park. The park is a Nature Conservation site and includes plenty of insects, birds and rabbits that drink from amazing ponds.

For a night off you can visit the Orchard Theatre which can seat 1000 people and features its own restaurant. You can see amateur productions of original shows or famous TV shows. The Mick Jagger Centre is also live performance heaven for music and arts named after the famous Rolling Stone who came from this town.

Acacia is a social centre comprising of 30 acres of land which includes a mansion (Acacia Hall), a multipurpose fitness centre, swimming pool, gym and health suite. If you want to enjoy physical activity while touring Dartford then Acacia is the place to be. You can also get a massage, manicure, pedicure or aromatherapy.

Is Dartford a Good Place to Live?﻿