What it's like to live in Bexley
What is it like to live in Bexley? It is an old village centre in south-east Greater London that has kept its small-town feel, with a short parade of shops, five pubs within a few minutes and woodland close by. It suits families and anyone who wants quiet streets rather than city bustle. The Warren and Bexley Village Community Library are both nearby plusses.
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Bexley, sometimes called Bexley Village or Old Bexley, sits in the south-east corner of Greater London in the DA5 postcode. It is the old village heart that gave the whole borough its name, and it still feels like a village: a short high street, a handful of pubs, a small station and woodland on the doorstep.
It is a quieter sort of London. You are inside the capital, with a train station a couple of minutes from the village centre, yet the pace is closer to a Kent town than to inner London. Bexleyheath, with its shopping centre, cinema and bigger supermarkets, is about a mile away, so you get the small-scale local stuff and the larger shops without a long journey.
For council and housing association tenants, that balance is the draw. Social housing makes up a smaller share of homes here than in England as a whole, so swaps are worth watching patiently. But if you want green space, well-regarded schools nearby and a straightforward run into London, Bexley earns a look.
Swapping to Bexley: key facts
Can I swap my council or housing association home to Bexley?
Yes, if you are already a council or housing association tenant. Mutual exchange means swapping homes with another social tenant, so it does not depend on the council waiting list: you need a tenant in or near Bexley who wants your area, and both landlords must agree. Landlords have 42 days to decide and can only refuse on set legal grounds.
How long is the council housing waiting list in Bexley?
1,640 households were on the Bexley housing register on 31 March 2025, up 11% on a year earlier. 371 social homes were let through the council in 2024 to 2025, roughly 4.4 households for every home let. Source: Local Authority Housing Statistics, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
How much is social rent in Bexley?
Average weekly social rents in the Bexley council area in 2024/25: 1 bed £0 council, £111 housing association; 2 bed £0 council, £130 housing association; 3 bed £159 council, £156 housing association. Affordable rent homes cost more, typically 60 to 80% of market rent. Source: Regulator of Social Housing.
How much social housing is there in Bexley and who owns it?
14.7% of homes in the Bexley council area are social housing (council 2.6%, housing association 12.1%), against 17.1% across England, according to the 2021 Census. The biggest social landlords there are London & Quadrant Housing Trust (5,044 homes), Orbit Housing Association Limited (3,965 homes) and Peabody Trust (2,859 homes).
Which homes are available to swap near Bexley?
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right. Source: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence. Home positions are approximate.
No homes listed within 2 miles at the moment. New homes are listed every week: see homes across London, use the alert form below, or list your own home so tenants here can find you.
What is housing like in Bexley and who lives there?
Bexley is an owner-occupier borough. Across the council area, 68.6% of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage, 15.3% are privately rented and 14.7% are social rented, below the England figure of 17.1%. Only 2.6% is council housing, with 12.1% held by housing associations.
That shapes what you will find. The biggest social landlords in the borough are London & Quadrant Housing Trust with around 5,044 homes, Orbit with 3,965 and Peabody with 2,859, followed by Hyde and Moat. If you are swapping, there is a reasonable chance your match is with one of those.
Average weekly social rents in the borough for 2024/25 were about £111 for one bed, £130 for two beds and £156 for three. Bexley's council housing register held 1,640 households at the end of March 2025, with 371 social homes let through the council that year, which is a fair sign of why mutual exchange is worth pursuing.
Council waiting list and lettings
Households on the register by the size of home they need.
That is roughly 4.4 households waiting for every social home let in a year. Mutual exchange doesn't use the waiting list: if you already have a council or housing association home, swapping with another tenant can be a quicker way to move to Bexley.
A register counts households who have applied, so it isn't a simple queue: some are already social tenants hoping to transfer, and people can be on more than one council's list.
