The 5 Most Desirable Areas to Live in West Sussex
West Sussex blends the South Downs, a beautiful coastline and characterful market towns with genuinely good transport links to London and the airports. It is little wonder it consistently appears on lists of the best places to live in the South East. Here is our honest local take on five of the most desirable areas to call home.
Published 2025-06-20 · Wolves Removals
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From the cathedral city of Chichester in the west to the leafy commuter towns in the north, West Sussex offers an unusually wide choice of places to put down roots. You can have the sea on your doorstep, the chalk ridges of the South Downs at your back, a fast train to London or a quiet village lane, often within a few miles of one another. As a family-run removals firm based near Pulborough, right in the heart of the county, we move people into and around these areas constantly, so this guide blends the local detail you only pick up by spending time in a place with a practical sense of what living there actually involves. These are not the only desirable spots in West Sussex, but they are five that reliably win people over.
1. Chichester
The county town of West Sussex, Chichester is a Roman city wrapped around a magnificent cathedral, with a compact, walkable centre laid out along four streets that meet at the medieval Market Cross. It is a place with real cultural weight for its size: the Festival Theatre draws audiences from across the country, the Pallant House Gallery houses an outstanding collection of modern British art, and the surrounding area is dotted with history from Fishbourne Roman Palace to the nearby coast.
Chichester suits those who want city culture at a human scale. The centre is full of independent shops, good restaurants and Georgian architecture, while Chichester Harbour and the beaches around West Wittering are a short drive away for sailing, walking and summer swims. The South Downs National Park sits immediately to the north. Property ranges from elegant period townhouses to modern developments on the edges, and prices reflect the city's enduring popularity. Train links run to London Victoria, and the A27 connects east and west along the coast. If a move to the city appeals, our Chichester removals service knows its narrow city-centre streets and parking constraints well.
2. Arundel
Few towns in England have a more dramatic skyline than Arundel, dominated by its castle and the soaring French Gothic cathedral on the hill above. Below them, the town tumbles down towards the River Arun in a tangle of steep streets lined with antique shops, galleries, tearooms and independent boutiques. It is small, picturesque and steeped in history, with a strong sense of community and a busy calendar of festivals through the year.
Arundel appeals to those drawn to character and beauty over convenience. It is not the easiest town for the car-dependent, with its hilly, narrow streets and limited parking, but for many that is precisely the charm. The Arun valley walks, the wildfowl and wetlands centre, and the surrounding Downs make it a wonderful base for anyone who loves the outdoors. Property here is characterful and often historic, which brings its own moving-day considerations: tight access, steep staircases and period quirks. Our Arundel removals team handles exactly these challenges, and our specialised antiques moving is well suited to a town this fond of fine old things.
3. Horsham
In the north of the county, Horsham is the quintessential thriving market town. At its heart is the Carfax, the open market area ringed with shops, cafes and pubs, while the historic Causeway leads down to the parish church in one of the most photographed corners of Sussex. Horsham balances genuine character with the practical infrastructure of a town that works: a cinema, a theatre, good shopping, and a busy events calendar.
Horsham is one of the strongest choices in West Sussex for commuters and families. The railway station runs direct trains to London Victoria and London Bridge, with Gatwick a short hop up the line, while strong schools and forty-odd acres of green space in Horsham Park make it a family favourite. Housing ranges from period homes near the centre to modern developments in surrounding villages like Southwater and Broadbridge Heath. It commands a premium, but residents tend to feel it is money well spent, and people who move here often stay. We cover the town thoroughly through our Horsham removals service, and you can read much more in our full guide to life in Horsham.
4. Worthing
Once a slightly faded seaside resort, Worthing has reinvented itself over the past decade into one of the most talked-about places to live on the Sussex coast. It offers the increasingly rare combination of a genuine seafront lifestyle at prices that, while rising, still look reasonable next to Brighton just along the coast. The result is a growing community of young families, creatives and downsizers drawn by the sea air, the independent cafe and restaurant scene, and the relaxed pace.
Worthing's appeal is its long shingle beach and Victorian pier, the South Downs rising immediately behind the town, and a town centre that has steadily filled with independent businesses. Trains run to London and along the coast, and the A27 and A24 provide road links inland. Housing spans seafront flats, Victorian and Edwardian terraces, and family homes in the suburbs and surrounding villages, giving genuine choice across budgets. For anyone weighing up coastal living, our Worthing removals service knows the town well, and our piece answering common questions about living in Worthing goes into more detail.
5. Pulborough and the Arun Valley villages
For those who want true countryside without cutting themselves off from the world, the villages of the Arun valley around Pulborough are hard to beat, which is exactly why we are based here. Pulborough itself sits where the River Arun meets the Western Rother, surrounded by water meadows, the famous RSPB nature reserve at Pulborough Brooks, and the South Downs beyond. It is a village with proper amenities: shops, a railway station with services to London and the coast, schools and good pubs.
This part of West Sussex appeals to people seeking space, quiet and natural beauty while staying connected. The surrounding villages, from Storrington and Petworth to Fittleworth and Amberley, offer everything from period cottages to substantial family homes, often with the kind of gardens and views that are impossible to find in town. The trade-off is that you will rely on the car more and accept that the nearest large supermarket may be a drive away. For many, the peace and the scenery more than make up for it. Our Pulborough removals service covers the whole valley, and as locals we know its lanes and villages intimately.
