Guildford vs Farnham: which place suits you better?

Compare Guildford and Farnham on housing costs, schools, rail access, broadband and historic town-centre character.

Guildford place profile · Farnham place profile

Key differences between Guildford and Farnham

Typical sold price: Guildford: £451k · Farnham: £500k · £49k difference
Gigabit broadband: Guildford: 75% of premises · Farnham: 64% of premises · 11 percentage point difference

Living in Guildford vs Farnham: at a glance

Guildford is less expensive overall, with a typical sold price of £451k compared with £500k in Farnham, and it has wider gigabit broadband coverage. Both places have strong school performance and rail access, although only Farnham’s side includes a timed London journey here. Guildford’s centre combines a traffic-restricted High Street with its castle, while Farnham’s character is shaped by Georgian Castle Street and Farnham Castle.

Local character and setting

Guildford

Guildford’s High Street is closed to through-traffic during the day, creating a more pedestrian-focused central space. Guildford Castle adds a major historic landmark.

Wider setting: Guildford is home to Guildford Castle, a scheduled monument.

Sources: The history of Guildford's High Street - Surrey County Council · Experience Guildford | Explore, Shop & Discover More - Visit Surrey · Historic England

Farnham

Farnham’s Castle Street is lined with Georgian shopfronts, restaurants and gastropubs, while Farnham Castle brings a substantial medieval landmark to the town.

Sources: Hidden Surrey - Farnham · Shopping in Farnham - Visit Surrey

Which place may suit your priorities?

Guildford

Lower typical house prices
Wider gigabit broadband coverage
Traffic-restricted High Street and Guildford Castle

Farnham

Historic Castle Street
Farnham Castle

House prices in Guildford and Farnham

Measure	Guildford	Farnham
Typical sold price £49k difference	£451k · 1,932 sales	£500k · 869 sales
Detached homes £120k difference	£910k · 348 sales	£1.03m · 256 sales
Semi-detached homes £60k difference	£525k · 591 sales	£585k · 147 sales
Terraced homes £36k difference	£470k · 314 sales	£434k · 155 sales
Flats £75k difference	£275k · 679 sales	£350k · 311 sales

Commuting from Guildford and Farnham

Measure	Guildford	Farnham
National Rail access	Guildford, London Road (Guildford)	Farnham → London Waterloo · about 54 min by train.
Train times are station-to-station and do not include travel to the station or onward travel. Check current timetables and changes.

Schools in Guildford and Farnham

Measure	Guildford	Farnham
School quality	Strong school performance	Strong school performance
Primary schools 9 vs 4 in the local count	9 rated schools included for this area	4 rated schools included for this area
These counts cover rated schools linked to the local area used by Homestead. Nearby schools may also serve the area, and the figures do not represent catchments or admissions.
Secondary schools	3 rated schools included for this area	No rated schools included for this area

Everyday life and green space

Measure	Guildford	Farnham
Markets	Guildford North Street Market	Local markets
Gigabit broadband 11 percentage point difference	75% of premises	64% of premises

The trade-off between Guildford and Farnham

Guildford is less expensive and has wider gigabit broadband coverage, while Farnham’s available information gives it a particularly strong historic-centre identity around Castle Street and the castle. Both have strong school performance and rail access, but the available rail information is not directly comparable because only Farnham has a timed London journey shown.