United Kingdom · Local Authorities · Compare
Merton vs Waltham Forest
Merton (London, England · ~206k people) · Waltham Forest (London, England · ~277k people)
Of 7 strictly-comparable measures: Merton leads on 4, Waltham Forest on 1, 2 effectively tied. Which trade-offs matter is yours to weigh — the rows below show where each one wins.
Head to head
Median pay
ONS ASHE (residence) · 2025
Merton
£51,704/yr
Better than 98% of UK LAs
Waltham Forest
£46,842/yr
Better than 89% of UK LAs
Merton: 10% higher median pay.
House price
ONS HPSSA-9 median · Year ending Sep 2025
Merton
£545,000
Worse than 95% of UK LAs
Waltham Forest
£538,010
Worse than 93% of UK LAs
Effectively tied — under 2% apart.
Monthly rent
ONS PIPR (newly-signed lets) · 2026-03
Merton
£2,083/mo
Worse than 97% of UK LAs
Waltham Forest
£1,753/mo
Worse than 90% of UK LAs
Waltham Forest: 19% lower median rent.
Council tax (Band D)
MHCLG · 2026-27
Merton
£2,147/yr
Better than 93% of UK LAs
Waltham Forest
£2,387/yr
Better than 61% of UK LAs
Merton: £240 less per year at Band D.
Recorded crime
ONS PFA Table C4 · Year ending Dec 2025
Merton
60.5/1k
Better than 69% of UK LAs
Waltham Forest
81.1/1k
Worse than 64% of UK LAs
Merton: 34% lower recorded-crime rate.
Deprivation (IMD)
MHCLG Indices of Deprivation · 2019
Merton
14.7
Better than 68% of UK LAs
Waltham Forest
25.2
Worse than 74% of UK LAs
Merton: lower average deprivation score (14.7 vs 25.2).
Schools (Ofsted)
Ofsted MI · Feb 2026 snapshot
Merton
100.0%
Better than 98% of UK LAs
Waltham Forest
98.1%
Better than 91% of UK LAs
Effectively tied — under 2% apart.
What local pay actually covers
Same-place ratios — each area's own median rent and house price against its own median gross pay. A cheap-looking area stops looking cheap when local pay is lower still.
Merton
Rent takes 48% of median gross monthly pay
A median home costs 10.5× median annual pay
Waltham Forest
Rent takes 45% of median gross monthly pay
A median home costs 11.5× median annual pay
Full Merton profile →
Every indicator, all state-funded schools with Ofsted grades, and similar areas.
Full Waltham Forest profile →
Every indicator, all state-funded schools with Ofsted grades, and similar areas.