Near LGW, I think a lot of crew live in Crawley and Horley, but there are many, many crew who live in Brighton. I used to live in Brighton and was based at LGW, but was on long haul. I took the train, as I did not have a car. The train was about 20-30 minutes ride to LGW at that time. As far as quality of life, I would live in Brighton rather than by the airport, but I am not sure how your duties work; for example, if you have an early show, before the trains start going, Brighton would be tough.
Another idea (this is going back around 12 years..lol) would be Croydon. I used to know someone with BA's EuroGatwick at that time, who did not have a car, used the train, and managed it from Croydon, with early shows. Something to research more anyhow. Best of luck!