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Postcode area · Southampton

SO area guide

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

Council
Southampton
Region
South East
Population
752,550 (2024)
At a glance

What SO is like

The SO postcode area in South East covers 18,596 live postcodes and is home to about 752,550 people in 302,794 households. 63.7% of households own their home, 19.6% rent privately and 15.5% are in social housing. The largest age group is 55–59, and 56.2% 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 SO sold for a median of £340,000 over the year to August 2026.

Scores

How SO compares

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

AffluenceMore
6.7/ 10

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

CrimeMore
6/ 10

Around the middle: 28.5 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

House pricesMore
£340,000

Median over 7,883 sales in SO, −2.9% on the year before.

TransportMore
5.0/ 10

Good: 1 station within a mile, 42 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore
96%

Rated good or better across 250 inspected schools in SO.

Household incomeMore
£60,760

Average annual income before tax, higher than 69% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where SO differs most from the national average.

  1. 01
    Well-rated schoolsPositive

    96% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better.

Questions

SO FAQs

01
Is SO a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 6.7 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 28.5 per 1,000 people a year, band 6 of 10 nationally. 96% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 5.0 out of 10 (good).
02
How much does a house cost in SO?

The median sale price over the last year was £340,000.

Homes in SO sold for a median of £340,000 across 7,883 sales in the year to August 2026, −2.9% on the year before. Prices come from HM Land Registry’s record of every residential sale.
03
Is SO safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 28.5 offences per 1,000 people a year around SO, broadly in line with the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 6 of 10.
04
Who lives in SO?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 55–59, at 6.8% of residents. 63.7% of households own their home. The most common property type is detached (31.1%).
05
Which council covers SO?

The local authority for SO is Southampton.

SO comes under Southampton in the South East. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.
06
How well connected is SO?

Connectivity scores 5.0 out of 10.

There are 42 bus stops within 800m and 1 station or tram stop within a mile, scoring 5.0 out of 10 (good). The nearest station is Swaythling Rail Station, 0.4 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.

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