Best market towns 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: 297 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.
- Dunstable — Buckinghamshire — Excellent overall choice · Very strong nationallyPlace overview
Dunstable is a town in Buckinghamshire, in the South East of England. The nearest railway station is at Leagrave Rail Station.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong amenities
- ✓ Strong value for money
- ✓ Strong green space
- • Limited public transport
Dunstable is a town in Buckinghamshire, in the South East of England. The nearest railway station is at Leagrave Rail Station.
Dunstable's case rests on housing that offers relative value, good access to green space and well-provided everyday amenities.
One caveat: Settlement scale has not been measured for Dunstable, so it plays no part in this result and we make no claim about it.
- Bournemouth — Dorset — Very strong contender · 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 amenities
- ✓ Strong value for money
- ✓ Strong green space
- • 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.
One caveat: Settlement scale has not been measured for Bournemouth, so it plays no part in this result and we make no claim about it.
- Rayleigh — Essex — Worth considering · Excellent nationallyPlace overview
Rayleigh is a 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 amenities
- ✓ Strong transport links
- ✓ Strong healthcare
- • Less green space nearby
Rayleigh is a town in Essex, in the East of England. It lies a short way inland from the coast.
The strongest reasons to consider it are well-provided everyday amenities, good access to healthcare and reliable public transport links.
One caveat: Settlement scale has not been measured for Rayleigh, so it plays no part in this result and we make no claim about it.
- Bakewell — Derbyshire — Worth considering · Very strong nationallyPlace overview
Bakewell is a town in Derbyshire, in the East Midlands. It lies close to the PEAK DISTRICT National Park. The nearest railway station is at Grindleford Rail Station.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong amenities
- ✓ Strong transport links
- ✓ Strong healthcare
- • Less green space nearby
Bakewell is a town in Derbyshire, in the East Midlands. It lies close to the PEAK DISTRICT National Park.
The strongest reasons to consider it are well-provided everyday amenities, good access to healthcare and reliable public transport links.
One caveat: Settlement scale has not been measured for Bakewell, so it plays no part in this result and we make no claim about it.
- Witney — Oxfordshire — Worth considering · Very strong nationallyPlace overview
Witney is a town in Oxfordshire, in the South East of England. The nearest railway station is at Finstock Rail Station.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong amenities
- ✓ Strong value for money
- ✓ Strong healthcare
- • Limited public transport
Witney is a town in Oxfordshire, in the South East of England. The nearest railway station is at Finstock Rail Station.
What gives Witney an edge is housing that offers relative value, well-provided everyday amenities and good access to healthcare.
One caveat: Settlement scale has not been measured for Witney, so it plays no part in this result and we make no claim about it.
- 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 amenities
- ✓ Strong value for money
- ✓ Strong green space
- • 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.
One caveat: Settlement scale has not been measured for Colchester, so it plays no part in this result and we make no claim about it.
- Rugby — Warwickshire — Worth considering · Strong nationallyPlace overview
Rugby is a large town in Warwickshire, in the West Midlands. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong amenities
- ✓ Strong value for money
- ✓ Strong transport links
- • Less green space nearby
Rugby is a large town in Warwickshire, in the West Midlands. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
The strongest reasons to consider it are housing that offers relative value, well-provided everyday amenities and good access to healthcare.
One caveat: Settlement scale has not been measured for Rugby, so it plays no part in this result and we make no claim about it.
- Ipswich — Suffolk — Worth considering · Very strong nationallyPlace overview
Ipswich is a large town in Suffolk, 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 amenities
- ✓ Strong value for money
- ✓ Strong green space
- • Limited public transport
Ipswich is a large town in Suffolk, in the East of England. It lies a short way inland from the coast.
For buyers, the clearest advantages are housing that offers relative value, good access to green space and well-provided everyday amenities.
One caveat: Settlement scale has not been measured for Ipswich, so it plays no part in this result and we make no claim about it.
- Cheltenham — Gloucestershire — Worth considering · Very strong nationallyPlace overview
Cheltenham is a large town in Gloucestershire, in the West Midlands. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong amenities
- ✓ Strong green space
- ✓ Strong transport links
- • Higher house prices
Cheltenham is a large town in Gloucestershire, in the West Midlands. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
The strongest reasons to consider it are good access to green space, well-provided everyday amenities and good access to healthcare.
One caveat: Settlement scale has not been measured for Cheltenham, so it plays no part in this result and we make no claim about it.
- Bath — Bristol — Worth considering · Very strong nationallyPlace overview
Bath is a large town in Bristol, in the South West of England. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
Why it ranked- ✓ Strong amenities
- ✓ Strong green space
- ✓ Strong transport links
- • Higher house prices
Bath is a large town in Bristol, in the South West of England. It has its own railway station providing onward rail connections.
The strongest reasons to consider it are good access to green space, well-provided everyday amenities and good access to healthcare.
One caveat: Settlement scale has not been measured for Bath, so it plays no part in this result and we make no claim about it.
- Poole — Dorset — Worth considering · Very strong nationallyPlace overview
Poole 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 amenities
- ✓ Strong value for money
- ✓ Strong green space
- • Limited public transport
Poole is a large town in Dorset, in the South East of England. It sits on the coast.
For buyers, the clearest advantages are housing that offers relative value, good access to green space and well-provided everyday amenities.
One caveat: Settlement scale has not been measured for Poole, so it plays no part in this result and we make no claim about it.
- 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 amenities
- ✓ Strong green space
- ✓ Strong transport links
- • 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.
One caveat: Settlement scale has not been measured for Cambridge, so it plays no part in this result and we make no claim about it.
What this means for your search
The strongest signal from this ranking is that Dunstable performs best against the specific criteria we weighted — but it is squarely a pick for buyers who want a working high street, local character and everyday amenities in walking distance. 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. There is no single "best" place — only the place that fits your own priorities. If you'd like a personalised shortlist, try the [Homestead questionnaire](/questionnaire). Otherwise, [the best UK villages](/best-places/villages) is a natural next read.