Hitchin has been crowned the UK's most sought-after London commuter town for home buyers, according to new research from Rightmove.

The property website's latest analysis found that Hitchin generates more buyer enquiries per available home than any other commuter town within easy reach of the capital, outperforming better-known locations including Harpenden, Chelmsford, Letchworth Garden City and Basingstoke.

Rightmove's data shows properties in Hitchin attract 96 per cent more enquiries per listing than homes in London itself, underlining the town's growing appeal to commuters looking for a balance between city access and quality of life.

The average asking price for a home in Hitchin now stands at £495,800, with the fastest rail journey to London's King's Cross taking just 31 minutes.

Hertfordshire performed particularly strongly in the rankings, with neighbouring Harpenden securing second place despite having a much higher average asking price of around £948,000.

The top five London commuter towns for buyer demand were:

1. Hitchin
2. Harpenden
3. Chelmsford
4. Letchworth Garden City
5. Basingstoke

Rightmove said buyers continue to weigh up factors such as commuting time, affordability and lifestyle when deciding whether to move out of the capital.

While some of the most popular commuter hotspots have seen house prices soften slightly over the past year, Hitchin's combination of fast rail links, historic town centre, independent shops and strong community feel appears to be helping it stand out from the competition.

advertisement

The findings are based on the number of buyer enquiries generated for each available property, rather than total search volumes, giving an indication of where demand is strongest relative to the number of homes on the market.