Postcode area · East Central London

EC area guide

Who lives in EC, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Council: Islington
Region: London
Population: 69,838 (2024)

ECPostcode area · East Central London

At a glance

What EC is like

The EC postcode area in London covers 3,582 live postcodes and is home to about 69,838 people in 28,472 households. 24.4% of households own their home, 40.2% rent privately and 33.5% are in social housing. The largest age group is 25–29, and 59.7% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for England. Higher-harm crime is broadly in line with the England and Wales average. Homes in EC sold for a median of £693,500 over the year to August 2026.

Scores

How EC compares

Headline figures for EC, set against England as a whole.

AffluenceMore

5.1/ 10

Around the middle. Scored from 1 (most deprived in England) to 10 (least deprived).

CrimeMore

7/ 10

Around the middle: 31.8 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

House pricesMore

£693,500

Median over 294 sales in EC, −6.3% on the year before.

TransportMore

10.0/ 10

Excellent: 49 stations within a mile, 87 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

100%

Rated good or better across 14 inspected schools in EC.

Household incomeMore

£76,967

Average annual income before tax, higher than 91% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where EC differs most from the national average.

01
A big private rental marketPositive
40.2% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England. Tenant demand is established here.
02
A student area
16.5% of adults are full-time students, against 7.9% across England. Expect HMO demand and term-time turnover.
03
A young populationPositive
39.7% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19.6% across England.
04
A lot of social housingLook closer
33.5% of homes are social housing, against 17.1% across England.
05
Prices fallingLook closer
The median sale price in EC is down 6.3% on the year before.

Questions

EC FAQs

Is EC a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 5.1 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 31.8 per 1,000 people a year, band 7 of 10 nationally. 100% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 10.0 out of 10 (excellent).

How much does a house cost in EC?

The median sale price over the last year was £693,500.

Homes in EC sold for a median of £693,500 across 294 sales in the year to August 2026, −6.3% on the year before. Prices come from HM Land Registry’s record of every residential sale.

Is EC safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 31.8 offences per 1,000 people a year around EC, broadly in line with the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 7 of 10.

Who lives in EC?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 25–29, at 14.7% of residents. 24.4% of households own their home. The most common property type is purpose-built flat (78.8%).

Which council covers EC?

The local authority for EC is Islington.

EC comes under Islington in London. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.

How well connected is EC?

Connectivity scores 10.0 out of 10.

There are 87 bus stops within 800m and 49 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 10.0 out of 10 (excellent). The nearest station is Barbican, 20 yards away.

Sources: Census 2021 (ONS); ONS mid-year population estimates; police recorded crime; the English, Welsh and Scottish indices of deprivation; ONS small area income estimates; ONS private rents; DfE, Welsh and Scottish school registers and Ofsted; DfT NaPTAN; ORR estimates of station usage; HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.

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