Cottonmill & Sopwell
St Albans 017 · 5 sub-areas · 7,838 residents
St Albans 017 sits within St Albans, home to around 7,800 people and one of the city's more family-oriented neighbourhoods. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,615 a month — slightly above the UK median but reflective of St Albans' position as a fast London commuter base, with trains reaching the capital in around 21 minutes.
Cottonmill & Sopwell is a commuter neighbourhood within St Albans — train into London runs in around 23 minutes, and the rhythm of weekday mornings is shaped by it. The demographic profile leans family-aged, with a clear share of households with school-age children; 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 Cottonmill & Sopwell?
Day-to-day life sits close to greenery — a park or playing field is within easy walking distance of most addresses; 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 £1,912 a month; 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.
Cottonmill & Sopwell in St Albans
Living in Cottonmill & Sopwell
This part of St Albans has a noticeably residential feel. With around a quarter of the population under 18, it skews toward families rather than the young professional crowd you'd find closer to the city centre. Nearly 80% of greenspace is within easy walking distance — a genuine draw for households with children — and the nearest green space is less than 200 metres away on average.
Rents sit in the middle of the St Albans range. A two-bedroom home runs about £1,615 a month, and three-bedroom family houses push close to £2,000. That's a meaningful step above the national median, though it reflects what you're buying: a short commute to London and a quieter, greener setting than anything you'd find in inner zones. The median property price here is just over £506,000, and it takes a typical resident around five and a half years to save a deposit — manageable by commuter-belt standards, though council tax adds a further £2,419 a year at Band D.
Almost three in five households own their home outright or with a mortgage — high by urban standards — and around a quarter are in social housing, a share that gives the area a more mixed tenure profile than comparable commuter-ring neighbourhoods. Residents here are well-qualified: nearly half hold a degree, and median resident earnings run to about £45,500 a year, well above the salaries generated by jobs physically located in the area.
The practical picture for commuters is strong. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 800 metres away — about a ten-minute walk — and the public transport journey to London takes under 21 minutes. That said, most residents drive: around 35% commute by car, while work-from-home has become the dominant mode for nearly half the workforce. See the streets and sub-areas below for more on how the neighbourhood breaks down locally.
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Frequently asked
- Is St Albans 017 a nice place to live?
- For families, it's a strong option. The area has good greenspace access — 80% of it within walking distance — a short rail hop to London, and a settled, owner-occupier majority. Rents are above the national average, and the Ofsted picture for local schools needs careful checking, but the quality of life for families is generally high.
- What is the rent in St Albans 017?
- A one-bedroom flat runs around £1,257 a month, a two-bedroom about £1,615, and a three-bedroom close to £2,000. Rents have risen roughly 3% over the past year. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices.
- Is St Albans 017 safe?
- The recorded crime rate is around 108 per 1,000 residents annually — above the UK average of roughly 80. The area sits in the sixth deprivation decile nationally, suggesting moderate rather than acute disadvantage. It's not flagged as a high-crime area, but it's worth checking specific street-level data before committing.
- What's the commute from St Albans 017 to London?
- The public transport journey to London takes around 21 minutes. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 800 metres away — about a ten-minute walk. That said, most residents drive to the station rather than walk, given the 35% car-commute share.
- Who lives in St Albans 017?
- Predominantly families and established owner-occupiers. Around a quarter of residents are under 18, and nearly 28% of households are couples with children. Almost half of residents hold a degree, and median resident earnings are around £45,500 a year — well above the national median.
- What schools are near St Albans 017?
- There are 83 schools within typical catchment distance, though only around 42% are rated Good or Outstanding — significantly below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is about 1,600 metres away. Given the high family population here, checking specific catchment boundaries before moving is strongly advisable.
- How much is council tax in St Albans 017?
- Council tax at Band D comes to £2,419 a year. That's the St Albans district rate and applies across the neighbourhood — your band depends on your property's valuation, so check the specific banding for any home you're considering.