The 5 Most Desirable Areas to Live in West Sussex
12 places, official figures.
The best place to live in West Sussex depends on what you need close by. For fast trains to London, look at Haywards Heath, Horsham and East Grinstead. For the National Park on the doorstep, Midhurst and Petworth. For the sea and a hospital in town, Worthing.
Five of the most desirable places to live in West Sussex get a full section below. Chichester has a hospital and an Outstanding secondary, and Arundel has its history. Horsham has fast London trains and the lowest council tax here. Worthing has the sea, and Pulborough has village life by the National Park.
Five more towns follow, including Haywards Heath, the fastest for London, then two places by the sea. Every figure comes from official data, named under each table and chart.
Where to live in West Sussex: quick picks
- For London commuters: Haywards Heath. Its fastest daytime trains reach Victoria in 45 minutes and London Bridge in 44.
- For families: Horsham. Tanbridge House was judged Outstanding in every area in 2024, and council tax is the lowest of any place in this guide.
- For downsizers who want a hospital in town: Chichester or Worthing, the only two places in this guide with an A&E open to all ages.
- For the sea: Worthing, with a hospital in town, or Shoreham-by-Sea, whose bathing water was rated Excellent for 2025.
- For living inside the National Park: Midhurst or Petworth, both wholly inside it.
- For village life: the Arun Valley near Pulborough. Fittleworth, Amberley and Bury lie inside the National Park, and Pulborough has direct trains to Victoria.
We are a removals firm based at Ashington. See our removals across West Sussex.
How the twelve places compare
- Under an hour
- 45m: Haywards Heath
- 49m: Midhurstfrom Haslemere, to Waterloo
- 55m: Horsham
- 56m: East Grinstead
- Over an hour
- 1h 16m: Steyningfrom Shoreham-by-Sea
- 1h 16m: Shoreham-by-Sea
- 1h 20m: Pulborough
- 1h 20m: Petworthfrom Pulborough
- 1h 25m: Worthing
- 1h 30m: Arundel
- 1h 36m: Chichester
- 1h 44m: Bosham
Network Rail timetable valid to 12 December 2026; weekday daytime (10am to 3pm), to London Victoria unless noted. Dashed rings have no station. Peak trains differ: check your own journey. Fastest first: Haywards Heath 45 minutes, Midhurst 49 from Haslemere, Horsham 55 and East Grinstead 56; slowest, Chichester 1 hour 36 and Bosham 1 hour 44.
| Town | National Park | Aged 65+ | Band D | A&E |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chichester | Outside | 23.4% | £2,492 | Yes |
| Arundel | Partly inside | 33.0% | £2,520 | No |
| Horsham | Outside | 20.8% | £2,408 | No |
| Worthing | On the edge | 22.5% | £2,456 | Yes |
| Pulborough | On the edge | 28.1% | £2,473 | No |
| Midhurst | Inside | 29.7% | £2,540 | No |
| Petworth | Inside | 29.9% | £2,484 | No |
| Steyning | On the edge | 32.8% | £2,532 | No |
| East Grinstead | Outside | 21.0% | £2,489 | No |
| Haywards Heath | Outside | 19.1% | £2,454 | 17+ only |
| Shoreham-by-Sea | Outside | 23.4% | £2,535 | No |
| Bosham | Outside | 31.9% | £2,412 | No |
| England | 18.4% |
National Park: the South Downs National Park (official boundaries). Aged 65+: ONS Census 2021, built-up areas. Band D: each district council’s 2026/27 table, rounded to the pound, before discounts. A&E: NHS service finder; Haywards Heath’s takes patients aged 17 or over only.
Least-deprived areas in the five larger towns
- Haywards Heath16 of 24none in the most-deprived fifth
- Horsham19 of 32none in the most-deprived fifth
- East Grinstead9 of 17none in the most-deprived fifth
- Worthing19 of 683 in the most-deprived fifth
- Chichester4 of 18none in the most-deprived fifth
Small statistical areas (typically 1,000 to 3,000 residents) mostly within each built-up area that are in England’s least-deprived fifth. This is a relative measure, not wealth. English Indices of Deprivation 2025; our count. Arundel, Pulborough, Midhurst, Petworth and Steyning each span only two or three areas, which take in nearby villages and countryside, so they are not compared here.
1. Chichester
Chichester in three figures
Sources: Network Rail; ONS Census 2021; district council.
