What it's like to live in Epsom

Be realistic here. Only 8.8% of homes in the Epsom and Ewell area are socially rented, well under the England figure of 17.1%, and just 0.6% are council-owned. Three quarters of homes are owner-occupied and 16.1% privately rented. Social tenancies are genuinely scarce, which makes a mutual exchange one of the more practical routes in.

The biggest social landlord by far is Town and Country Housing with 2,042 homes, followed by Mount Green Housing Association with 216, Orbit with 206, Clarion with 118 and London & Quadrant with 109.

Average weekly social rents in the borough for 2024/25 were £125 for a one bed, £144 for two and £167 for three. Your own rent will depend on your landlord and the property.

There's a good spread of primary schools close in. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is around 0.4 miles away, with St Martins C of E Infants, St Martins C of E Junior School and St Christopher's School & Nursery all about half a mile off.

For older children, Blenheim High School is roughly 0.8 miles away and Glyn School about 0.9 miles, with Epsom & Ewell High School around 2.1 miles. Kingswood House School, an independent, is also nearby. Always check catchments and admissions directly, as they change.

For days out with kids, Rosebery Park and its pond are only 0.2 miles away, with Mounthill Gardens and Fair Green close by too. Ewell Library, Ewell Court Community Library and Tattenhams Community Library widen the choice for rainy afternoons.

Trains are the big draw. Epsom station is about 0.1 miles from the centre, and Ewell West, Ewell East, Epsom Downs and Tattenham Corner are all within two miles, so you have options depending on where you live in and around town.

Buses are easy to pick up too. Stops cluster around the Clock Tower, Epsom High Street, Waterloo Road and the railway station itself, all within a couple of minutes of the middle of town.

If you drive, you have the flexibility to reach places the train doesn't, but parking in a busy town centre is always the trade-off. Plenty of residents manage without a car, simply because the shops, library, station and parks are so tightly packed together on foot.

For a town this size, Epsom punches above its weight for evenings out. There are two cinemas in the centre, Epsom Picturehouse and ODEON Luxe Epsom, both within a short walk, so a film doesn't mean a trip elsewhere.

The pub and bar scene is genuinely lively, with places like Be At One, Caballo Lounge, Metropolis and Bar Eivissa in and around the high street, plus late venues such as Rhythms Nightclub and The Cellar. Whether that's a plus or a downside depends on how close you end up living to it.

Gyms are plentiful too, including PureGym Epsom and Anytime Fitness. For free time that costs nothing, Rosebery Park and Fair Green are the obvious ones. Community centres such as The Epsom Club and Epsom Square host local groups.

The wider Epsom and Ewell area does well on work. Census 2021 put 61.8% of adults in work against 57.4% for England, with unemployment at 2.8% compared with 3.5% nationally. By August 2026, unemployment-related benefit claims in the borough stood at 2.1% of working-age people, half the England figure of 4%.

In practice, many people here commute by train, and Epsom station makes that straightforward. Locally, the town centre itself, with its shops, the Ashley Centre, healthcare providers and hospitality, is a source of jobs.

A strong local job market cuts both ways: it's easier to find work, but it's part of why housing costs in the borough are high.