Blackthorn & Lings
West Northamptonshire 014 · 4 sub-areas · 6,796 residents
West Northamptonshire 014 is a residential area within West Northamptonshire, home to around 6,800 people. A typical two-bedroom home lets for about £942 a month — noticeably below the UK median for a 2-bed — though rents rose around 4% last year. Social housing is more prevalent here than in most comparable areas, and over a quarter of residents are under 18.
Blackthorn & Lings is a green, lower-density part of West Northamptonshire — 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 Blackthorn & Lings?
2 parks and 8 playgrounds are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; there's effectively nothing within walking distance — eating out, drinking and shopping mean a drive; 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; Transport links are limited — a car or e-bike is a practical assumption for most regular trips; rents are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £1,070 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.
Blackthorn & Lings in West Northamptonshire
Living in Blackthorn & Lings
This part of West Northamptonshire has a distinctly family-oriented character. With more than one in four residents under 18 and households with couples and children making up a significant share of the neighbourhood, it skews younger than many parts of the region. The ethnic diversity index sits at 48, reflecting a genuinely mixed community, and just under two-thirds of residents were born in the UK.
On cost, this area sits at the more affordable end of the West Northamptonshire market. A two-bedroom home runs around £942 a month — well below the UK national median of roughly £1,200 — and even a three-bedroom comes in at about £1,150. That affordability comes with a meaningful trade-off: the area scores in the bottom quarter on the Index of Multiple Deprivation, with an IMD decile of around 2.5, signalling real pockets of disadvantage.
Tenure tells part of the story. Around 43% of homes are owner-occupied, but social rented housing accounts for nearly 34% of the stock — a significantly higher share than the national average. Private renters make up around 21%. That mix shapes the feel of the neighbourhood: it's more settled and community-rooted than areas dominated by young transient renters, but it also means less of the private-market churn that drives amenity investment.
Practically speaking, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 6.2 km away — about a 77-minute walk, so most people drive. Around 63% of residents travel by car for work, and only about 11% use public transport. Broadband is a genuine bright spot: gigabit-capable coverage reaches 100% of premises. See the streets and sub-areas below for more on how the neighbourhood breaks down.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is West Northamptonshire 014 a nice place to live?
- It depends on what you're after. It's affordable — two-beds run around £942 a month — and family-friendly, with lots of young households and good greenspace access. The trade-off is a crime rate above the national average and a deprivation score in the bottom quarter nationally. For families prioritising space and value over city proximity, it can work well.
- What is the rent in West Northamptonshire 014?
- A one-bedroom typically costs around £742 a month, a two-bedroom about £942, and a three-bedroom roughly £1,150. These are estimates scaled from council-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose about 4% over the past year.
- Is West Northamptonshire 014 safe?
- Crime runs above the national average here — around 134 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, compared to roughly 80 nationally. The area's deprivation score is in the bottom quarter nationally, which tends to correlate with higher crime. It's worth researching specific streets before committing.
- What's the commute from West Northamptonshire 014 to the nearest major city?
- The nearest mainline rail station is about 6.2 km away — you'll need a car or bus to reach it. By public transport, London is around 128 minutes, Birmingham around 138 minutes. Most residents drive to work; only about 11% use public transport.
- Who lives in West Northamptonshire 014?
- Predominantly families — over a quarter of residents are under 18, and couples with children are the most common household type. About 34% of homes are social rented, which is well above average. It's a diverse area with an ethnic diversity index of 48, and around 65% of residents were born in the UK.
- What schools are near West Northamptonshire 014?
- There are 61 schools within typical catchment distance. Around 71% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — below the national share of roughly 89%, so quality varies. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is under 750 metres away, making it walkable for most households.
- How affordable is buying a home in West Northamptonshire 014?
- The median property price is around £208,000, and it takes roughly 3.1 years of savings to reach a deposit — relatively achievable by southern England standards. The area is more accessible for first-time buyers than most of the South East, though the rent-to-income ratio of nearly 49% makes saving while renting a challenge.