Chichester’s built-up area had 31,710 residents in 2021.
Parts of East Street, North Street and Crane Street in the centre are pedestrianised. The district council’s museum on Tower Street is built over the city’s Roman bath house.
Chichester Harbour, near the city, has been a protected landscape since 1964 and covers about 73 sq km.
The city has its own A&E at St Richard’s Hospital, open to all ages.
Bishop Luffa School was judged Outstanding in every area in November 2022, and 65.0% of its pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths in 2026 (provisional). At Chichester High School, the figure was 39.2%.
The downsides. Homes in Chichester district cost 11.8 times local full-time earnings, against 7.6 across England. The A27 Chichester bypass has no upgrade scheme in the 2026–31 Road Investment Strategy.
Our guide to living in Chichester has more detail. Our Chichester removals service plans moves into the city.
Who it suits. Buyers who want a city with an A&E and an Outstanding secondary school. Its London trains are among the slowest here.
2. Arundel
Arundel in three figures
Sources: Network Rail; ONS Census 2021; district council.
Arundel is a small town on the River Arun. Its built-up area had 3,040 residents in 2021, with a median age of 54, the highest of the places in the table.
The castle and the cathedral are both Grade I listed.
The 2019 neighbourhood plan describes a wide variety of independent retailers, with shops, cafés and restaurants concentrated on High Street and Tarrant Street.
The National Park boundary runs through the town. The castle is inside it; the High Street and the cathedral sit just outside.
North of the town, Arundel Park is a Site of Special Scientific Interest of about 134 hectares, taking in Swanbourne Lake.
The town council runs a farmers’ market on the third Saturday of each month.
Arundel has its own station. Off-peak, two trains an hour run towards Gatwick and London Victoria. Gatwick is about 55 minutes away, and Victoria about an hour and a half.
Arundel has two state primary schools. Arundel CofE Primary was confirmed as a good school in July 2024.
The downsides. There is no state secondary school in Arundel. The nearest is in Littlehampton, about 4.6 km away in a straight line, and its February 2026 report card found two areas needing attention.
The 2019 neighbourhood plan says large parts of Arundel lie within Flood Zone 3. The Environment Agency runs two flood warning areas for the town.
Comments on the plan’s 2018 consultation were dominated by concern over traffic and the loss of town-centre parking.
Our Arundel removals team plans moves into the town, and our specialised antiques moving service handles antiques.
Who it suits. People who want a small historic town with its own station. Less suited to families who need a secondary school in town.
3. Horsham
Horsham in three figures
Sources: Network Rail; ONS Census 2021; district council.
Horsham is the second-largest town in this guide. Its built-up area had 50,215 residents in 2021.
Parts of West Street, East Street and the Carfax are pedestrianised, and West Street is where most of the shops are. Markets run in the Carfax every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and on West Street on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Horsham Park, beside the town centre, won its seventh Green Flag Award in 2026.
Tanbridge House was judged Outstanding in every area in June 2024. In 2026 (provisional), 64.0% of pupils at Millais, a girls’ school, got grade 5 or above in English and maths. At The Forest School the figure was 41.8%.
The downsides. Horsham has no A&E. The nearest, at the Princess Royal in Haywards Heath, is about 11 miles away in a straight line. It takes only patients aged 17 or over. The nearest A&E for all ages is East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, about 12.5 miles.
Homes in Horsham district cost about ten times local full-time earnings. The new local plan has not yet been adopted; its examination hearings were still running in October 2026.
Our guide to life in Horsham covers the town in depth. Our Horsham removals service covers the town and its villages.
Who it suits. London commuters and families who want a larger town with lower council tax. Less suited to anyone who needs an A&E close by.
4. Worthing
Worthing in three figures
Sources: Network Rail; ONS Census 2021; district council.
Worthing is the largest town in this guide, and it has its own A&E at Worthing Hospital, open to all ages.
St Oscar Romero was judged Outstanding in all five areas in April 2025. In 2026 (provisional), 65.9% of its pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths; at St Andrew’s, 41.1%. Davison, a girls’ school, was judged Outstanding in every area in June 2024.
A sea-defence scheme costing almost £5m was completed in July 2026, from Seaview Road to Brooklands Park. It is designed to protect seafront and town-centre homes and businesses for the next ten years.
