Postcode area · South East London

SE area guide

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

Council: Southwark
Region: London
Population: 1,167,195 (2024)

SEPostcode area · South East London

At a glance

What SE is like

The SE postcode area in London covers 20,921 live postcodes and is home to about 1,167,195 people in 471,778 households. 38.3% of households own their home, 27.1% rent privately and 32.4% are in social housing. The largest age group is 30–34, and 61.9% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for England. Higher-harm crime is above the England and Wales average. Homes in SE sold for a median of £477,250 over the year to August 2026.

Scores

How SE compares

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

AffluenceMore

4.5/ 10

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

CrimeMore

8/ 10

Higher than most: 36.3 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

House pricesMore

£477,250

Median over 8,034 sales in SE, −1.4% on the year before.

TransportMore

10.0/ 10

Excellent: 25 stations within a mile, 43 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

98%

Rated good or better across 343 inspected schools in SE.

Household incomeMore

£73,371

Average annual income before tax, higher than 88% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where SE differs most from the national average.

01
Higher crime than mostLook closer
36.3 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year, against 31.1 across England and Wales.
02
A young populationPositive
27% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19.6% across England.
03
A big private rental marketPositive
27.1% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England. Tenant demand is established here.
04
A lot of social housingLook closer
32.4% of homes are social housing, against 17.1% across England.
05
Well connectedPositive
25 stations within a mile and 43 bus stops within a ten-minute walk.

Questions

SE FAQs

Is SE a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 4.5 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 36.3 per 1,000 people a year, band 8 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 SE?

The median sale price over the last year was £477,250.

Homes in SE sold for a median of £477,250 across 8,034 sales in the year to August 2026, −1.4% on the year before. Prices come from HM Land Registry’s record of every residential sale.

Is SE safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 36.3 offences per 1,000 people a year around SE, above the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 8 of 10.

Who lives in SE?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 30–34, at 10.3% of residents. 38.3% of households own their home. The most common property type is purpose-built flat (47.8%).

Which council covers SE?

The local authority for SE is Southwark.

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

How well connected is SE?

Connectivity scores 10.0 out of 10.

There are 43 bus stops within 800m and 25 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 10.0 out of 10 (excellent). The nearest station is Brockley Rail Station, 0.3 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