Leigh-on-Sea has been named among the UK’s best places to live for 2027.

The seaside town was included in Muddy Stilettos’ list of the UK’s Top 260 Best Places to Live, published in late October.

Published annually, the guide picks out the best places to live in each county and looks at what they offer, from schools, commuting and house prices to where to eat, shop and spend a weekend.

Leigh-on-Sea is one of eight places in Essex to make the list, alongside Billericay, Bradwell-on-Sea, Buckhurst Hill, Chelmsford, Colchester, Manningtree and Saffron Walden.

Why Leigh-on-Sea made the list

The guide sums it up as “chic coffee houses, cool bars and a beach lined with pretty cockle sheds”.

It calls Leigh “Southend’s smaller, trendier sister”, adding that it is “home to a steady stream of relocating Londoners”.

“Leigh takes its food very seriously,” the guide says.

It picks out The Boatyard, which “sits right on the estuary, with a waterside deck and floor-to-ceiling glass”.

Weatherboarded cottages and a pub sign along the narrow High Street in Old Leigh on a sunny day
High Street, Old Leigh. Photo: Chris Wood, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In Old Leigh, it suggests ordering seafood and a pint at The Crooked Billet or The Peterboat “and watch the boats bob past”.

For brunch, it names Corner Club, Stop The World Café and Squeeze.

The Broadway, Rectory Grove and Leigh Road are “packed with indies spanning fashion, interiors, antiques and gifts”, according to the guide, which calls the town “dangerous territory for your debit card”.

It describes Leigh Folk Festival as “jam-packed with theatre, art, workshops, music and comedy”.

Its “best kept secret” is that the Fancy Nancy cake shop on Rectory Grove belonged to Juliet Sear before she became one of Britain’s best-known cake designers.

How much it costs to live in Leigh-on-Sea

“Sea views and sourdough don’t come bargain cheap,” the guide says.

The average house price in Leigh-on-Sea over the last year was £441,424, according to the guide.

Semi-detached homes, the most commonly sold type, average £487,326, detached homes around £582,782 and flats £269,893.

For older children, it names the selective Westcliff High School for Boys, Southend High School for Boys and Westcliff High School for Girls.

The brick front entrance of Leigh-on-Sea station under a c2c sign
Leigh-on-Sea station. Photo: David Kemp, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph

Direct c2c trains to Fenchurch Street take around 50 minutes, the guide says, with annual season tickets from around £4,492.

What do you think makes Leigh-on-Sea a good place to live? Tell us in the comments.