Hardwick & Highfields
South Cambridgeshire 010 · 5 sub-areas · 9,846 residents
South Cambridgeshire 010 is a rural pocket of South Cambridgeshire, home to around 9,800 people and sitting at the more settled, owner-occupied end of the district's housing market. A typical two-bedroom home lets for around £1,270 a month — slightly above the national average but considerably cheaper than Cambridge city itself. Nearly three in four households own their home outright or with a mortgage.
Hardwick & Highfields is a mid-density neighbourhood of South Cambridgeshire 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. Most homes are owner-occupied, so turnover is low and many residents have been here a long time; 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 Hardwick & Highfields?
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; The streets feel safe by national standards — police-recorded crime is well below the country-wide median; 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 £1,399 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.
Hardwick & Highfields in South Cambridgeshire
Living in Hardwick & Highfields
This part of South Cambridgeshire feels firmly like the countryside rather than a suburb. Detached and semi-detached homes dominate, green space is within reach for most residents, and the pace is noticeably quieter than the city fringes closer to Cambridge. Around 39% of residents can walk to green space easily, and the nearest patch is typically under 600 metres away.
Rents here sit in the middle of the South Cambridgeshire range. A two-bedroom property runs about £1,270 a month — close to the national median of around £1,200 for that size, and well below what you'd pay in Cambridge proper. Rents rose around 4% year-on-year, so the market is tightening, though it remains more accessible than most of the wider commuter belt. For buyers, the median sale price is around £491,000, which puts the deposit hurdle at roughly 5.7 years of savings on a typical local salary.
The population skews older and well-established. Around 21% of residents are over 65, and the 50–64 bracket — at nearly a quarter of residents — is notably large. Families with children make up about a quarter of households. Almost half of working-age residents hold a degree, well above the national norm, and median earnings are around £42,700 a year. Owner-occupation runs at 76%, which is unusually high even by South Cambridgeshire standards.
Practically, you'll need a car. Almost half of residents drive to work and only around 2% use public transport for their commute. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 8.5 km away — about a 106-minute walk in straight-line terms, so realistically a short drive. There's no metro or tram service within reach. Working from home is genuinely common here: 43% of residents do so, one of the higher rates you'll find anywhere in England. See the streets and sub-areas below for more.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is South Cambridgeshire 010 a nice place to live?
- For the right person, yes. It's quiet, green, low-crime, and home to a highly educated, settled community. The trade-off is limited public transport, a long drive to the nearest rail station, and school provision that falls short of the national average. It works best for remote workers or those who don't need to commute daily.
- What is the rent in South Cambridgeshire 010?
- A one-bedroom property runs around £1,000 a month, a two-bedroom around £1,270, and a three-bedroom around £1,520. These are estimates scaled from district-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose about 4% over the past year.
- Is South Cambridgeshire 010 safe?
- Yes, it's among the lower-crime parts of England. The area records around 48.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, well below the national rate of roughly 80. The neighbourhood sits in the least-deprived 10% of English areas, which correlates strongly with lower crime levels.
- What's the commute from South Cambridgeshire 010 to Cambridge or London?
- Most residents drive — around 47% commute by car and only 2% use public transport. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 8.5 km away, so a car is needed. The public transport journey to London takes around 158 minutes. Working from home is common, with 43% of residents doing so.
- Who lives in South Cambridgeshire 010?
- Predominantly older, owner-occupying households. Over 40% of residents are 50 or above, three-quarters own their home, and nearly half hold a degree. Families with children make up about a quarter of households. It's a settled, professional community with limited turnover.
- What schools are near South Cambridgeshire 010?
- There are 7 schools within typical catchment distance, but none are currently rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — a notable gap compared to the national average of around 89%. The nearest Outstanding school is roughly 9.7 km away. Families with school-age children should research catchment areas carefully before moving.
- Is South Cambridgeshire 010 good for remote workers?
- It's well set up for it. Nearly 99.5% of premises have gigabit broadband and no properties fall below the minimum speed standard. Around 43% of residents already work from home — one of the higher rates in England. The rural setting and low crime make it a comfortable base if you don't need to commute daily.