- Rankings looked at transport, green spaces, internet speeds and house prices
St Albans has been crowned the best location in Britain for hybrid workers, data seen by This is Money shows.
In an analysis assessing credentials such as transport links, green spaces, commute times, Wi-Fi speeds, housing costs and culture, the Hertfordshire cathedral city pipped the likes of Reading and Guildford to the post.
Hybrid workers are those who spend some time working from home, and some time in the office.
Outside of the south east, Altrincham, Penarth and Coventry all featured on the top ten list.
St Albans scored highly in the analysis by International Workplace Group, a shared office company, because it had quick links to London, fast internet speeds and was easy to travel around on foot.
However, it lost points on affordability as house prices in the city remain a stretch for many.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics, average property prices in St Albans were around £610,000 in December last year.
Across Britain, the average cost of a home is £271,000, meaning prices in St Albans are typically £339,000 more expensive than elsewhere.
St Albans boasts a string of independent shops, museums and galleries and parks and gardens.
It was granted city status by Queen Victoria in 1877. At the same time, Queen Victoria elevated St Albans’ abbey church to the status of a cathedral.
Trains from St Albans to London St Pancras can take as little as 20 minutes, making it a prime hub for commuters. It also has easy access to the M25, M1, and A1M.
Jon Stubbs, a director at estate agent Heartwood Homes in St Albans told This is Money: ‘St Albans has a charm that’s hard to beat, and it’s easy to see why so many people love living here. It’s ideal for young families and anyone balancing life between home and the office. It has a real sense of community, beautiful green spaces, and everything you need close by.’
He added: ‘We’re seeing more homes being adapted with garden offices and flexible spaces, making working from home easier than ever. Around the city, coffee shops and new co-working spaces are popping up, giving people plenty of choice in how they work day to day.’
Scott Willmott, a senior partner at Deakin-White estate agency in St Albans, said: ‘In terms of the property market, we are seeing particularly strong demand for homes that support flexible living.
‘Buyers are prioritising properties with dedicated office space, garden rooms, or the potential to create work-from-home areas.
‘Period homes close to the city centre remain very popular, as do larger family houses in the surrounding villages, where buyers can achieve more space both inside and out.’
Reading and Guildford score highly
While St Albans came in first place in the hybrid working hub rankings, Reading, in Berkshire, came close behind in second place.
Reading scored lower for the reliability and handiness of commuter links than St Albans, and was scored down for having fewer green spaces and slightly slower Wi-Fi speeds than in St Albans, the findings suggest.
However, Reading performed strongly in the local amenities stakes, as well as the availability of flexible workplaces.
Reading has transformed into a bustling metropolitan town located on the River Thames and Kennet and Avon Canal. It is home to the annual Reading Festival and has a slew of chain and independent shops.
It is also far cheaper than St Albans. According to the ONS, average property prices in Reading were around £355,000 in December 2025, up 1.2 per cent from December 2024.
Guildford came in as the third best location for hybrid working in Britain, IWG said.
The Surrey town dating back to Saxon times has a cathedral and castle ruins, as well as a bustling high street with a combination of chain and independent shops, cafes and restaurants. Much of the town has or is currently undergoing a major redevelopment.
It has been reported that more than 3,000 new homes could be built in Guildford over the next few years, with developers targeting farmland, car parks and village edges. The plans have raised questions about green belt protection, congestion on the roads, and the future character of Surrey’s county town, the BBC reported late last year.
In IWG’s analysis, Guildford performed strongly for green spaces and local amenities, but less well for commuter travel times. It can take anything from 40 minutes upwards to get from Guildford to London Waterloo railway station.
Altrincham, Sevenoaks, Gerrards Cross, Watford, Penarth, Coventry and Maidenhead also made it into IWG’s top 10 hotspots for hybrid workers.
Mark Dixon, founder and chief executive of IWG, said: ‘Technology and the rapid adoption of AI is reshaping how we work and where we live, turning commuter towns, or so-called dormitory towns, into vibrant hubs for working and living.’
He added: ‘The idea that every morning, office workers wake early, jump into polluting cars or overcrowded trains, and travel many miles to their place of work will very soon be a crazy thing people only did in the past.’
Research from IWG found that only 4 per cent of Britons said they were willing to commute for more than an hour to their workplace.
A hybrid-working model has become the ‘new normal’ for more than one in four workers, the ONS said in June 2025.
This two-bedroom Victorian terraced house in St Albans is on the market for £550,000 via Heartwood Homes.
The freehold property, tucked away in the heart of a conservation area, is being offered chain free and within easy walking distance of St Albans railway station.
The property has a cosy lounge and dining space with wood effect flooring and a modern fitted kitchen, as well as a basement. Outside, there is a low maintenance back garden with an artificial lawn.
