Rainhill South
St. Helens 023 · 4 sub-areas · 5,595 residents
St. Helens 023 is a predominantly owner-occupied pocket of St. Helens in the North West, home to around 5,600 people. A typical two-bedroom home lets for about £707 a month — notably below the UK national median — and nearly nine in ten residents own their home outright or with a mortgage, giving the area a distinctly settled, residential character.
Rainhill South is a commuter neighbourhood within St. Helens — train into Liverpool runs in around 29 minutes, and the rhythm of weekday mornings is shaped by it. The population skews older, with a long-settled feel and a high share of retirees; most homes are owner-occupied, so turnover is low and many residents have been here a long time.
Overview
What's it like to live in Rainhill South?
Day-to-day life sits close to greenery — a park or playing field is within easy walking distance of most addresses; The streets feel safe by national standards — police-recorded crime is well below the country-wide median; 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 £774 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.
Rainhill South in St. Helens
Living in Rainhill South
This part of St. Helens skews noticeably older than much of the wider borough. Nearly a third of residents are aged 65 or over, and the over-50s account for more than half the population — which shapes the feel of the area considerably. You'll find quiet streets, high owner-occupation, and relatively low footfall compared to the town centre corridors. It's the kind of neighbourhood where people stay.
On cost, this area is genuinely affordable by any national measure. A two-bedroom home runs around £707 a month, and a one-bedroom comes in at about £569. That's well below the UK national median for equivalent properties, and council tax at Band D sits at roughly £2,400 a year. For buyers, the median sale price is around £274,000, and the average deposit takes only about 4.4 years to save on a local salary — a striking contrast to most of southern England.
Owner-occupation dominates here. Around 88% of households own their home, with private renting accounting for fewer than one in ten. Social housing is minimal at just 3.5%. The degree-holding share of residents sits at 37% — reasonable for the area — and the claimant unemployment rate is 3.8%, which is moderate. Residents typically earn around £31,400 a year, somewhat above the median salary for jobs physically located in this part of St. Helens, which points to a commuter dynamic: people live here and work elsewhere.
Greenspace is a genuine plus. About two-thirds of residents are within a short walk of green space, with the average distance to the nearest park or green area sitting at around 255 metres. Gigabit broadband is available to 100% of premises, and there are no properties falling below the universal service obligation speed — which puts this area ahead of much of the country on connectivity. See the streets and sub-areas below for more.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is St. Helens 023 a nice place to live?
- It's a quiet, settled residential area with strong owner-occupation, good greenspace access, and crime well below the national average. The trade-off is that nearby school quality is noticeably below the national norm, and it has an older demographic feel that suits long-term residents more than young professionals.
- What is the rent in St. Helens 023?
- A one-bedroom property runs around £569 a month, a two-bedroom about £707, and a three-bedroom roughly £863. These are estimates scaled from borough-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose around 4.5% over the past year.
- Is St. Helens 023 safe?
- Yes, relatively so. The crime rate here is around 47.8 incidents per 1,000 residents a year — well below the UK national rate of roughly 80 per 1,000. The high proportion of owner-occupiers and the older age profile of residents both tend to correlate with lower crime.
- What's the commute from St. Helens 023 to Manchester?
- By public transport, Manchester is roughly 47 minutes away. The nearest rail station is about a 14-minute walk. That said, most residents here drive — only around 3% commute by public transport — and a third work from home.
- Who lives in St. Helens 023?
- Mostly older, long-term owner-occupiers. Nearly a third of residents are 65 or over, and the over-50s make up more than half the population. It's one of the most heavily owner-occupied neighbourhoods in the area, with private renting accounting for fewer than one in ten households.
- What schools are near St. Helens 023?
- There are 36 schools within typical catchment distance. Around 44.7% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, which is notably below the national average of approximately 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is about 1,700 metres away. It's worth checking individual school catchments carefully before committing.
- How affordable is buying a home in St. Helens 023?
- Relatively affordable by UK standards. The median sale price is around £274,000, and on a typical local salary it takes about 4.4 years to save a deposit. That compares favourably with most of England, particularly the south.