South Shore
Blackpool 017 · 6 sub-areas · 8,360 residents
Blackpool 017 is a residential area within Blackpool, home to around 8,360 people and one of the more affordable corners of an already low-cost town. A typical two-bedroom lets for about £631 a month — well under half the UK median for a 2-bed. The catch is that schools within catchment distance significantly underperform the national average, and crime runs high.
South Shore is a mid-density neighbourhood of Blackpool in the North West 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. The rental market is active and turnover is high — people move through rather than stay.
Overview
What's it like to live in South Shore?
2 parks are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; food and drink within walking distance is workable but not dense — around 11 restaurants and 3 pubs in five minutes; 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 are below the national norm, with a typical home letting at around £696 a month; 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.
South Shore in Blackpool
Living in South Shore
This part of Blackpool sits at the affordable end of an already cheap rental market. Rents here are low by any UK measure — you're paying a fraction of what you'd find in Manchester or London for a comparable property. Most streets are a mix of terraced houses and semi-detached homes, dominated by owner-occupiers, with a notable private rental share alongside. It's a settled, older demographic on the whole, but there's a decent spread of families too.
The cost picture is genuinely attractive if you're prioritising space and low outgoings. At around £631 a month for a two-bedroom, you get significantly more for your money than almost anywhere else in the North West. Rents have crept up — around 6.5% over the past year — but from such a low base that the absolute rises are modest. Council tax (Band D) runs to about £2,513 a year, which is broadly in line with neighbouring Lancashire authorities.
Who lives here skews noticeably older: over 44% of residents are aged 50 or above, and the proportion of over-65s alone accounts for more than one in five. Single-person households make up a significant share — nearly two in five. It's not a young professional enclave; more a community of longer-term residents, many of them homeowners. Around 62% own their home outright or with a mortgage.
For day-to-day practicalities, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 520 metres away — about a six-minute walk — giving reasonable access to Preston and onward connections. Most residents drive: over half commute by car. Greenspace is close by, with the nearest accessible green area under 265 metres away. See the streets and sub-areas below for more detail on specific pockets within this neighbourhood.
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Frequently asked
- Is Blackpool 017 a nice place to live?
- It depends on your priorities. Rents are genuinely low — around £631 a month for a two-bedroom — and owner-occupation is high, giving it a settled, community feel. The trade-off is high crime rates and weak school provision nearby, with only around 32% of schools within catchment distance rated Good or Outstanding. It suits people prioritising affordability and stability over nightlife or career networking.
- What is the rent in Blackpool 017?
- A one-bedroom typically runs around £485 a month, a two-bedroom around £631, and a three-bedroom around £767. These are estimates scaled from district-level data. Rents rose around 6.5% in the past year, but remain well below the UK median of roughly £1,200 a month for a two-bedroom.
- Is Blackpool 017 safe?
- Crime is notably high — around 146 incidents per 1,000 residents annually, roughly double the national rate. This is consistent with much of inner Blackpool and reflects the area's high deprivation score (second decile nationally). It's residential and quieter away from main roads, but the headline crime figure is one to weigh carefully before moving here.
- What's the commute from Blackpool 017 to Manchester?
- By public transport, the journey to Manchester takes around 75 minutes. The nearest mainline rail station is about 520 metres away — roughly a six-minute walk. Most residents commute by car rather than rail, with over 56% driving to work.
- Who lives in Blackpool 017?
- Predominantly older, settled residents — over 44% are aged 50 or above, and more than one in five is 65 or older. Around 62% own their home. Single-person households are common at nearly 38%. It's not a young professional area; it's a community of longer-term residents, many with working-class backgrounds and deep local ties.
- What schools are near Blackpool 017?
- There are 67 schools within 2km, but only around 32% are rated Good or Outstanding — well below the national average of approximately 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is around 4.5km away. Families should check individual school catchment boundaries carefully before choosing a street, as quality varies significantly across the area.
- How affordable is buying a home in Blackpool 017?
- Very affordable by UK standards. The median house price is around £162,000, and it takes roughly 2.9 years of saving to reach a typical deposit — one of the more accessible ratios in England. For first-time buyers priced out of southern cities, this part of Blackpool offers genuine entry-level ownership at low prices.