Postcode · Southampton

SO18 9SH area guide

Who lives in SO18 9SH, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Neighbourhood: City Centre & The Polygon
Council: Southampton
Region: South East
Neighbourhood population: 2,468 (2024)

SO18 9SHSouthampton

At a glance

What SO18 9SH is like

SO18 9SH is a postcode in the City Centre & The Polygon area of Southampton. Because census and crime data isn’t published for single postcodes, the figures here cover the surrounding neighbourhood of about 2,468 people. 23.2% of households own their home, 41.7% rent privately and 33.1% are in social housing. The largest age group is 20–24, and 38.4% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for England. Higher-harm crime is more than double the England and Wales average.

Scores

How SO18 9SH compares

Headline figures for SO18 9SH, set against England as a whole.

AffluenceMore

4.0/ 10

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

CrimeMore

10/ 10

Higher than most: 139.5 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

TransportMore

5.0/ 10

Good: 1 station within a mile, 94 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

100%

Rated good or better across 12 inspected schools within 1 mile.

Household incomeMore

£46,660

Average annual income before tax, higher than 32% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where SO18 9SH differs most from the national average.

01
A big private rental marketPositive
41.7% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England. Tenant demand is established here.
02
A student area
39.5% of adults are full-time students, against 7.9% across England. Expect HMO demand and term-time turnover.
03
Higher crime than mostLook closer
139.5 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year, against 31.1 across England and Wales.
04
A young populationPositive
54.3% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19.6% across England.
05
A lot of social housingLook closer
33.1% of homes are social housing, against 17.1% across England.

Questions

SO18 9SH FAQs

Is SO18 9SH a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 4.0 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 139.5 per 1,000 people a year, band 10 of 10 nationally. 100% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 5.0 out of 10 (good).

Is SO18 9SH safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 139.5 offences per 1,000 people a year around SO18 9SH, more than double the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 10 of 10.

Who lives in SO18 9SH?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 20–24, at 29.3% of residents. 23.2% of households own their home. The most common property type is purpose-built flat (79.4%).

Which council covers SO18 9SH?

The local authority for SO18 9SH is Southampton.

SO18 9SH comes under Southampton in the South East. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.

How well connected is SO18 9SH?

Connectivity scores 5.0 out of 10.

There are 94 bus stops within 800m and 1 station or tram stop within a mile, scoring 5.0 out of 10 (good). The nearest station is Southampton Central 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.

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