Typical weekly social rents in the Bexley council area
| Size | Council | Housing association |
|---|---|---|
| Bedsit | £0 | £89 |
| 1 bed | £0 | £111 |
| 2 bed | £0 | £130 |
| 3 bed | £159 | £156 |
| 4 bed | £0 | £162 |
Social rent averages for 2024/25. Affordable rent homes cost more, typically 60 to 80% of market rent.
Biggest social landlords in the council area
- London & Quadrant Housing Trust5,044 homes
- Orbit Housing Association Limited3,965 homes
- Peabody Trust2,859 homes
- Hyde Housing Association Limited644 homes
- Moat Homes Limited625 homes
- Hexagon Housing Association Limited454 homes
- Orbit Group Limited327 homes
- Penge Churches Housing Association Limited143 homes
What is it like to live in Bexley?
Day to day, life revolves around the village and Bexleyheath. The library is practically on the high street, Warren Pharmacy is just as close, and Sainsbury's, Lidl, Asda and Aldi are all within a mile or so for a bigger shop. Broadway Shopping Centre covers most of the rest.
It is not a place for a wide choice of late-night venues. Pure Lounge Club is the main nightlife option, and otherwise evenings tend to mean a pub, the cinema or home. Plenty of people move here for exactly that. If you like constant noise and choice on your doorstep, you may find it too settled.
What are the schools and family life like in Bexley?
Families are well served here. Old Bexley Church of England School is barely a third of a mile away, with Upton, Gravel Hill, Hurst and Royal Park Primary Academy all within about a mile and a quarter. That is five primaries in easy reach, which gives you real choice rather than one option.
Secondary provision is a genuine draw. Beths Grammar School is 0.4 miles away and Townley Grammar School is 0.8 miles, with St Columba's Catholic Boys' School and St Catherine's Catholic School also close. Shenstone School is a little over a mile. Grammar schools mean selective entry, so look into the process early if that interests you.
For the rest of family life there is The Warren, Shenstone Park, Martens Grove, King George's Field and Riverside West, plus Bexley Football Club and a scout group in Bexleyheath. Across the wider Bexley council area, 20.5% of residents are under 16, above the England figure of 18.6%, so there are plenty of other children about.
Primary schools
- Old Bexley Church of England School0.3 mi
- Upton Primary School0.9 mi
- Gravel Hill Primary School0.9 mi
- Hurst Primary School1 mi
- Royal Park Primary Academy1.2 mi
Secondary schools
- Beths Grammar School0.4 mi
- St Columba's Catholic Boys' School0.7 mi
- Townley Grammar School0.8 mi
- St Catherine's Catholic School0.9 mi
- Shenstone School1.2 mi
Parks
- The Warren0.6 mi
- Shenstone Park1.1 mi
- Martens Grove1.1 mi
- Riverside West1.2 mi
- King George's Field1.2 mi
Libraries
- Bexley Village Community Librarynearby
- Libraryplus Central Library1 mi
- Summerhouse Drive Library1.3 mi
- Crayford Library1.4 mi
What shops and everyday essentials are in Bexley?
Supermarkets
- Sainsbury's1 mi
- Lidl1 mi
- Asda1.1 mi
- Aldi1.3 mi
Pharmacies
- Warren Pharmacynearby
- Osbon Pharmacy1.1 mi
- Broadway Pharmacy1.1 mi
- McQueen's1.3 mi
- Crooklog Pharmacy1.4 mi
Hospitals
- Bracton Centre1.4 mi
Shopping centres
- Broadway Shopping Centre1 mi
How do you get around Bexley?
Bexley station is about a two-minute walk from the village, which is the single biggest practical advantage of living here. Albany Park and Crayford stations are both a little over a mile away, so if one line is disrupted you have alternatives within a short bus ride or a walk.
The village itself is easy on foot. Shops, library, pharmacy, pubs and the football club are all within a few hundred metres, and The Warren is around a ten-minute walk. Bexleyheath, with its shopping centre, cinema and gyms, is roughly a mile, walkable for many and a short bus hop otherwise.
