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Moving to Hastings: Neighbourhoods, Schools, Trains and House Prices

Moving to Hastings gets you the cheapest homes of the main East Sussex towns, a working fishing beach in the Old Town and Regency seafront terraces in St Leonards. HM Land Registry put the average home at £238,757 in July 2026, about £78,000 below the East Sussex average and 4.9% lower than a year earlier. The town of about 91,000 people (2021 census) is a long commute from London, but a faster weekday express starts on 14 December 2026. This page covers prices by home type, the neighbourhoods, the trains and how school places work.

Hastings house prices by property type

Hastings is the cheapest place to buy in East Sussex's main towns, and prices have been easing. The figures below are HM Land Registry's UK House Price Index averages for July 2026, the latest month published.

The flat figure stands out. Much of St Leonards and the seafront is Victorian and Regency terraces split into flats, so there is a large supply of one and two-bedroom homes well under the county average. Check the lease length, service charge and any planned works on the building before you offer; our guide to property surveys explains which survey suits an older conversion.

The neighbourhoods: where to look

Old Town

The historic core between East Hill and West Hill: narrow streets of timber-framed and Georgian houses around the High Street and George Street, independent shops and pubs, and the Stade, where the fishing fleet is launched from the beach beside the tall black net huts. Homes rarely come up and prices are well above the town average. Parking is tight, so check the residents' permit zone for any street you consider.

St Leonards-on-Sea

Laid out from 1828 by the builder James Burton as a seaside new town, St Leonards has grand stucco terraces around Warrior Square and the seafront, and Kings Road with its cafes and shops. It is where most of the large flat conversions are, and it has two stations, Warrior Square and West St Leonards.

Silverhill, Bohemia and Alexandra Park

Inland streets of Victorian and Edwardian houses around Alexandra Park, the town's largest park. These areas suit families who want a house with a garden within walking distance of the town centre.

Ore, Clive Vale and Hollington

The northern and eastern parts of the borough, with more inter-war and post-war housing and generally lower prices. Ore has its own station on the line to Ashford; Hollington is close to the A21 and the retail parks on the edge of town.

Just outside the borough

Bexhill-on-Sea to the west and Battle and Fairlight inland are in Rother district, not Hastings. Many people house-hunting in Hastings also look at them, but check which council and school admissions area covers the address.

Trains, roads and the London commute

Hastings has two main rail routes. Southeastern runs to London Charing Cross and Cannon Street via Battle and Tunbridge Wells; the fastest current journey to Charing Cross is about 1 hour 32 minutes, and many trains take longer. From 14 December 2026, Southeastern is piloting a weekday express that leaves Hastings at 08:05 and reaches Charing Cross at 09:33, calling at St Leonards Warrior Square, Battle, Tunbridge Wells, London Bridge and Waterloo East. The return leaves Charing Cross at 16:11 and arrives in Hastings at 17:42.

Southern runs along the coast through Bexhill and Eastbourne to Brighton, and the Marshlink line runs east through Rye to Ashford International, where high-speed trains continue to St Pancras. By road, the A21 heads north to Tunbridge Wells and the M25, and the A259 follows the coast. If you are relocating from the capital, our page on moving between Sussex and London covers the practical side.

Hastings schools: how places are decided

East Sussex County Council runs school admissions in Hastings, not the borough council. For a secondary place starting in September 2027, the application deadline is 31 October 2026; for primary and infant school, it is 15 January 2027. If you move after the deadline, apply as soon as you have a confirmed address in the county: places are allocated by the council's oversubscription criteria, usually starting with looked-after children and siblings, then distance or catchment.

The town's state secondary schools are academies, including The Hastings Academy, The St Leonards Academy and Ark Alexandra Academy. Inspection results vary widely between them, so read each school's latest Ofsted report and visit before you choose. Some families look further afield to schools in Bexhill or Battle, which can mean a longer journey and different transport rules.

What to know before you buy

• Hills and steps. Both Old Town and St Leonards climb steeply from the seafront. Check the walk to the station and shops, and whether a removal lorry can get close to the door.
• Older buildings. Seafront and Regency properties face salt air and weather, so budget for external repairs and ask for the building's maintenance history.
• Prices have fallen. A 4.9% drop in a year gives buyers room to negotiate, but it also means checking how a valuation compares with your offer.
• Councils. Hastings Borough Council handles bins, housing, planning and council tax; East Sussex County Council runs schools, roads and social care.

Moving day

Narrow Old Town streets and steep St Leonards roads can make access the biggest factor in a removal quote, so ask firms to survey both properties. Our removal costs in Sussex guide gives typical prices by home size, and the moving house checklist covers the jobs to do in the weeks before. For other towns, start with our moving to Sussex overview.

Sources: HM Land Registry UK House Price Index (July 2026); ONS Census 2021; Southeastern, express service announcement (8 September 2026); East Sussex County Council admissions. Back to the Move Sussex homepage.