Best places for dog owners in England
Homestead ranks places on official data — schools, recorded crime, healthcare, transport, green space, the everyday high street and housing cost — rather than on reputation. Every eligible settlement in England is measured the same way, and the order below is the one that evidence produced.
Scope: 1,236 eligible England settlements, with the 12 highest-ranked shown here.
Where a measure has not been published for a place we say so rather than filling the gap. Nothing here is sponsored, and no place was moved by hand.
- Hornsea — East Yorkshire — Excellent overall choice · Strong nationallyPlace overview
Hornsea is a small town in East Yorkshire, in Yorkshire and the Humber. It sits on the coast. The nearest railway station is at Arram Rail Stn.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong value for money
- ✓ Strong amenities
- ✓ Strong healthcare
- • Limited public transport
Hornsea is a small town in East Yorkshire, in Yorkshire and the Humber. It sits on the coast.
Hornsea's case rests on housing that offers relative value, well-provided everyday amenities and good access to healthcare.
- Clare — Suffolk — Very strong contender · Strong nationallyPlace overview
Clare is a village in Suffolk, in the East of England. The nearest railway station is at Entrance.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong amenities
- ✓ Strong healthcare
- • Limited public transport
Clare is a village in Suffolk, in the East of England. The nearest railway station is at Entrance.
The strongest reasons to consider it are well-provided everyday amenities and good access to healthcare.
- Hartley Wintney — Berkshire — Worth considering · Very strong nationallyPlace overview
Hartley Wintney is a village in Berkshire, in the South East of England. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong green space
- ✓ Strong transport links
- ✓ Strong amenities
- • Higher house prices
Hartley Wintney is a village in Berkshire, in the South East of England. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
What gives Hartley Wintney an edge is good access to green space, well-provided everyday amenities and good access to healthcare.
- Colchester — Essex — Worth considering · Very strong nationallyPlace overview
Colchester is a large town in Essex, in the East of England. It lies a short way inland from the coast. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong green space
- ✓ Strong value for money
- ✓ Strong amenities
- • Limited public transport
Colchester is a large town in Essex, in the East of England. It lies a short way inland from the coast.
What gives Colchester an edge is housing that offers relative value, good access to green space and well-provided everyday amenities.
- Olney — Northamptonshire — Worth considering · Strong nationallyPlace overview
Olney is a small town in Northamptonshire, in the East of England. The nearest railway station is at Wolverton Rail Station.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong schools
- ✓ Strong amenities
- ✓ Strong healthcare
- • Higher house prices
Olney is a small town in Northamptonshire, in the East of England. The nearest railway station is at Wolverton Rail Station.
For buyers, the clearest advantages are strong school performance, well-provided everyday amenities and good access to healthcare.
- Bournemouth — Dorset — Worth considering · Very strong nationallyPlace overview
Bournemouth is a large town in Dorset, in the South East of England. It sits on the coast. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong green space
- ✓ Strong value for money
- ✓ Strong amenities
- • Limited public transport
Bournemouth is a large town in Dorset, in the South East of England. It sits on the coast.
Bournemouth's case rests on housing that offers relative value, good access to green space and well-provided everyday amenities.
- Cambridge — Cambridgeshire — Worth considering · Very strong nationallyPlace overview
Cambridge (Cambridge) is a large town in Cambridgeshire, in the East of England. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong green space
- ✓ Strong transport links
- ✓ Strong amenities
- • Higher house prices
Cambridge (Cambridge) is a large town in Cambridgeshire, in the East of England. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
For buyers, the clearest advantages are good access to green space, well-provided everyday amenities and good access to healthcare.
- Buckden — Cambridgeshire — Worth considering · Strong nationallyPlace overview
Buckden is a village in Cambridgeshire, in the East of England. The nearest railway station is at Huntingdon Rail Station.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong amenities
- ✓ Strong healthcare
- • Limited public transport
Buckden is a village in Cambridgeshire, in the East of England. The nearest railway station is at Huntingdon Rail Station.
What gives Buckden an edge is well-provided everyday amenities and good access to healthcare.
- Petworth — West Sussex — Worth considering · Excellent nationallyPlace overview
Petworth is a small town in West Sussex, in the South East of England. It lies close to the SOUTH DOWNS National Park. The nearest railway station is at Pulborough Rail Station.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong green space
- ✓ Strong amenities
- ✓ Strong healthcare
- • Higher house prices
Petworth is a small town in West Sussex, in the South East of England. It lies close to the SOUTH DOWNS National Park.
For buyers, the clearest advantages are good access to green space, well-provided everyday amenities and good access to healthcare.
- Bristol — Bristol — Worth considering · Very strong nationallyPlace overview
Bristol is a city in Bristol, in the South West of England. It lies a short way inland from the coast. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong green space
- ✓ Strong transport links
- ✓ Strong amenities
- • Higher house prices
Bristol is a city in Bristol, in the South West of England. It lies a short way inland from the coast.
The strongest reasons to consider it are good access to green space, well-provided everyday amenities and good access to healthcare.
- Southampton — Hampshire — Worth considering · Very strong nationallyPlace overview
Southampton is a city in Hampshire, in the South East of England. It lies a short way inland from the coast. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong green space
- ✓ Strong value for money
- ✓ Strong amenities
- • Limited public transport
Southampton is a city in Hampshire, in the South East of England. It lies a short way inland from the coast.
What gives Southampton an edge is housing that offers relative value, good access to green space and well-provided everyday amenities.
- Newcastle upon Tyne — Tyne and Wear — Worth considering · Strong nationallyPlace overview
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city in Tyne and Wear, in the North East of England. It is served by the Fawdon (Tyne And Wear Metro Station) metro network.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong green space
- ✓ Strong value for money
- ✓ Strong transport links
- • Variable school performance
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city in Tyne and Wear, in the North East of England. It is served by the Fawdon (Tyne And Wear Metro Station) metro network.
What gives Newcastle upon Tyne an edge is good access to green space, well-provided everyday amenities and good access to healthcare.
What this means for your search
The strongest signal from this ranking is that Hornsea performs best against the specific criteria we weighted — but it is squarely a pick for buyers who value the everyday realities of a place as much as its reputation. Weight any one criterion — affordability, transport, character, services — harder than the others and the ordering shifts. The strongest all-rounders are here; the strongest specialists sit just behind. The best place is rarely the top of any single list — it's the place that fits your priorities. If you'd like a shortlist tuned to yours, try the [Homestead questionnaire](/questionnaire).