If you drive, the location works well for getting around south-east London and out towards Kent, and parking is generally easier than in inner London. If you do not drive, the trains and the local walks mean you can manage perfectly well, though the odd trip further afield will take some planning.
Train stations
- Bexleynearby
- Albany Park1.1 mi
- Crayford1.3 mi
What is there to do in Bexley?
The pubs are the heart of village life: The Kings Head, The Millers Arms, The George, Next Door and Tanyard Lane Bar & Kitchen are all within a couple of minutes of each other. That is an unusual concentration for a place this size, and it gives Bexley a sociable feel on a Friday evening.
For outdoors, The Warren is the closest green space, with Shenstone Park, Martens Grove, Riverside West and King George's Field all within a mile and a half. Bexley Football Club is a short walk and doubles as a community hub.
Beyond that, Cineworld at Bexleyheath is about a mile away alongside the Broadway Shopping Centre. Gyms include Pilates Body Studio in the village, The Gym, Better Gym Bexleyheath and PureGym. Libraries at Bexley Village, Central, Summerhouse Drive and Crayford cover groups, computers and children's activities.
Gyms
- Pilates Body Studionearby
- The Gym1 mi
- Better Gym Bexleyheath1.4 mi
- PureGym1.4 mi
Cinemas
- Cineworld1 mi
Pubs and bars
- Tanyard Lane Bar & Kitchennearby
- Next Doornearby
- The Kings Headnearby
- The Millers Armsnearby
- The Georgenearby
Nightlife
- Pure Lounge Club1.2 mi
Community centres
- Bexley Football Clubnearby
- Craft T Cake1.1 mi
- Bexleyheath Scout Group1.3 mi
- Joydens Wood Community Centre1.5 mi
What is work and the local economy like in Bexley?
Across the Bexley council area, 60.2% of adults are in work, above the England figure of 57.4%, and unemployment sits at 3.8% against 3.5% nationally. By August 2026, 3.4% of 16 to 64 year olds were claiming unemployment-related benefits, below the England rate of 4%. In short, this is a working borough with fairly steady employment.
Many residents commute. The station on the doorstep makes London jobs realistic without living in the thick of the city, and the borough's own town centres, schools, health services and retail provide a good deal of local work too.
For jobs nearby, Bexleyheath's shopping centre and the Bracton Centre, about 1.4 miles away, are the obvious larger employers in walking or short-bus distance. If your work is spread across south-east London or into Kent, the road and rail links here handle that reasonably well.
Figures are for the Bexley council area, Census 2021 and ONS claimant count.
How safe is Bexley?
Like every town centre, Bexley has police incidents logged each month. In August 2026 there were 112 within about a mile of the centre, made up of:
- Anti-social behaviour reports38
- Vehicle crime6
- Shoplifting9
- Other theft2
- Criminal damage1
- Burglary6
Source: data.police.uk street-level crime. Counts cover a fixed one-mile radius around the centre, so busy high streets and stations always record far more than the residential streets around them, and most incidents are minor. Compare like with like: a similar-sized town centre, not a village.
Is Bexley a good place for social housing tenants?
If Bexley sounds like your sort of place, the practical step is to list your own home. A mutual exchange only happens when someone else can see what you have, so good photos, honest detail about the property and a clear note of who you are and why you are moving all help.
Then set Bexley as a desired area. You can add nearby places too, since Bexleyheath, Crayford and Albany Park are all close and may give you more chances while keeping you near the same schools, parks and stations. Being a little flexible on exactly which street tends to speed things up.
Swaps here can take time, given how small the social rented share is in this borough. Keep your listing up to date, reply quickly when someone gets in touch, and be ready to view and be viewed. Both landlords have to approve the move, so it is worth knowing where you stand with rent and tenancy before you start.
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