Postcode district · London

SW8 area guide

Who lives in SW8, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Council: Lambeth
Region: London
Population: 65,923 (2024)

SW8Postcode district · London

At a glance

What SW8 is like

The SW8 postcode district in Lambeth covers 855 live postcodes and is home to about 65,923 people in 27,410 households. 25.1% of households own their home, 38.8% rent privately and 33.4% are in social housing. The largest age group is 25–29, and 66.3% 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 SW8 sold for a median of £540,000 over the year to August 2026.

Scores

How SW8 compares

Headline figures for SW8, set against England as a whole.

AffluenceMore

5.1/ 10

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

CrimeMore

6/ 10

Around the middle: 31.3 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

House pricesMore

£540,000

Median over 290 sales in SW8, −12.9% on the year before.

TransportMore

10.0/ 10

Excellent: 21 stations within a mile, 39 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

94%

Rated good or better across 16 inspected schools in SW8.

Household incomeMore

£74,242

Average annual income before tax, higher than 89% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where SW8 differs most from the national average.

01
A big private rental marketPositive
38.8% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England. Tenant demand is established here.
02
A young populationPositive
39% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19.6% across England.
03
A lot of social housingLook closer
33.4% of homes are social housing, against 17.1% across England.
04
Prices fallingLook closer
The median sale price in SW8 is down 12.9% on the year before.
05
Well connectedPositive
21 stations within a mile and 39 bus stops within a ten-minute walk.

Questions

SW8 FAQs

Is SW8 a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 5.1 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 31.3 per 1,000 people a year, band 6 of 10 nationally. 94% 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 SW8?

The median sale price over the last year was £540,000.

Homes in SW8 sold for a median of £540,000 across 290 sales in the year to August 2026, −12.9% on the year before. Prices come from HM Land Registry’s record of every residential sale.

Is SW8 safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 31.3 offences per 1,000 people a year around SW8, broadly in line with the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 6 of 10.

Who lives in SW8?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 25–29, at 17% of residents. 25.1% of households own their home. The most common property type is purpose-built flat (71.3%).

Which council covers SW8?

The local authority for SW8 is Lambeth.

SW8 comes under Lambeth in London. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.

How well connected is SW8?

Connectivity scores 10.0 out of 10.

There are 39 bus stops within 800m and 21 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 10.0 out of 10 (excellent). The nearest station is Nine Elms Underground 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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