Plungington & University
Preston 012 · 7 sub-areas · 13,401 residents
Preston 012 is a densely populated neighbourhood within Preston, home to around 13,400 people and one of the more affordable corners of an already affordable city. A typical two-bedroom property lets for about £719 a month — noticeably below the UK national median for a 2-bed — and with a median house price around £125,000, it's accessible for buyers too. The neighbourhood skews notably young, with over four in ten residents aged 18 to 34.
Plungington & University is a mid-density neighbourhood of Preston 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 Plungington & University?
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 are below the national norm, with a typical home letting at around £778 a month; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 7 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Plungington & University in Preston
Living in Plungington & University
Preston 012 has the feel of an inner-city neighbourhood where students, young professionals and families share the same streets. More than four in ten residents are aged 18 to 34 — a far higher share than Preston as a whole — which gives the area an energetic, transient quality alongside longer-settled households. It's not a polished urban village; it's a working neighbourhood, and the low rents reflect that honestly.
On cost, this is one of the more affordable parts of Preston, which is itself well below typical rents in the UK's major cities. A two-bedroom property here runs about £719 a month, and a one-bed averages around £570. Rents rose roughly 7.8% over the past year, so the affordability advantage is narrowing, but at roughly half the UK median for a 2-bed you're still getting genuine value. The median house price sits at around £125,000, and with a years-to-deposit figure of just 2.1 years, buying is within reach for many renters here in a way it simply isn't in most of England.
Tenure is split almost evenly between owners and private renters — around 44% own, 43% rent privately — with a social rented sector of around 13%. That mix is unusual and suggests a neighbourhood in transition, with long-standing owner-occupiers and established council tenants living alongside a more mobile younger renting population. The ethnic diversity index sits at 40.8, and around 76% of residents were born in the UK, pointing to a moderately mixed community.
Practically, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1.6 km away — about a 20-minute walk — giving reasonable access to Preston city centre and onward connections. Around 46% of residents commute by car, which is typical for Lancashire. Gigabit broadband covers the entire area, so working from home — which nearly 22% of residents already do — is well supported. See the streets and sub-areas below for more on how the neighbourhood breaks down.
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Frequently asked
- Is Preston 012 a nice place to live?
- It depends what you're after. Preston 012 is affordable, has good broadband, and a young, active population. The trade-off is that crime runs higher than the national average and school quality within catchment is below the national norm. It suits people prioritising low rent and city access over polished surroundings.
- What is the rent in Preston 012?
- A one-bedroom property averages around £570 a month, a two-bed around £719, and a three-bed around £844. These are estimates scaled from council-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose around 7.8% over the past year, so expect continued upward pressure.
- Is Preston 012 safe?
- Crime runs at around 157 incidents per 1,000 residents annually — roughly twice the UK national rate. The area sits in the more deprived end of the national deprivation index, which is strongly correlated with higher crime. It's not the highest-crime part of Preston, but it warrants awareness rather than dismissal.
- What's the commute from Preston 012 to Manchester?
- By public transport, the journey to Manchester takes around 55 minutes. Preston's mainline rail station is about 1.6 km away — roughly a 20-minute walk from the neighbourhood. Most residents commute by car rather than public transport, which is typical for this part of Lancashire.
- Who lives in Preston 012?
- Predominantly young adults — over 41% of residents are aged 18 to 34, and single-person households make up nearly 40% of all homes. There's a mix of students, early-career renters and longer-established families. Tenure is split almost evenly between owners and private renters, with a smaller social rented sector.
- What schools are near Preston 012?
- There are 142 schools within 2 km of typical residents in Preston 012, so proximity isn't the issue. Around 42% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national average of around 89%. The nearest Outstanding school is about 2.6 km away. Families should check individual Ofsted ratings for their specific postcode.
- Is Preston 012 affordable to buy in?
- Yes — the median house price is around £125,000, and it takes just over two years to save a deposit on a typical local salary. That makes ownership genuinely accessible here in a way that's rare in most of England, particularly compared to cities further south.