For 2025, two of Worthing’s three bathing waters, the central beach and Goring, were rated ‘Good’. The third, at Beach House, was rated ‘Poor’.
The council-owned pier opened in 1862 and is Grade II listed, and a permanent repair is under way. Montague Gardens, a new green space linking the town centre to the seafront, opened in 2026.
The downsides. The planned A27 Worthing and Lancing improvement scheme was cancelled in 2024.
Our guide to living in Worthing covers the town’s areas. Our Worthing removals service handles moves along the coast.
Who it suits. People who want the sea, a hospital in town and two secondaries judged Outstanding. London is 1 hour 25 minutes away at best.
5. Pulborough and the Arun Valley villages
Pulborough in three figures
Sources: Network Rail; ONS Census 2021; district council.
The Western Rother joins the Arun about a kilometre west of Pulborough station. The wider parish had about 5,700 people in 2021 (our calculation from Census output areas).
About a fifth of the parish, mainly its western side, lies inside the South Downs National Park. The village centre and the station sit just outside the boundary.
South of the village, the Arun’s wet meadows are a Site of Special Scientific Interest, flooded in winter. Fittleworth, Amberley, Bury, Stopham and Coldwaltham lie inside the National Park. The centre of Storrington lies just outside it.
The village has two conservation areas, around Church Place and along Lower Street. There is a library, a village hall and a recreation ground with tennis and netball courts.
Two direct trains an hour run to London Victoria off-peak. Gatwick is about 45 minutes away, and Bognor Regis about half an hour.
The parish has one state school, a Church of England primary rated Good in September 2022. The nearest state secondary is in Billingshurst, about 7 km north in a straight line.
The downsides. A landslip in December 2022 still restricts the A29 at Church Hill.
The Environment Agency has a flood warning area for the River Arun at Pulborough. In the neighbourhood plan’s 2014 household survey, 62% of respondents said there is a parking problem. A lack of shops was among their top three dislikes.
Our Pulborough removals service covers the village and the Arun Valley.
Who it suits. People who want village life beside the National Park, with direct trains to London and Gatwick. Less suited to anyone who needs a secondary school in the village.
More of the best places to live in West Sussex
Inside the National Park
Midhurst
Midhurst is a market town with its own town council, wholly inside the South Downs National Park. Its early medieval street plan survives largely intact.
Midhurst Rother College was judged Outstanding in every area in May 2024. In 2026 (provisional), 54.6% of its pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths.
There is no station. Haslemere is about seven miles away in a straight line. From Haslemere, the fastest daytime direct trains reach London Waterloo in 49 minutes. Midhurst pays the highest Band D council tax of the places in the table. Our Midhurst removals page covers the town.
Inside the National Park
Petworth
Petworth is a small historic market town with its own town council, wholly inside the National Park. Petworth House, a Grade I late-17th-century mansion, stands on its edge within a Grade I landscaped deer park.
Petworth CofE Primary was judged Good in all five areas in January 2025. The nearest state secondary is Midhurst Rother College, about 9 km away in a straight line.
There is no station. Pulborough is about five miles away in a straight line, and most of its direct trains reach Victoria in about 80 minutes. See our Petworth removals page.
On the edge of the National Park
Steyning
Steyning sits on the edge of the National Park, and the South Downs Way passes under 2 km from its centre.
Steyning Grammar School’s March 2026 report card was expected standard in every area. In 2026 (provisional), 46.3% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths.
There is no station. From Shoreham-by-Sea, the fastest daytime direct trains reach Victoria in 1 hour 16 minutes. Steyning pays the highest Band D council tax in Horsham district. Our guide to living in Steyning has more.
On the edge of the High Weald
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is on the edge of the High Weald National Landscape. The council says the south side of its High Street has England’s longest run of timber-framed buildings. Its Grade I almshouses date from 1620.
Two trains an hour run to London Victoria off-peak, taking about 56 minutes. The town is the end of the line from Oxted, and there is no direct train to Gatwick.
In 2026 (provisional), 49.8% of pupils at Imberhorne got grade 5 or above in English and maths, and 45.0% at Sackville. Queen Victoria Hospital has a minor injuries unit, open 8am to 8pm; for A&E, it points patients to Redhill, Haywards Heath or Brighton.
Fastest to London
Haywards Heath and Lindfield
Haywards Heath grew up around the London–Brighton railway, which opened in 1841. Off-peak, about ten trains an hour reach London, and Gatwick is 11 to 16 minutes away.
