Kent or Essex

[Gorgygeorge]

I am planning to get a new place. I have four young children - eldest 12 years and youngest 2 years.

Would like to know where would be good for a family between Kent and Essex?

Both places have good and rough areas. Be more specific for example Chelmsford vs Dartford

Kent and Essex are huge areas. Need a bit more detail of what you are looking for.

Thanks for your prompt response. Some of the factors that we are considering are :

1. Where house rent is cheaper between the two places

1. In the future, where it's cheaper to buy our own house

1. The place that provide better education for children between the two places

The biggest difference in education is the grammar school system in Kent. Most of Essex is comprehensive.

If it is grammar schools you want, research the areas with grammar schools in both Essex and Kent. Then compare rent prices and choose where you can afford.

I just googled and found grammar schools in Dover. Rents are a lot cheaper than in Essex. However I know nothing about the area.

Kent has a wholly selective secondary education system. It is awful. Avoid!

@BertrandRussell, thanks. Do you mean that a child who cannot make it to the grammar school, will feel bad / isolate? Does it mean that the other secondary schools are not to prepare children for higher education?

I would really appreciate it a lot if you could please expatiate on this.

@shartsi, am not particular about Grammar school, though it will be good if my son could make it into it. But, as long as there are other good secondary schools, it will be fine with me.

I am concern about other things, like the environment - where is less crime etc.... I read somewhere that it's not good at night in Colchester and there are some crimes etc...

Essex has some excellent grammar schools if that's what you are looking for.

I live in Maidstone Kent, lovely area just very pricey. Me and my fiancée pay 955 a month in rent on 2 bed.

I have lived in west Kent for most of my life. It has had selective education for all of that time. The improvement and investment in supposedly weaker non selective schools has been amazing. Looking at Wrotham, Hugh Christie, Trinity, knole. They all have grammar streams, but many offer support to children with Sen. The downside of west Kent is property prices. Renting is very expensive.

If a grammar schools suit your children and they pass the Kent test, then east Kent is less competitive. Property is also substantially cheaper, but do work out what work you can do as the commute to London is long and expensive.

@greelances, many thanks for your comment. But what would you say about North Kent? I read an article on BBC.com , that North Kent always have good value for money.

Please, what's your take on this? And also do you have any idea of the environment? like if it is cool and peaceful for family/children?

www.bbc.com/news/business-42578164

There are some lovely villages in North Kent .

I live in Essex. Half an hour from 6 grammar schools but the comprehensive schools are excellent and get good results. Unfortunately good schools will bump up housing costs, as is the case here. There is crime all over, Colchester (about 45 minutes from me) is no worse than any other big town

I think Colchester gets a bad rep as its a garrison town.

It would be easier if you asked for feedback on specific places that you have visited and then made a short list. Kent is one of the largest counties in the uk and very diverse,

OP from the BBC link, I think Chelmsford will tick all your boxes.

I live in a village outside Chelmsford and have lived here all my life. My children went to the local comp and it was fine but there's 2 of the best grammar schools around. King Edwards and the girls school. We have our fair share of crime like any small city but Iv always been happy for my children to get the bus into town. Feel free to pm if you would like to ask anything about the area

As many people have requested that I should come with some specifics places.

I would appreciate any suggestion according to scale of preference in terms of safety, easy transportation to London and good school (not necessarily Grammar school).

1. Essex :

Chemsford, Purfleet, Laindon, Grays, Briantree, Saffron Walden, Basildon, Southend and Harlow

1. Kent :

Canterbury, Maidstone, Chilham, Dartford, Ashford, Gravesend, Swale, Dover and Tunbridge wells

I moved from Bexleyheath to Chelmsford 39 years ago , I like Chelmsford and prefer it to Kent.

Essex :
Chemsford, Purfleet, Laindon, Grays, Briantree, Saffron Walden, Basildon, Southend and Harlow

Purfleet would be a huge no. Not a nice area at all. Basildon is also not great unless you consider the surrounding areas. Ditto Laindon & Grays. To be honest I wouldn't live in any of those areas other than Chelmsford or Southend and even then not near the town, only in the smaller villages

Thanks Sugarhunnyicedtea. From your comment, wouldn't it be better if I consider places in Kent then?

What's your monthly budget and what do you hope to achieve for it?

We live in south Essex and it’s a great area for families- good schools, loads of green spaces, nice communities etc and great transport links to London. Looking at your priorities I’d suggest

Lovely but maybe too expensive:
Brentwood/Shenfield
Billericay
Upminster
Epping
Ingatestone

Still nice but more affordable:
Wickford
Southend/Leigh-on-Sea/Westcliffe
Chelmsford
Ongar (though no station in Ongar so you’d need to drive to tube/train station)