What it's like to live in Egham

Social renting is a smaller part of Runnymede than the national picture: 12.9% of homes across the council area, made up of 8% council and 5% housing association, against 17.1% for England. Two thirds of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage, and 19.1% are privately rented.

Runnymede Borough Council is by far the biggest social landlord with around 2,891 homes, followed by Southern Housing, A2Dominion South, Metropolitan Housing Trust and Accent Housing.

Average weekly social rents in the council area for 2024/25 were about £117 for a one-bed, £141 for a two-bed and £152 for a three-bed. The age mix is fairly even, though the 16 to 24 group is larger than the England average at 14.4%, which the university helps explain.

There is a good spread of primary schools. Manorcroft Primary is only a short walk from the centre, with St Jude's CofE Junior, Hythe Community Primary, Saint Cuthbert's Catholic Primary and Thorpe Lea Primary all within roughly a mile and a bit. Check current admissions for the address you are swapping into, as catchments shift.

For older children, The Magna Carta School is just over a mile away and The Matthew Arnold School is under three miles, so families are not short of choice locally.

For days out with kids, Walnut Tree Gardens and Manorcrofts Recreation Ground are both minutes from the centre, and the National Trust's Runnymede meadows are a proper walk-and-picnic spot. First Steps Surrey Child Contact Centre is also in town. Across the Runnymede council area, 17.9% of residents are under 16, close to the England figure.

Egham station is about a five-minute walk from the town centre, which is one of the town's strongest cards. Staines, Virginia Water and Wraysbury stations are all within a couple of miles too, so you have options if one line suits your journey better.

Buses run from stops in the centre, including Church Road and outside the railway station, with a stop at Royal Holloway College up the hill and Staines Bridge across the river. If you do not drive, you can manage here without much trouble.

For drivers, Egham is well placed for the wider Surrey and west London area, though the centre gets congested at school and commuter times. Plenty of what you need is close enough to walk to, which takes the pressure off the car.

For a town this size, Egham punches above its weight. Everyman Egham in Magna Square means you have a cinema in walking distance, with Vue at Staines a mile and a half away if you want a bigger multiplex.

Pubs and places to eat cluster tightly in the centre: the Crown, The Red Lion, Liberto Lounge and 163 restaurant & bar are all within a few minutes of each other. Nightlife is fairly low-key, with The Lounge nearby, so most people head to Staines for a bigger night.

Outdoors, there is Runnymede itself, The Greenwood Woodlands and the Forest of Song and Psalms close by. For indoor exercise, small independent gyms like Melt Fitness, GemsTone Fitness and The Fitness Pod are all in the town centre. Staines adds Two Rivers and The Elmsleigh Centre for bigger shopping trips.

Runnymede is a working borough. Across the council area, 58.4% of adults are in work, just above the England figure of 57.4%, and unemployment sits at 3.6%. Benefit claimants among 16 to 64 year olds were 2.6% in August 2026, well under the England rate of 4%.

That healthy picture reflects the location. Good rail links mean many people commute out, while the town centre, retail parks and Royal Holloway's presence on the hill bring work closer to home.

The flip side is cost. A strong local jobs market and closeness to London push housing prices up, which is exactly why a social tenancy here is worth holding on to.