Postcode area · South West London

SW area guide

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

Council: Wandsworth
Region: London
Population: 983,233 (2024)

SWPostcode area · South West London

At a glance

What SW is like

The SW postcode area in London covers 20,070 live postcodes and is home to about 983,233 people in 411,524 households. 40.8% of households own their home, 35.3% rent privately and 22.4% are in social housing. The largest age group is 25–29, and 65% 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 SW sold for a median of £645,000 over the year to August 2026.

Scores

How SW compares

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

AffluenceMore

6.1/ 10

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

CrimeMore

6/ 10

Around the middle: 30.7 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

House pricesMore

£645,000

Median over 8,681 sales in SW, −4.1% on the year before.

TransportMore

7.0/ 10

Very good: 4 stations within a mile, 53 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

98%

Rated good or better across 231 inspected schools in SW.

Household incomeMore

£82,834

Average annual income before tax, higher than 95% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where SW differs most from the national average.

01
A big private rental marketPositive
35.3% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England. Tenant demand is established here.
02
A young populationPositive
31% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19.6% across England.
03
Well connectedPositive
4 stations within a mile and 53 bus stops within a ten-minute walk.
04
Well-rated schoolsPositive
98% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better.

Questions

SW FAQs

Is SW a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 6.1 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 30.7 per 1,000 people a year, band 6 of 10 nationally. 98% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 7.0 out of 10 (very good).

How much does a house cost in SW?

The median sale price over the last year was £645,000.

Homes in SW sold for a median of £645,000 across 8,681 sales in the year to August 2026, −4.1% on the year before. Prices come from HM Land Registry’s record of every residential sale.

Is SW safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 30.7 offences per 1,000 people a year around SW, broadly in line with the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 6 of 10.

Who lives in SW?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 25–29, at 12.7% of residents. 40.8% of households own their home. The most common property type is purpose-built flat (47.3%).

Which council covers SW?

The local authority for SW is Wandsworth.

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

How well connected is SW?

Connectivity scores 7.0 out of 10.

There are 53 bus stops within 800m and 4 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 7.0 out of 10 (very good). The nearest station is Clapham Junction Station, 0.2 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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