What it's like to live in Romford

Havering is a borough of homeowners. Across the council area 69.5% of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage, 15.8% are privately rented, and just 13.6% are social rented, below the England figure of 17.1%. Of that social housing, 9.3% is council and 4.3% housing association, so council tenancies make up the bulk.

The London Borough of Havering Council is by far the largest landlord with 9,147 homes, followed by London and Quadrant Housing Trust with 1,954, Swan Housing Association with 879, Clarion with 684 and Estuary Housing Association with 579.

Average weekly social rents in Havering for 2024/25 were £107 for a one bed, £121 for two beds and £145 for three beds. Demand is real: 2,651 households were on the council's housing register at 31 March 2025, with 631 social homes let through the council in 2024-25 and 24 council homes swapped by mutual exchange. The register is not a simple queue. The age profile is close to the national picture, with slightly more 25 to 44 year olds and children.

There is a wide choice of primary schools within walking distance: St Edward's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary, St Peter's Catholic Primary, Gidea Park Primary, The Mawney Foundation School and Parklands Junior School are all within three quarters of a mile. That mix of community, church and Catholic schools gives families real options, though places depend on admissions criteria rather than distance alone.

For older children, Marshalls Park Academy, The Frances Bardsley Academy for Girls, The Royal Liberty School and St Edward's Church of England Academy are all inside a mile and a half, including single-sex and faith choices.

Family life beyond school is well served. St Kilda's Community Hub and Children's Centre is close to the centre, and the Wykeham Centre, Ed's Place and St John's Community Hall run community activities. Lodge Farm Park, Cottons Park, Raphael Park, Jubilee Park and Hylands Park give free places to burn off energy, and Romford Central Library is a short walk away. Queen's Hospital and Victoria Hospital are both under a mile, which many parents find reassuring. Nearly a fifth of Havering's residents are under 16, above the England average.

Romford station is about four tenths of a mile from the centre and Gidea Park station just under a mile, giving two options for rail travel west towards London and east into Essex. Having a second station within walking distance is useful when one is busy or disrupted.

Buses are a real strength here. Romford Station Terminus and Romford Bus Garage are both around half a mile away, and there is a separate bus interchange at Queen's Hospital, which helps enormously if you have appointments or visit someone there regularly. Services radiate out across Havering and into neighbouring boroughs.

On foot, the town centre is flat and compact: shops, library, pharmacies, cinemas and the ice and leisure centre are all within a few hundred metres of each other, so many daily trips need no transport at all. Drivers get good road access out to the east and west, though the centre gets congested at peak times and parking costs money. Living close in, plenty of households here manage without a car.

For a town of this size, Romford is unusually well stocked for a night out. There are two cinemas, the Lumiere in the centre and a Vue half a mile away, plus clubs at Fiction and Cameo for anyone who wants a late one. Pubs and bars such as The Golden Lion, The Crowning Angel, The Moon and Stars, Missoula and Jukebox LDN are clustered within a short walk.

The Brewery and the three shopping centres cover most eating, drinking and browsing. Sapphire Ice and Leisure Centre is the big draw for families and skaters, and there are smaller gyms including Hustle, Iron Phoenix CrossFit and Greenwood Boxing and Fitness.

Green space is close rather than vast. Raphael Park, with its lake and open ground, is the one people name first, while Lodge Farm Park is nearest to the centre and Cottons, Jubilee and Hylands Parks spread out around the town. Three libraries, at Romford Central, Gidea Park and Rush Green, add free indoor space when the weather turns.

Across the Havering council area, 59.5% of adults are in work, a little above the England figure of 57.4%. Unemployment sits at 3.6%, close to the national 3.5%, so on the headline numbers this is a fairly average working borough rather than a struggling one.

Benefit claimant figures are slightly higher: 4.5% of 16 to 64 year olds in Havering were claiming unemployment-related benefits in August 2026, against 4% for England. Worth knowing, but not a dramatic gap.

Locally, the town centre itself is a major source of jobs, with four shopping centres, supermarkets, bars, cinemas and leisure venues all employing staff. Queen's Hospital and Victoria Hospital are significant employers within a mile, and schools, libraries and community centres add more. Plenty of residents also commute out by train, west into London or east into Essex, so the job market you can reach is far wider than the town itself. These figures cover the whole borough, not just Romford.