5 of the Best Places to Live in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a county in the East Midlands, situated just west of Cambridgeshire.
A largely hilly and predominantly rural region, the county, though landlocked, has several rivers flowing through it, including the River Avon and the River Welland.
A county keen on developing both its residential and tourism sectors, efforts to do so can be seen in its launch of its Tourism Business Awards in 2025 and its Business Excellence Awards in 2018.
Below, we’ve profiled 5 of the best places to live in Northamptonshire.
1.) Northampton
The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is a largely urban town, ideal for those looking to live closer to the county’s major entertainment and retail districts.
Living in Northampton
Northampton offers residents access to 6 railway stations, the largest of which being Northampton Railway Station. The station is made up of 5 platforms, with direct trains getting commuters into London in a little under an hour.
The town’s Cultural Quarter – designated as such in 2013 – is home to both a theatre and a museum – with other amenities in the town centre also including 2 cinemas, a grand 900-seater theatre – The Old Savoy, as well as several other galleries and museums, including the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery and 78 Derngate.
2.) Corby
Corby is a town situated to the north of the county. It’s a town that has seen significant amounts of regeneration in the last 20 or so years, with a railway station, a public swimming pool and a 450-seat theatre all introduced between 2009 and 2010.
Living in Corby
Corby is an ideal town to commute to and from, with its train station sitting on the East Midlands railway.
From Corby, there are half hourly services that run to London St Pancras, as well as a number of services to other Northamptonshire towns, including the likes of Wellingborough and Kettering.
The town is also home to Brooke Weston Academy – one of only 15 City Technology Colleges in the UK – as well as a number of other secondary schools and about 17 primary schools.
Our Kirby Woodlands development is situated in Corby so, if you’re considering living in Corby, please do feel free to reach out to our team.
3.) Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town situated along the River Nene. The town has a storied heritage, being named in the 1086 Domesday Book.
Several of its buildings are still well preserved, with its surviving train station being housed within a Grade II listed building.
Living in Wellingborough
Life in Wellingborough is fairly modest, with the friendly small town well suited to those after a more relaxed pace. The town has a single shopping centre – Swansgate – but offers excellent commuter links, with trains running directly from Wellingborough to London St Pancras, getting commuters into the city in under an hour.
Other services that go through the town include services to the likes of Nottingham, Derby, Sheffield, and Leeds.
The town is also home to number of schools, including the private Wellingborough School.
One of the oldest schools in the UK – having been established in 1595 – Wellingborough School accepts students from the age of 3 all the way up until sixth form and also offers students the opportunity to take part in the Cadets programme.
4.) Kettering
Kettering sits to the north of Northamptonshire and is perhaps best known for being home to the UK’s second oldest theme park – Wicksteed Park – which was first opened in 1921.
Living in Kettering
Beyond Wicksteed Park, Kettering has a number of leisure facilities to offer its residents, including the Arena Sports Kettering, which houses both a gym and a public swimming pool.
There’s also the Lighthouse Theatre to explore and enjoy.
It’s worth noting that Kettering also has its own train station, with direct services running to the likes of London St Pancras, Leicester and Nottingham.
5.) Rushden
Rushden sits right on the border with Bedfordshire.
It’s a town that, like Corby, has also benefitted from relatively recent regeneration efforts, with its high street expanded in 2011 to include a dedicated town square and new cycle and footpath networks.
A new leisure and shopping centre – the Rushden Lakes – was also introduced in 2017.
Living in Rushden
Rushden is not a town lacking in amenities, with the town home to two golf courses, a leisure centre that features a gym, squash courts and a dance studio, and, of course, there’s the Splash Leisure Pool – a popular public swimming pool.
As of March 2026, Rushden doesn’t have its own train station but there are plans for one to be developed – the Rushden Parkway Railway Station.
A continuously evolving town, Rushden offers a lot of promise and appears to be a town on the rise.