St Mary Cray North
Bromley 014 · 5 sub-areas · 8,881 residents
Bromley 014 is a suburban neighbourhood in the London Borough of Bromley, home to around 8,900 people. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,630 a month — slightly above the wider Bromley average but well below most inner London equivalents. With central London reachable in roughly 13 minutes by rail, it's one of the better-connected outer London options for commuters.
St Mary Cray North is a commuter neighbourhood within Bromley — train into London runs in around 15 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.
Overview
What's it like to live in St Mary Cray North?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; 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; 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 £1,670 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.
St Mary Cray North in Bromley
Living in St Mary Cray North
This part of Bromley sits firmly in outer London's commuter belt — the kind of neighbourhood where detached houses and quiet residential streets dominate, and most residents are here for the space and the fast rail link into the city. The nearest rail station is roughly 1 km away (about a 13-minute walk), and from there you're into central London in under 15 minutes. That connectivity shapes everything: property prices, who moves here, and what the day-to-day pace feels like.
Rents run in the middle tier for an outer London borough. You'll pay around £1,630 a month for a two-bedroom — more than you'd pay further out in Kent or Surrey, but noticeably less than most inner London postcodes charging north of £2,000 for the same size. Buying is the dominant mode here: nearly half of households own their home. That mix of ownership and social housing (which accounts for over four in ten households) gives the area a more settled, less transient feel than more rental-heavy parts of the city.
The population skews towards families. Over a quarter of residents are under 18 — well above the London norm — and households with couples and children make up around one in five. You'll notice that in the school run and in the types of amenities nearby. Greenspace is genuinely accessible: the nearest park or open space is on average just 270 metres away, and around six in ten residents live within easy walking distance of green space.
One number stands out: social housing here is unusually high for an outer London neighbourhood, at around 41% of households. That's not a trade-off to gloss over, but it does explain why rents remain lower than the fast commute times might suggest. For anyone who wants London access without inner London rents, this is worth a closer look — see the streets and sub-areas below for more.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Bromley 014 a nice place to live?
- It depends what you're after. If you want fast rail access to central London, green space within walking distance, and a quieter suburban feel, it works well. The unusually high share of social housing — over 40% of households — means the neighbourhood has a different character from more uniformly owner-occupied outer London suburbs, but for families it offers real value compared to inner London.
- What is the rent in Bromley 014?
- A one-bedroom flat runs around £1,300 a month, a two-bedroom around £1,630, and a three-bedroom around £1,970. Rents rose about 3.6% over the past year. These are estimates scaled from borough-level data using local sale prices, so treat them as a guide rather than a precise figure.
- Is Bromley 014 safe?
- Crime runs at around 131 incidents per 1,000 residents a year — above the UK national average of roughly 80, but consistent with much of outer London where elevated rates reflect urban density rather than acute local problems. It's not flagged as a particular hotspot within the borough.
- What's the commute from Bromley 014 to central London?
- The nearest rail station is about 1 km away — roughly a 13-minute walk — and from there you're into central London in around 13 minutes by rail. It's one of the faster outer London commutes. Most residents drive rather than use public transport for local journeys, and over a quarter work from home.
- Who lives in Bromley 014?
- Mostly families — over a quarter of residents are under 18, which is high even by London standards. Nearly half of households own their home, and social housing accounts for over 40% of properties. It's a more settled, less transient population than you'd find in rental-heavy inner London neighbourhoods, with around 81% of residents born in the UK.
- What schools are near Bromley 014?
- There are 60 schools within 2 km, so options are plentiful. The catch is that only around 25% of those nearby are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding school is about 2.4 km away. It's worth researching specific schools carefully before committing to the area.
- How does Bromley 014 compare to other parts of Bromley?
- It's distinctive within Bromley for its high share of social housing — over 40% of households, which is unusual for outer London. Rents are moderate, the rail link to London is fast, and greenspace is genuinely accessible. It suits families and commuters more than young professionals looking for a private rental market.