With average house prices in Cambridge sitting just shy of half a million, St Ives sits much lower at only £320k despite having added luxuries like available parking and usable gardens.
That’s a whopping £180k saving – enough spare change to buy a brand new Aston Martin Vantage or consider starting a family.
When ex-Great Shelford resident Freya states her commute to central Cambridge is now faster than her previous “rolling car park” commute past Addenbrookes, it really puts the convenience of St Ives into perspective.
But wait, the upsides don’t stop there.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons Cambridge residents have been relocating to St Ives.
Café culture and riverside living
It may come as a surprise, but in St Ives you can take a stroll along the river without being ambushed by a punt tout every 5 meters.
How nice is that?
St Ives benefits from various river walks, river meadows, and the delightful Holt Island. Or, if walking’s not your thing, you can relax with a coffee on the historic “The Quay” or picturesque “The Waits”.
Did you know St Ives offers numerous riverside cafés and restaurants which are either on par or arguably better than many you find in Cambridge?
On the river, you have The River Terrace and The Taproom, with views of the historic St Ives Bridge & Chapel, as well as the authentic Italian restaurant Amore right on The Quay – an excellent choice in summer months for sipping wine al fresco right on the riverside.
Along The Broadway at the quieter side of town you have the excellent Floods Tavern, and just along The Quay the delightful gem The Oliver Cromwell pub, both offering traditional food, beer, and entertainment.
If it’s coffee you love, you may be pleased to know The River Terrace offers Hot Numbers coffee, and The Taproom serves Brew Project coffee. Fancy Cambridge coffee, without having to fork out £13.80 for Grand Arcade parking.
This merely skirts over a few of the excellent restaurants, coffee shops, and more on offer in the market town of St Ives.
Oh, and it’s worth considering the fabulous St Ives farmers market, with foods of every flavour, fresh fruit, veg, bread, steak pies, cakes, and more.
Smarter investment potential
For the savvy investor, here’s where St Ives gets really interesting.
Property experts are predicting steady growth of 2-5% per year for St Ives over the next few years – that’s 6-15% cumulative by 2028 in a base-case scenario.
With significant and growing transport links to Cambridge, property growth could jump to 5-8% annually, or 16-26% cumulative over three years.
With Cambridge house prices getting ever closer to what you may pay in inner-city Tokyo, it is understandable growth within Cambridge may slow in comparison to nearby St Ives.
That’s not fantasy – it’s what happens when a beautiful, connected town offers value while its big-city neighbour stays pricey.
And in a downturn?
St Ives still holds up well thanks to affordability.
Even with tighter finance conditions, analysts reckon any dip would likely be modest and short-lived.
To make property investment in St Ives even more appealing, the last property to sell in St Ives town centre with river frontage sold for approximately half the price of an average Victorian terrace in Newnham, Cambridge, with the added benefit of having somewhere to moor your boat.
A commute which outsmarts the city
When you account for slow rush hour traffic across Cambridge and the stress of avoiding kamikaze cyclists, a more relaxed car drive from St Ives to Cambridge Science Park can take only 20 minutes.
To Addenbrookes and Papworth Hospitals, 25 minutes, and to Castle Hill Car Park (if you fancy a jaunt to Cambridge centre), only 20 minutes.
This may come as a surprise for Cambridge residents currently suffering slow traffic within the city, but the efficiency of the A1307 and A14 offer a very direct route from St Ives into Cambridge.
The Guided Busway is another simple way St Ives residents can reach Cambridge and surrounding areas. Taking only 30 to 40 minutes, regular buses will take you direct to Cambridge through scenic countryside.
Or, if you prefer to be more active, you can cycle it – adjacent to the guided busway is a dedicated cycle path.
Related: A guide to commuting from St Ives to Cambridge.
Real people, real wins
Charlotte and Tom swapped a cramped Cambridge terrace for a four-bed semi in St Ives.
“We saved over £150,000, and our dog now has a proper garden to play in”, says Charlotte. In addition, “Tom gets to his job in Science Park faster than he used to.”
Mark and Priya relocated from Cherry Hinton two years ago, and haven’t looked back since.
“Cherry Hinton was lovely, but we were stretched. St Ives gives us more charm – river walks, cafés, community – at half the cost. We still visit Cambridge regularly, but have never regretted the decision to relocate.”
Why moving to St Ives makes sense
If you appreciate history, culture, and nature, St Ives delivers in abundance. It’s not just bricks and mortar.
Cambridge is still brilliant – but it’s crowded, costly, and saturated.
St Ives?
St Ives is spacious, stylish, and quietly becoming a Cambridge commuter’s dream.
Then, when you want to retire – with early retirement more likely considering how much money you’ll save – you’ll have no reason to uproot.
That’s worth considering over a relaxing pint in The Oliver Cromwell, isn’t it?
So, the real question is: Why wouldn’t you make the move to St Ives before everyone else does?
