Postcode area · North West London

NW area guide

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

Council: Camden
Region: London
Population: 679,803 (2024)

NWPostcode area · North West London

At a glance

What NW is like

The NW postcode area in London covers 14,123 live postcodes and is home to about 679,803 people in 263,463 households. 36.1% of households own their home, 36.7% rent privately and 25.7% are in social housing. The largest age group is 25–29, and 56.6% 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 NW sold for a median of £635,000 over the year to August 2026.

Scores

How NW compares

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

AffluenceMore

4.3/ 10

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

CrimeMore

7/ 10

Around the middle: 34.7 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

House pricesMore

£635,000

Median over 3,080 sales in NW, −0.8% on the year before.

TransportMore

10.0/ 10

Excellent: 15 stations within a mile, 41 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

98%

Rated good or better across 189 inspected schools in NW.

Household incomeMore

£72,010

Average annual income before tax, higher than 87% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where NW differs most from the national average.

01
A big private rental marketPositive
36.7% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England. Tenant demand is established here.
02
A student area
12% of adults are full-time students, against 7.9% across England. Expect HMO demand and term-time turnover.
03
A young populationPositive
25.9% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19.6% across England.
04
A lot of social housingLook closer
25.7% of homes are social housing, against 17.1% across England.
05
Well connectedPositive
15 stations within a mile and 41 bus stops within a ten-minute walk.

Questions

NW FAQs

Is NW a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 4.3 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 34.7 per 1,000 people a year, band 7 of 10 nationally. 98% 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 NW?

The median sale price over the last year was £635,000.

Homes in NW sold for a median of £635,000 across 3,080 sales in the year to August 2026, −0.8% on the year before. Prices come from HM Land Registry’s record of every residential sale.

Is NW safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 34.7 offences per 1,000 people a year around NW, broadly in line with the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 7 of 10.

Who lives in NW?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 25–29, at 9.2% of residents. 36.1% of households own their home. The most common property type is purpose-built flat (47.8%).

Which council covers NW?

The local authority for NW is Camden.

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

How well connected is NW?

Connectivity scores 10.0 out of 10.

There are 41 bus stops within 800m and 15 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 10.0 out of 10 (excellent). The nearest station is West Hampstead Thameslink Rail Station, 0.6 miles 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.

Explore