What these areas have in common
For all their differences, the most desirable parts of West Sussex share a few qualities that explain their enduring appeal. The first is access to nature. Whether it is the South Downs National Park, the coast and its harbours, or the water meadows of the Arun valley, you are never far from genuinely beautiful countryside in this county, and that proximity shapes daily life in a way residents quickly come to treasure.
The second is connectivity. West Sussex manages the difficult trick of feeling rural and unhurried while keeping London, Gatwick and Brighton within practical reach by train and road. That balance is rarer than it sounds, and it is a large part of why the county draws families and professionals who want space without isolation. The third is character. These are places with history and identity, from Chichester's Roman streets to Horsham's market-town Carfax, rather than anonymous commuter sprawl. People who move here tend to feel they have moved somewhere, not just out of somewhere, and that sense of belonging is what keeps them.
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A few areas worth a second look
Our five are far from the only desirable corners of the county. Petworth, with its famous house and park and its reputation as an antiques destination, draws those who love history and fine things. Steyning and the villages beneath the Downs offer classic Sussex village life within reach of the coast and Brighton. Midhurst, on the edge of the South Downs in the west, combines a handsome market town with some of the loveliest countryside in southern England. Littlehampton and Bognor Regis offer the coast at gentler prices than their better-known neighbours.
The point is that West Sussex rewards looking beyond the obvious. The town or village that suits you best may not be the one with the biggest reputation, but the one whose pace, price and character happen to fit your life. We cover all of these areas and many more besides, so wherever your search leads, we can help you settle there.
How to choose between them
The right area depends entirely on what you want from daily life. If you crave culture and city life at a manageable scale, Chichester is hard to top. For character and beauty, Arundel is unmatched. Commuters and families gravitate to Horsham for its schools and rail links. Worthing offers the coast at a sensible price. And the Arun valley villages around Pulborough deliver countryside without total isolation.
Whichever you lean towards, it pays to spend time in an area before committing, ideally at different times of day. A weekday rush hour and a quiet Sunday morning can tell you very different things about the same street. Visit the local shops, walk the route you would take to the station or school, and get a feel for whether the rhythm of the place suits yours.
It is also worth being honest about your priorities and accepting that no single place will tick every box. If schools and a fast London commute top your list, you may trade away some of the coastal lifestyle Worthing offers. If you long for countryside and quiet, you accept a greater reliance on the car. The happiest moves we see are the ones where people have weighed those trade-offs clearly rather than chasing a town's reputation, and have chosen the area whose genuine daily reality matches the life they actually want to live.
Planning your move within West Sussex
Once you have chosen, the practical work begins. Moves within West Sussex are rarely complicated, but a little forethought makes all the difference, particularly given how many of these towns and villages have narrow, historic streets with restricted parking.
Start by decluttering, as the cheapest part of any move is what you choose not to transport. Then match the service to the job: a full house removals service for a family home, or our economical man and van service from £80 for smaller moves. If packing is the part you dread, our full packing service handles everything. And because chains across the county rarely align perfectly, our storage solutions bridge any gap between selling and buying. Our helpful moving tips cover the run-up in detail, and when you are ready you can request a tailored quote or call us on 01903 893731.
Renting before you buy
If you are moving to West Sussex from elsewhere and are not yet certain which area suits you, there is much to be said for renting for a few months before you commit to buying. Each of these places has a distinct character, and the difference between, say, the cultural bustle of Chichester and the rural calm of an Arun valley village is considerable. A short spell renting lets you live the daily reality, from the commute to the weekly shop to the feel of the place at weekends, before you put down permanent roots.
It also takes the pressure off the buying decision. House-hunting from within the area, able to view at short notice and to walk neighbourhoods at different times, beats trying to judge everything from afar in a single weekend of viewings. We move plenty of people in this two-stage way, first into a rental and later into their bought home, and we are always happy to help with both moves and with storage in between if your possessions need somewhere to live while you settle on the right place.
Moving across the county and beyond
We are based near Pulborough and cover the whole of West Sussex, alongside East Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent, with nationwide and European removals available too. Whether you are moving between two of these desirable areas, arriving from outside the county, or relocating much further afield, we would be glad to make the moving part the easy part. West Sussex has a deserved reputation as one of the best places to live in the South East, and helping people settle into it is something we never tire of.
The 5 Most Desirable Areas to Live in West Sussex — FAQs
There is no single best area, as it depends on what you want from daily life. Chichester suits culture lovers, Arundel offers character and beauty, Horsham is excellent for commuters and families, Worthing gives coastal living at a sensible price, and the Arun valley villages around Pulborough offer countryside without total isolation.
Horsham is among the strongest choices, with direct trains to London Victoria and London Bridge and Gatwick a short hop up the line. Chichester, Worthing and Pulborough also have rail links to London, though journey times vary, so it is worth checking the specific service for your likely workplace.
West Sussex is one of the more sought-after counties in the South East, and prices reflect that, particularly in Chichester, Arundel and Horsham. That said, there is real variety: Worthing and some of the surrounding villages offer better value, so it pays to look across several areas before deciding.
Yes. We are based near Pulborough, right in the heart of the county, and cover the whole of West Sussex along with East Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent. We also offer nationwide and European removals, so we can handle a local move or a long-distance relocation with the same care.
Spend time in each at different times of day, as a weekday rush hour and a quiet Sunday morning can reveal very different things about the same street. Walk the route to the station or school, visit the local shops, and consider how each area's rhythm fits your own before committing.
