Living in Birmingham
Police recorded 120 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham in the year to April 2026, well above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Homes sell for a median of about £2,706 per m², below the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 23.5% of households rent from the council or a housing association, above the UK average of 17.5%. About 7.7% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 65% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
Birmingham at a glance
| Measure | Birmingham | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 23.5% | UK 17.5% | 46th highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 120 | E, W & NI 82 | 20th highest of 327 |
| Anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents | 7 | E, W & NI 16 | |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 7.7% | GB 6.9% | 293rd quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 65% | GB 56% | 81st of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 49% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £2,706 | E&W council median £3,342 | 217th highest of 314 |
| Schools rated Good or Outstanding | 88% | E&W 87% | |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in Birmingham?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 137,587 crimes in Birmingham — 120 per 1,000 residents, well above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 20th highest of 327 councils. That is about the same as the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (45%), shoplifting (9%) and vehicle crime (9%). Police also logged 7,769 incidents of anti-social behaviour (7 per 1,000 residents).
Rates are per resident, so council areas with busy city centres, shopping or nightlife districts show higher rates than residents alone would suggest. See where crime is recorded on the map →
How much social housing is there in Birmingham?
Birmingham ranks 46th of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 423,529 households, 99,551 are social homes (23.5%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does Birmingham compare with the UK average?
At +6.0 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Birmingham sits above the national level.
How noisy is Birmingham?
In Birmingham, about 7.7% of homes are in areas where modelled road or rail noise reaches 65 dB Lden or more — the level Defra and the WHO treat as high. The Great Britain average is 6.9%, and Birmingham is the 293rd quietest of 363 councils mapped.
Estimated from the official strategic noise maps: the share of each census area at 65 dB or more, weighted by its households. See noisy roads and railways on the map →
How close are parks in Birmingham?
65% of homes in Birmingham are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 49% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Birmingham 81st of 363 councils for access to a park.
Straight-line distance from the centre of each census area to the edge of the nearest site in OS Open Greenspace, weighted by households. See parks and play spaces on the map →
Schools, prices and more in Birmingham
What the map's other datasets say about Birmingham.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, Birmingham has 511 schools — 455 state-funded and 56 independent. That includes 289 primary and 83 secondary schools. Of the 203 with a published Ofsted grade, 88% are Good or Outstanding.
Nurseries
There are 529 nurseries and pre-schools on Ofsted's childcare register in Birmingham, offering about 22,309 registered childcare places. Childminders are not counted — Ofsted withholds their addresses.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in Birmingham sits in decile 2 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 55% of its 659 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £2,706 per m², from Land Registry sold prices matched to EPC floor areas.
Broadband
Median available download speed is about 1,000 Mbit/s — what can be ordered, not what residents have bought (Ofcom Connected Nations).
Explore Birmingham on the map
Areas with a similar share of social housing
Sources: 2021–22 Census (social housing); data.police.uk, May 2025 to April 2026 (crime); strategic noise maps, Round 4 (noise); OS Open Greenspace (parks) · Page updated 27 September 2026 · Download the data (CSV, all 374 councils).