Plaistow Park
Newham 026 · 4 sub-areas · 8,066 residents
Newham 026 sits within Newham, east London, home to around 8,100 people and one of the borough's more diverse, densely rented neighbourhoods. A typical two-bedroom flat runs about £1,977 a month — noticeably above the UK median but in line with what inner east London commands. Rents rose nearly 8% in the past year, so if you're weighing up the area, move quickly.
Plaistow Park is a commuter neighbourhood within Newham — train into London runs in around 16 minutes, and the rhythm of weekday mornings is shaped by it. The rental market is active and turnover is high — people move through rather than stay.
Overview
What's it like to live in Plaistow Park?
4 parks and 12 playgrounds are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; food and drink within walking distance is workable but not dense — around 18 restaurants and 4 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 £1,912 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.
Plaistow Park in Newham
Living in Plaistow Park
Newham 026 is a dense, working east London neighbourhood where the majority of residents rent rather than own — and where you're as likely to have neighbours born overseas as you are to find someone who grew up locally. Around 55% of the population was born outside the UK, which shapes everything from the food on offer to the informal community networks that define day-to-day life here. The ethnic diversity index sits at 72, one of the higher readings you'll find anywhere in England.
The cost picture is firmly inner-London. A one-bedroom flat averages around £1,618 a month, a two-bed closer to £1,977, and a three-bed around £2,187. That's well above the UK national median of roughly £1,200 for a two-bed, though you're paying for fast access to central London — the public transport commute to the nearest major employment hub is just under 17 minutes. For what the area offers in connectivity, the rents are relatively competitive against comparable inner-east postcodes.
The population skews young. Nearly a third of residents are aged 18–34, and almost a quarter are under 18, giving the area a family-heavy, energetic character rather than the quieter, more settled feel of outer-borough neighbourhoods. Owner-occupation is low at 29%, with social housing accounting for roughly a third of homes and private renting another 35% — an unusually even three-way split that reflects the area's mixed housing stock.
Practically speaking, the nearest underground or metro stop is roughly 670 metres away — about an eight or nine-minute walk — and around half of residents commute by public transport. Greenspace is closer than you'd expect: 95% of residents are within walkable distance of green space, with the nearest patch just 145 metres away. See the streets and sub-areas below for more detail on specific pockets within the neighbourhood.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Newham 026 a nice place to live?
- It depends what you're after. The area is well-connected — under 17 minutes to a major employment hub by public transport — and genuinely diverse, with plenty of community energy. The trade-off is elevated crime relative to the UK average, a school quality profile below the national norm, and rents that take up nearly all of a median local salary. It suits people who prioritise connectivity and affordability relative to more central postcodes over quieter surroundings.
- What is the rent in Newham 026?
- A one-bedroom flat typically runs around £1,618 a month, a two-bedroom around £1,977, and a three-bedroom around £2,187. Rents rose roughly 7.7% in the past year. These figures are estimates scaled from borough-level data using local sale prices, so treat them as a guide rather than a guarantee.
- Is Newham 026 safe?
- Crime runs at around 88 incidents per 1,000 residents a year — modestly above the UK national average of roughly 80. It's not among the most dangerous areas in London, but it sits in the second deprivation decile nationally, which correlates with higher street-level crime. Standard urban precautions apply, particularly on public transport and at night.
- What's the commute from Newham 026 to central London?
- The public transport journey to the nearest major employment hub is under 17 minutes, making this one of the better-connected inner-east London neighbourhoods. The nearest underground or metro station is roughly an eight to nine-minute walk, and the nearest mainline rail station is about 17 minutes on foot.
- Who lives in Newham 026?
- A young, diverse, predominantly renting population. Nearly a third of residents are aged 18–34, a quarter are under 18, and 55% were born outside the UK. Around a third of homes are social housing, another third private rented. Owner-occupation is low at 29%, so it's a neighbourhood of renters and long-term social tenants more than owner-occupiers.
- What schools are near Newham 026?
- There are 199 schools within 2km — a wide choice. Around 53% of those within typical catchment distance are rated Good or Outstanding, which is notably below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is just 318 metres away. Families should research individual schools rather than relying on the area average, as quality varies considerably.