Postcode · City of Edinburgh

EH1 1SU area guide

Who lives in EH1 1SU, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Neighbourhood: Old Town, Princes Street and Leith Street
Council: City of Edinburgh
Region: Scotland
Neighbourhood population: 1,396 (2024)

EH1 1SUCity of Edinburgh

At a glance

What EH1 1SU is like

EH1 1SU is a postcode in the Old Town, Princes Street and Leith Street area of City of Edinburgh. Because census and crime data isn’t published for single postcodes, the figures here cover the surrounding neighbourhood of about 1,396 people. 14.1% of households own their home, 44.8% rent privately and 39.2% are in social housing. The largest age group is 20–24, and 21.9% of adults are in work. It ranks among the more deprived parts of Scotland.

Scores

How EH1 1SU compares

Headline figures for EH1 1SU, set against Scotland as a whole.

AffluenceMore

2.0/ 10

More deprived than most. Scored from 1 (most deprived in Scotland) to 10 (least deprived).

CrimeMore

74per 1,000

Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents in City of Edinburgh a year, against 57 across Scotland.

TransportMore

8.0/ 10

Excellent: 5 stations within a mile, 125 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

8 schools within 1 mile. None has a published inspection grade.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where EH1 1SU differs most from the national average.

01
A big private rental marketPositive
44.8% of households rent privately, against 12.9% across Scotland. Tenant demand is established here.
02
A student area
60.2% of adults are full-time students, against 8.8% across Scotland. Expect HMO demand and term-time turnover.
03
A young populationPositive
52.3% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19% across Scotland.
04
More deprived than mostLook closer
Scores 2.0 out of 10 on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020 (where 1 is most deprived). Yields can be higher, but check tenant demand street by street.
05
A lot of social housingLook closer
39.2% of homes are social housing, against 22.5% across Scotland.

Questions

EH1 1SU FAQs

Is EH1 1SU a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 2.0 out of 10 on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020, where 10 is the least deprived in Scotland. Transport connectivity scores 8.0 out of 10 (excellent).

Is EH1 1SU safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Police Scotland publishes crime by council area only. City of Edinburgh recorded 74 crimes per 1,000 residents in 2025-26, against 57 across Scotland.

Who lives in EH1 1SU?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 20–24, at 37.1% of residents. 14.1% of households own their home. The most common property type is purpose-built flat (93.8%).

Which council covers EH1 1SU?

The local authority for EH1 1SU is City of Edinburgh.

EH1 1SU comes under City of Edinburgh in Scotland. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.

How well connected is EH1 1SU?

Connectivity scores 8.0 out of 10.

There are 125 bus stops within 800m and 5 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 8.0 out of 10 (excellent). The nearest station is Edinburgh Rail Station, 0.2 miles away.

Sources: Scotland's Census 2022 (NRS); 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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