Great Baddow South & West
Chelmsford 014 · 6 sub-areas · 10,182 residents
Chelmsford 014 is a residential area within Chelmsford, home to around 10,200 people and skewed noticeably toward families and older owner-occupiers. A typical two-bedroom home lets for about £1,294 a month — slightly above the UK national median but modest by Essex commuter-belt standards. With 100% gigabit broadband coverage and over a third of residents working from home, it suits those who want connectivity without the city price tag.
Great Baddow South & West is a mid-density neighbourhood of Chelmsford 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.
Overview
What's it like to live in Great Baddow South & West?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; 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; rents are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £1,442 a month for a typical home; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 6 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Great Baddow South & West in Chelmsford
Living in Great Baddow South & West
This part of Chelmsford has a settled, residential feel that sets it apart from the busier city-centre neighbourhoods closer to the high street. Owner-occupation sits at nearly 60%, which is well above average for a rental-heavy commuter city, and that ownership bias shapes the character: quieter streets, less churn, longer-term residents. Around one in four households are in social housing — a notably higher share than many comparable Essex suburbs — which gives the area a broader demographic mix than its modest crime rate and greenspace access might first suggest.
On cost, you're looking at roughly £1,061 a month for a one-bedroom and £1,544 for a three-bedroom — the upper end of the Essex range, though still considerably cheaper than equivalent commuter zones in outer London. The affordability picture is tighter than the headline rents imply: rent-to-take-home sits at around 62%, which is stretched by most standards, and the median house price of just under £388,000 means a deposit takes around five and a half years to save. Renters here are paying a premium for connectivity and relative calm.
The age spread is unusually even. Around 21% of residents are under 18 — a sign there are plenty of families — but the 50-to-64 and 65-plus cohorts together account for nearly 38% of the population. This isn't a young-professional enclave; it's a place where people tend to stay once they've arrived. Single-person households make up just over 31% of the total, roughly in line with national norms.
Practically, the nearest mainline rail station is about 2.7 km away — roughly a 34-minute walk, or a short drive. Rents vary within the area, with streets closer to greenspace or the station corridor tending to command a slight premium. For more on the streets and sub-areas, see the breakdown below.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Chelmsford 014 a nice place to live?
- It's a settled, residential area with low crime relative to the national average, strong broadband, and decent greenspace within walking distance. The trade-off is stretched affordability — rent takes up around 62% of typical take-home pay — and schools within catchment distance rate below the national Ofsted average. It suits people who value quiet and connectivity over urban buzz.
- What is the rent in Chelmsford 014?
- Estimated rents run around £1,061 a month for a one-bedroom, £1,294 for a two-bedroom, and £1,544 for a three-bedroom. These are estimates scaled from council-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose about 7.7% over the past year, reflecting broader Essex demand.
- Is Chelmsford 014 safe?
- Yes, relatively. The area records around 64 crimes per 1,000 residents annually, which is noticeably below the UK national average of roughly 80. It's a settled, predominantly owner-occupied area, which tends to correlate with lower crime rates. Anti-social behaviour rather than serious crime drives most of the local figures.
- What's the commute from Chelmsford 014 to London?
- By public transport, the journey to London takes around 62 minutes. The nearest mainline rail station is about 2.7 km away — a short drive or longer walk. Around half of residents commute by car, and a third work from home, so many don't use the rail link daily.
- Who lives in Chelmsford 014?
- A broad mix — families make up a significant share (around 21% of residents are under 18), alongside a large older population with nearly 38% aged 50 or over. About 60% of households own their home, but there's also a notable social housing presence at around 27% of tenures. It's not a young-professional area; it skews toward longer-term, settled residents.
- What schools are near Chelmsford 014?
- There are 80 schools within 2 km of typical residents, but only around 26% are rated Good or Outstanding — well below the national average. The nearest Outstanding school is just under 2.9 km away. If schools are a priority, checking individual Ofsted ratings and catchment boundaries by postcode is strongly advised before choosing a street.
- How good is broadband in Chelmsford 014?
- Excellent. Every premise in the area has access to gigabit-speed broadband, and none fall below the universal service obligation minimum. For remote workers — around 35% of residents work from home — that's a genuine selling point.