Living in Birmingham, West Midlands
What this article covers
- What makes Birmingham a good or bad place to live in relation to other cities and towns in the UK
- Pros and cons of living in Birmingham for working professionals, students, and families
- Best and worst areas to live in Birmingham
Best places to live in Birmingham
The following areas are considered a few of the better places to live in Birmingham.
Harborne (postcode district: B17)
Moseley (postcode district: B13)
Cotteridge (postcode district: B30)
Worst places to live in Birmingham
The following are some of the places in Birmingham you may want to consider avoiding.
Kingstanding (postcode district: B44)
Handsworth (postcode district: B19)
Sparkhill (postcode district: B11)
Housing prices in Birmingham
The following is based on data from the UK House Price Index (September 2023).
Detached properties
The average price of a detached property was £456K (+30% vs. 5 years ago).
Semi-detached properties
The average price of a semi-detached property was £269K (+20% vs. 5 years ago).
Terraced properties
The average price of a terraced property was £214K (+28% vs. 5 years ago).
Flats and apartments
The average price of a flat was £158K (16% vs. 5 years ago).
Public Transportation & Commuting
Bus access
Public bus routes within Birmingham are served by a number of different operators including Arriva Midlands, Stagecoach Midlands, and Banga Buses. There are over 50 routes taking you in between the city centre and outskirts of Birmingham.
Train access
Birmingham International is the main railway station that serves routes to countrywide destinations. Train services that stop at this station include Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, West Midlands Railway, and Transport for Wales.
Birmingham also has the West Midlands Metro, a tram service that will take you to various stops in-between Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
Closest airports to Birmingham
Birmingham Airport is the main airport in the West Midlands. It’s conveniently located right next to Birmingham international railway station. It only takes 30 minutes to get to the airport from the city centre or up to 45 minutes if you prefer to drive by car.
Schools
Primary schools
Families will find access to plenty of decent schools in the area including St Matthew’s CofE Primary School, Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery, and Parkfield Community School.
Secondary schools
There are also plenty of options at the secondary school level, including Swanshurst School, Heartlands Academy, St Paul’s School for Girls, and Aston Manor Academy. All of these schools have an Ofsted inspection rating of ‘outstanding.’
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