Saffron Lane
Leicester 035 · 5 sub-areas · 8,411 residents
Leicester 035 is a predominantly residential neighbourhood within Leicester, home to around 8,400 people. A typical two-bedroom flat runs about £895 a month — noticeably below the UK national average for a 2-bed — though affordability is squeezed by lower local earnings, with rent taking over half of typical take-home pay. Social housing makes up the majority of tenures here, which sets it apart from much of the city.
Saffron Lane 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 demographic profile leans family-aged, with a clear share of households with school-age children.
Overview
What's it like to live in Saffron Lane?
Day-to-day life sits close to greenery — a park or playing field is within easy walking distance of most addresses; there's effectively nothing within walking distance — eating out, drinking and shopping mean a drive; Crime sits around the national average — neither a notable concern nor a notable selling point; 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 5 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Saffron Lane in Leicester
Living in Saffron Lane
Leicester 035 is one of the most distinctly social-housing-dominated parts of the city, with over half of all households renting from a social landlord. That shapes the neighbourhood's character considerably — it's an area where long-term, settled residents are more the norm than transient renters, and where community ties tend to run deeper than in more privately rented postcodes nearby.
The cost picture is genuinely affordable on paper: a two-bedroom home lets for around £895 a month, well under the UK median of roughly £1,200 for the same size. The trade-off is that local wages are modest — the median resident earns just under £28,000 a year — which means rent still eats up over half of typical take-home pay. Saving for a deposit is achievable but slow, at around four years on current trajectories.
The neighbourhood skews young, with nearly a third of residents under 18 — one of the higher under-18 shares you'll find across Leicester. Couples with children make up around a fifth of households, and single-person households account for roughly another quarter. Ethnic diversity is meaningful, with a diversity index of around 50 and just over three in five residents born in the UK.
Practically, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1.75 km away — about a 22-minute walk. Most residents drive: nearly six in ten travel to work by car, and only one in ten use public transport. Greenspace is more accessible than in many urban areas, with around 68% of residents within a short walk of green space. Council tax (Band D) comes to about £2,529 a year. See the streets and sub-areas below for more detail on specific parts of the neighbourhood.
What you'll need on day one
Compare Saffron Lane with
Frequently asked
- Is Leicester 035 a nice place to live?
- It depends on what you're looking for. It's affordable, with a strong sense of settled community driven by its high share of social housing. Greenspace is nearby and accessible. The trade-off is that local deprivation levels are high, crime runs above the national average, and school quality in the immediate area is mixed. It suits people who prioritise low rents and community stability over amenities or school choice.
- What is the rent in Leicester 035?
- A one-bedroom flat runs around £718 a month, a two-bed about £895, and a three-bed roughly £1,046. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices. They're genuinely affordable compared to the UK average, though low local wages mean rent still accounts for over half of typical take-home pay.
- Is Leicester 035 safe?
- Crime here runs at around 101 incidents per 1,000 residents a year — noticeably above the UK national rate of roughly 80. The area sits in the bottom national decile for deprivation, which tends to correlate with higher crime. Most residents live here without serious incident, but it's worth being aware of the elevated rate relative to the city and national average.
- What's the commute from Leicester 035 to Leicester city centre?
- The nearest mainline rail station is about 1.75 km away — roughly a 22-minute walk. Most residents drive rather than use public transport; only around 10% commute by public transport. Birmingham is accessible in about 71 minutes by rail or bus, and London in roughly 93 minutes.
- Who lives in Leicester 035?
- It's a young, family-oriented neighbourhood with over 30% of residents under 18 and a significant share of couple-with-children households. Most people here are long-term social tenants — over half of households rent from a social landlord. The area is ethnically diverse, with just over three in five residents born in the UK.
- What schools are near Leicester 035?
- There are 88 schools within typical catchment distance, so you won't struggle for choice. Around 43% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding school is about 1.5 km away. Check specific catchment boundaries carefully before committing to an address.
- How affordable is Leicester 035 compared to the rest of Leicester?
- It's among the more affordable parts of the city on headline rent. A two-bed at around £895 a month is below the UK median for that size. The real affordability pressure comes from low local wages — the median resident earns around £28,000 a year — which means rent takes up over half of typical monthly take-home pay despite the modest headline figures.