Aylestone North & Saffron Fields
Leicester 031 · 4 sub-areas · 8,009 residents
Leicester 031 is a densely populated inner neighbourhood of Leicester, home to around 8,000 people. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £895 a month — noticeably below the UK average for a 2-bed — though rents rose roughly 4% last year. Nearly half of residents rent privately, and deprivation levels are among the higher end nationally.
Aylestone North & Saffron Fields is a green, lower-density part of Leicester — parks within walking distance of most addresses, a slower weekday rhythm, and a population skewed toward longer-tenure households rather than transient renters. The rental market is active and turnover is high — people move through rather than stay.
Overview
What's it like to live in Aylestone North & Saffron Fields?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; Recorded crime is higher than the national norm — common for built-up urban areas, but worth weighing if you're looking for a quieter base; Public transport is genuinely strong; most errands and a fair share of social life don't need a car; rents are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £1,026 a month for a typical home; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 4 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Aylestone North & Saffron Fields in Leicester
Living in Aylestone North & Saffron Fields
This part of Leicester has a distinctly urban, mixed character — high residential density, a young-skewing population, and a tenure split that tilts heavily towards private renting. Around 46% of households rent privately, which is well above the national norm and gives the area a transient, changeable feel that suits people who want flexibility more than roots.
The cost picture is one of the neighbourhood's clearest selling points. A 2-bed here averages around £895 a month — roughly a quarter less than the UK national median for the same property type. Even a 3-bed comes in at just over £1,000 a month, which is unusually affordable for an urban area this close to a regional city centre. The trade-off is a high rent-to-income ratio: at around 55% of take-home pay going on rent, residents are stretching their budgets. Median resident salaries sit at roughly £27,900 a year, which makes affordability tight despite the low headline rents.
The neighbourhood skews young — nearly a third of residents are aged 18 to 34, and children under 18 make up around 22% of the population. One-person households account for about a third of all homes, suggesting a mix of young singles and students alongside families. Ethnic diversity is significant, with around 25% of residents born outside the UK, reflecting Leicester's broader reputation as one of the UK's most ethnically mixed cities.
Practically, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 2.3 km away — about a 29-minute walk, though most residents drive or cycle. There's no metro or tram service. Greenspace is accessible: nearly half of residents are within easy walking distance of a park or green area, and the nearest is under 300 metres away on average. For sub-areas and street-level detail, see the streets and sub-areas below.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Leicester 031 a nice place to live?
- It depends on your priorities. Rents are low — a 2-bed averages around £895 a month — and greenspace is close by. But crime runs at roughly three times the national average, and only around 44% of nearby schools are rated Good or Outstanding. It suits renters who value affordability and a young, mixed urban feel over quiet, polished surroundings.
- What is the rent in Leicester 031?
- A one-bedroom flat averages around £718 a month, a two-bedroom around £895, and a three-bedroom just over £1,000. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose roughly 4% last year. Even so, this is noticeably cheaper than the UK median for equivalent property sizes.
- Is Leicester 031 safe?
- Crime here is high by national standards — around 233 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, roughly three times the UK average. The area sits in the bottom 20% nationally for deprivation, which correlates with elevated crime. It's an urban area with the risks that come with that, and worth researching street-level data before committing.
- What's the commute from Leicester 031 to Leicester city centre?
- The nearest mainline rail station is about 2.3 km away — roughly a 29-minute walk. Around half of residents drive for their commute, with only about 9% using public transport. From Leicester station, Birmingham takes around 77 minutes by rail, London around 94 minutes.
- Who lives in Leicester 031?
- Mostly younger renters — nearly a third of residents are aged 18 to 34 — alongside families with children, who make up around 22% of the population. About 46% of households rent privately. It's an ethnically diverse area, and around 30% of residents hold degree-level qualifications.
- What schools are near Leicester 031?
- There are 69 schools within typical catchment distance, but only around 44% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national average of around 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is just over 1 km away. Check the Ofsted website for the specific schools serving your street.
- How affordable is buying a home in Leicester 031?
- The median sale price is around £192,000, and on a typical local salary it takes roughly 3.4 years to save a deposit — competitive compared to larger UK cities. However, median resident earnings are around £27,900 a year, and rent takes up about 55% of take-home pay, leaving limited room to save.