Zone 2 · Head to head
Hackney vs ClaphamWhich Is Better to Live In?
The 20-second verdict
Two of London’s defining young-professional neighbourhoods, both inner Zone 2, on opposite sides of the river. They score 59 and 50/100 overall. Hackney is East London’s creative core; Clapham the South London classic built around its Common — different boroughs, London Borough of Hackney against London Borough of Lambeth, and a very different feel. The scoreboard shows where each leads.
Choose Hackney if…
The East London pick
- You want East London’s creative core — London Fields, Broadway Market, Mare Street
- A median of £600k fits your budget
- You’re happy with the Overground and buses rather than a tube line
- You’d rather be in London Borough of Hackney — compare the council tax below
Choose Clapham if…
The South London pick
- You want Clapham Common, the Old Town and Venn Street on your doorstep
- You value the fast Northern line into the City and West End
- A median of £625k fits your budget
- You’d rather be in London Borough of Lambeth — compare the council tax below
Money
House prices: Hackney vs Clapham
Both are inner Zone 2 and priced toward the upper end: Hackney at £600k, Clapham at £625k. The scoreboard marks the lower entry.
Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid data · 5 August 2026
Back to Table of ContentsSide by side
Hackney vs Clapham: the numbers side by side
| Measure | Hackney | Clapham |
|---|---|---|
| Median sold price | £600k leads | £625k |
| Flat median | £550k | £540k leads |
| Value | 52/100 leads | 50/100 |
| Safety | 20/100 | 41/100 leads |
| Schools | 66/100 leads | 56/100 |
| Transport | 70/100 leads | 54/100 |
| Green space | 55/100 leads | 42/100 |
| PAL Score overall | 59/100 leads | 50/100 |
Getting in
Transport and commute: Central vs Northern
The clearest difference: Clapham sits on the Northern line; Hackney is Overground-and-bus rather than Underground. Our transport score captures the gap.
Source: Transport for London · 15 May 2026
Back to Table of ContentsSafety
Crime and safety: is Hackney or Clapham safer?
Both are busy, mixed inner-London neighbourhoods. The safety scores below come from Met Police data.
Source: Met Police · 15 May 2026
Back to Table of ContentsSchools
Schools: Ofsted ratings compared
State-school strength is set out below, with all ratings from Ofsted.
Sources: Ofsted · Department for Education · 1 March 2026
Back to Table of ContentsRunning costs
Council tax and running costs: London Borough of Hackney vs London Borough of Lambeth
The one thing they do not share: Hackney pays London Borough of Hackney’s council tax, Clapham pays London Borough of Lambeth’s. Different boroughs, different bills — compare the bands below.
Sources: London Borough of Hackney · London Borough of Lambeth · 15 May 2026
Back to Table of ContentsLived experience
What are Hackney and Clapham like to live in?
Hackney is East London at its most creative — London Fields and its lido, Broadway Market on a Saturday, the pubs and studios off Mare Street, and the Overground threading it all together. Busy, young and firmly on the east side, with quieter terraces off the parks.
Clapham is the South London classic: the Common doing the heavy lifting, the Old Town and Venn Street around its edges, and the Northern line running under it. More settled and green, if less edgy.
The honest split is East against South, borough and river apart — Hackney in London Borough of Hackney, Clapham in London Borough of Lambeth. One trades on creative energy, the other on the Common and the commute. The scoreboard sets out where the data separates them.
Micro-geography
Which part of Hackney or Clapham?
Hackney is E8 and the streets around it — central Hackney and London Fields, Dalston to the north, Homerton and Hackney Wick east toward the parks. Clapham is SW4 — the Old Town and North Clapham by the Common, Abbeville to the south, Clapham Park further out (Clapham Junction, confusingly, is SW11 Battersea). Different postcodes, different boroughs, opposite sides of the river.
Your priorities
Which one suits you?
Tell us what matters and we’ll show which of the two fits — weighted from PAL Scores. It changes nothing about the data; it just re-weights it around you.
Select what matters to see your match.
Budget
Your priorityHackney leads on this.
Safety
Your priorityClapham leads on this.
Schools
Your priorityHackney leads on this.
Commute
Your priorityHackney leads on this.
Green space
Your priorityHackney leads on this.
Weighted from PAL Scores (0–100). Figures update with the monthly data refresh.
Back to Table of ContentsQuestions
Frequently asked questions
Is Hackney cheaper than Clapham?
On median sold price they are close: Hackney is £600k against Clapham’s £625k (HM Land Registry). The scoreboard above marks the lower entry in the latest data.
Is Hackney a good place to live?
It scores 59/100 overall on the PAL Score — East London’s creative heartland, strong on markets, parks and food and drink, connected by Overground and bus rather than the Underground.
Is Clapham a good place to live?
It scores 50/100 overall. Its draw is Clapham Common and a settled, green feel, with the fast Northern line into the City and West End; it is calmer and more residential than Hackney.
Is Hackney or Clapham better for young professionals?
Both are classic young-professional areas on opposite sides of the river. Hackney leans creative and East London; Clapham offers the Common, a strong bar scene and the Northern line. The amenity and transport scores above are the closest like-for-like read.
Which boroughs are Hackney and Clapham in?
Hackney (E8) is in the London Borough of London Borough of Hackney; Clapham (SW4) is in London Borough of Lambeth. Different boroughs, which is why the two pay different council tax.