In 2026 (provisional), 52.9% of pupils at Oathall Community College got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Warden Park, in nearby Cuckfield, was graded strong in four areas and expected in two in June 2026; its figure was 60.3%.
Lindfield’s High Street and common have been a conservation area since 1969. The Princess Royal’s A&E takes only patients aged 17 or over. For under-17s, the nearest A&E is in Brighton, about 13 miles away in a straight line. Our Haywards Heath removals page covers moves there.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 (built-up areas); district councils 2026/27; DfE 2026 provisional results; Ofsted; Network Rail; NHS; Historic England; Natural England.
By the sea: two more places
Excellent bathing water
Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham Beach is a shingle spit that pushes the River Adur east before it meets the sea. Its bathing water was rated Excellent for 2025.
The fastest daytime direct trains reach London Victoria in 1 hour 16 minutes. Shoreham Academy was judged Outstanding in every area in February 2024.
Four tidal flood warning areas cover parts of the town. Figures are for Shoreham’s built-up area, which does not include Southwick.
Chichester Harbour
Bosham and the Witterings
Most of Bosham lies inside the Chichester Harbour National Landscape. Its Grade I church’s chancel and tower are mostly Saxon. Its station has an hourly direct train to Victoria, taking 1 hour 44 minutes.
South of the harbour, the bathing waters at Bracklesham Bay, by East Wittering, and at West Wittering were both rated Excellent for 2025. The Witterings have no station.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 (built-up areas); district councils 2026/27; Network Rail timetable valid to 12 December 2026; Environment Agency bathing water and flood warnings; Ofsted; Historic England; Natural England.
Planning your move within West Sussex
Check parking and access at both addresses before moving day. Our move stories show how: a move from Bepton, near Midhurst, to Cheshire, and a house from Tillington, near Petworth, stored over winter.
Our house removals service covers the move itself. Our full packing service is there if you would rather not pack. When completion dates do not line up, our storage solutions bridge the gap.
Our helpful moving tips cover the run-up, and you can request a tailored quote or call us on 01903 893731.
We also have guides to living in Bognor Regis and moving to Billingshurst. There is one for anyone moving to West Sussex from elsewhere, too.
Jack Wolfe
Director, Wolves Removals · Ashington, West Sussex
Jack runs Wolves Removals, which has moved families and businesses across West and East Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent since 2016 from its Ashington base. The firm is fully insured, Checkatrade-verified and a LAPADA Approved Service Provider for antiques and fine art. More about us, or read our reviews.
The 5 Most Desirable Areas to Live in West Sussex — FAQs
It depends on what you need. Haywards Heath has the fastest daytime trains to London. Worthing has the sea and its own A&E. Midhurst and Petworth lie inside the South Downs National Park. Horsham town has the lowest council tax of any place in this guide.
Haywards Heath: its fastest daytime direct trains reach London Bridge in 44 minutes and Victoria in 45. Horsham’s fastest reach Victoria in 55 minutes and East Grinstead’s in 56. Source: Network Rail timetable valid to 12 December 2026.
In this guide, Worthing and Shoreham-by-Sea, plus the Witterings near Chichester Harbour. For 2025, Shoreham Beach, Bracklesham Bay and West Wittering were rated Excellent (Environment Agency).
Midhurst and Petworth lie wholly inside it. Arundel is partly inside: the castle is in the park, while the High Street and the cathedral sit just outside. Pulborough, Steyning and Worthing are on its edge.
Chichester (St Richard’s) and Worthing (Worthing Hospital) both have an A&E open to all ages. The Princess Royal in Haywards Heath has one that takes only patients aged 17 or over (NHS service finder). Horsham, Arundel, Pulborough, Midhurst, Petworth, Steyning, East Grinstead, Shoreham-by-Sea and Bosham have none.
Four schools in this guide had the highest shares of pupils with grade 5 or above in English and maths in 2026 (provisional). They were St Oscar Romero in Worthing (65.9%), Bishop Luffa in Chichester (65.0%), Millais in Horsham (64.0%, girls only) and Warden Park in Cuckfield (60.3%). West Sussex: 47.2% (DfE).
Yes. We are based at Ashington and cover the whole of West Sussex, along with East Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent. We also offer nationwide and European removals.
