Study Note - Characteristics and Causes of Commuter Towns

If the populace of a mostly-residential town tends to commute out of the town to earn money, then the town is known as a commuter town.

Sometimes suburbs can be confused with commuter towns, as the two are very similar. The main difference is that suburbs tend to be built adjacent to centres of economic or industrial activity, whereas commuting is the main economic function of a commuter town.

Commuter towns are characterised by being mostly made up of homes, schools and retail outlets. Sometimes this is both a cause and effect of the nature of commuting; people need to commute out of their towns if there is no work available where they live, and towns will adapt to the workforce available.

In Britain there is a rising trend in commuter villages, a trend not borne out of economic necessity as much as it is fuelled by young married couples and families leaving big cities in search of quieter country living while staying within a commutable distance of the same cities for work.

The South East of England in particular is host to this phenomenon, in counties such as Kent, Sussex and Essex. Often these villages are on or near major railway lines leading into London, or close to a High Speed hub such as Ashford International or Ebbsfleet International. These villages have, in recent years, tended to experience new housing estates made up of large family houses that are often out of the price range of families already living in the area, but within budget for richer families moving out of London.