City

Southampton area guide

Who lives in Southampton, how they live, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Council: Southampton
Region: South East
Population: 259,424 (2024)

SouthamptonCity

At a glance

What Southampton is like

Southampton is a city in the South East. It is home to about 259,424 people across 102,318 households. 47.7% of households own their home, 29.2% rent privately and 21.9% are in social housing. The largest age group is 20–24, and 54.9% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for England. Higher-harm crime is well above the England and Wales average.

Scores

How Southampton compares

Headline figures for Southampton, 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

9/ 10

Higher than most: 45.1 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

TransportMore

7.0/ 10

Very good: 2 stations within a mile, 33 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

92%

Rated good or better across 73 inspected schools in Southampton.

Household incomeMore

£52,464

Average annual income before tax, higher than 49% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where Southampton differs most from the national average.

01
A big private rental marketPositive
29.2% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England. Tenant demand is established here.
02
A student area
14.7% of adults are full-time students, against 7.9% across England. Expect HMO demand and term-time turnover.
03
Higher crime than mostLook closer
45.1 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year, against 31.1 across England and Wales.
04
A young populationPositive
26.9% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19.6% across England.
05
Well connectedPositive
2 stations within a mile and 33 bus stops within a ten-minute walk.

Questions

Southampton FAQs

Is Southampton 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 45.1 per 1,000 people a year, band 9 of 10 nationally. 92% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 7.0 out of 10 (very good).

Is Southampton safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 45.1 offences per 1,000 people a year around Southampton, well above the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 9 of 10.

Who lives in Southampton?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 20–24, at 10.5% of residents. 47.7% of households own their home. The most common property type is purpose-built flat (34.7%).

How well connected is Southampton?

Connectivity scores 7.0 out of 10.

There are 33 bus stops within 800m and 2 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 7.0 out of 10 (very good). The nearest station is St Denys Rail Station, 0.5 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. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.

Explore