Cambridge CB2
Cambridge 014 · 4 sub-areas · 6,299 residents
Cambridge 014 sits within the city of Cambridge, home to around 6,300 people and one of the most education-heavy neighbourhoods in the region. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,600 a month — noticeably above the UK median for a 2-bed, but broadly in line with what Cambridge commands city-wide. Over half of residents work from home, making it unusually self-contained for a city of this size.
Cambridge CB2 is a mid-density neighbourhood of Cambridge in the East of England region. It sits between busier and quieter parts of the local authority and isn't dominated by a single use — there's a mix of workplaces, housing and local services. The rental market is active and turnover is high — people move through rather than stay; a high share of adults are degree-educated, which often shows up in the kind of jobs people commute to.
Overview
What's it like to live in Cambridge CB2?
Day-to-day life sits close to greenery — a park or playing field is within easy walking distance of most addresses; food and drink within walking distance is workable but not dense — around 26 restaurants and 0 pubs in five minutes; 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 sit firmly in the upper bracket nationally, with a typical home letting at around £1,795 a month; 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.
Cambridge CB2 in Cambridge
Living in Cambridge CB2
Cambridge 014 has the feel of a neighbourhood built around knowledge work and academic life. With 61.6% of residents holding a degree, it's one of the most highly qualified corners of the East of England, and that shapes everything — the pace, the demographic, the local economy. This isn't a commuter dormitory. It's a place where a significant share of residents genuinely live and work within walking or cycling distance of their jobs.
Rents sit at around £1,800 a month at the median — well above the national average but consistent with Cambridge's position as one of the pricier university cities outside London. A one-bedroom flat runs about £1,250, while a three-bedroom pushes close to £1,900. Buying is another matter: the median sale price here is just over £600,000, and at current rents and salaries it would take a typical resident nearly eight years to save a deposit. That's a significant hurdle, and it explains why over 42% of households here are privately rented.
The demographic mix is younger than you might expect for somewhere this expensive. Around 40% of residents are aged 18 to 34 — students, postdocs, early-career researchers — alongside a smaller share of established families. Single-person households make up more than two in five homes, reflecting both the student population and the prevalence of professionals living alone. The area also has meaningful social housing, at just under a quarter of tenures — an unusual combination alongside the high private-rent and high-qualification figures.
Practically speaking, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 870 metres away — about an 11-minute walk — giving direct access to London in just over an hour. Cycling is the dominant mode here, consistent with Cambridge broadly. Broadband is essentially universal, with 97.5% gigabit coverage. See the streets and sub-areas below for more on how the neighbourhood breaks down locally.
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Frequently asked
- Is Cambridge 014 a nice place to live?
- It depends what you're after. It's highly educated, walkable, well-connected to the rail network, and has excellent broadband. The trade-off is cost — rents consume around 71% of typical take-home pay, which is very high. It suits people whose income is above the local median or who have academic or institutional employment in Cambridge.
- What is the rent in Cambridge 014?
- A one-bedroom flat runs about £1,250 a month, a two-bedroom around £1,600, and a three-bedroom close to £1,900. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose around 1.8% year-on-year, which is relatively modest by recent UK standards.
- Is Cambridge 014 safe?
- The recorded crime rate is around 98 per 1,000 residents annually — above the UK average of roughly 80. University neighbourhoods often show elevated figures due to higher population density and visitor numbers. It's not an area with particularly serious crime concerns, but it does sit above the national benchmark.
- What's the commute from Cambridge 014 to the city centre?
- The nearest mainline rail station is roughly an 11-minute walk away. Most residents don't commute by conventional public transport at all — over half work from home, which is unusually high even by post-pandemic standards. Cycling is the dominant mode for those who do travel to work.
- Who lives in Cambridge 014?
- Mostly younger adults — around 40% are aged 18 to 34 — with a strong academic and research flavour. Over 61% hold a degree, and around 40% were born outside the UK, reflecting Cambridge's international draw. Single-person households make up over two in five homes. It's a genuinely mixed area, with social housing alongside private renting.
- What schools are near Cambridge 014?
- There are 45 schools within 2 km, but only around 36% of those within typical catchment distance are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national share. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 2.5 km away. Families should check individual Ofsted reports rather than relying on area averages.
- Is Cambridge 014 affordable for renters?
- Not by most measures. Rent consumes around 71% of typical local take-home pay, which is very high. Buying is harder still — the median sale price is over £600,000, and saving a deposit takes close to eight years on a typical local salary. It's most viable for dual-income households or those with above-median earnings.