Skelmersdale South East
West Lancashire 014 · 5 sub-areas · 7,597 residents
West Lancashire 014 is a neighbourhood within West Lancashire, home to around 7,600 people. Rents here are among the most affordable you'll find anywhere in the North West — a typical two-bedroom home lets for around £721 a month, well below the national median. The area carries a high social-rented share and sits in the most deprived decile nationally, so it comes with real trade-offs alongside the low costs.
Skelmersdale South East is a commuter neighbourhood within West Lancashire — train into Liverpool runs in around 46 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 Skelmersdale South East?
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; rents are below the national norm, with a typical home letting at around £794 a month.
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.
Skelmersdale South East in West Lancashire
Living in Skelmersdale South East
West Lancashire 014 is a predominantly residential area with some of the lowest rents in the North West. If your priority is keeping housing costs down, this neighbourhood delivers — a two-bedroom home at around £721 a month is roughly 40% below the UK national median for that size. The feel is functional rather than fashionable: a working-class community with a high proportion of families and a significant social-rented stock, which shapes the mix of people you'll meet on the street.
The cost picture is genuinely compelling for renters on modest incomes. A one-bedroom property runs around £581 a month, and even a three-bedroom comes in at roughly £832. That said, rents rose around 9.4% year-on-year, so the affordability gap with the rest of the country is narrowing. Council tax (Band D) stands at £2,456 a year — broadly comparable to other West Lancashire areas. At current prices, the deposit gap is narrow too: around 1.6 years of savings to reach a purchase deposit, which is low by any national standard.
Around a quarter of residents are under 18, pointing to a notably family-heavy neighbourhood. Tenure is split almost equally between owner-occupiers and social renters — each around 39% — with private renters making up just over a fifth. The degree-qualified share is around 17%, noticeably below the national average, reflecting the area's blue-collar employment base. Ethnic diversity is low, with over 84% of residents UK-born.
Getting around relies heavily on the car — nearly 58% of residents commute by vehicle, and public transport use sits at just 3%. The nearest rail station is roughly 1.7 km away (about a 21-minute walk), and there's no metro or tram service within any practical distance. Manchester is reachable by public transport in around 76 minutes. See the streets and sub-areas below for more on how the neighbourhood breaks down.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is West Lancashire 014 a nice place to live?
- It comes down to priorities. If keeping rent low is the main goal, it delivers — a two-bedroom home runs around £721 a month, well below the national median. The trade-offs are real though: the area sits in the most deprived national decile, crime runs above average, and only around 31% of nearby schools are rated Good or Outstanding. It suits budget-conscious renters and families comfortable with a no-frills, car-dependent neighbourhood.
- What is the rent in West Lancashire 014?
- A one-bedroom property runs around £581 a month, a two-bedroom around £721, and a three-bedroom roughly £832. These are estimates scaled from council-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose around 9.4% in the past year, so prices are moving upward, but the area remains well below the UK national median.
- Is West Lancashire 014 safe?
- Crime runs at around 128 incidents per 1,000 residents annually, which is noticeably above the UK average of roughly 80 per 1,000. The area ranks in the most deprived national decile, which typically correlates with higher reported crime. It's not the worst in absolute terms, but it's a factor worth weighing against the low rents.
- What's the commute from West Lancashire 014 to Manchester?
- By public transport, Manchester takes around 76 minutes. Bear in mind that nearly 58% of residents commute by car — public transport links are limited, with just 3% of locals using them. The nearest rail station is roughly 1.7 km away (about a 21-minute walk). If you're working in Manchester daily, a car makes the commute significantly more manageable.
- Who lives in West Lancashire 014?
- Mostly families and younger adults. Around a quarter of residents are under 18 and another quarter are aged 18 to 34. Tenure is split almost equally between owner-occupiers and social renters, at roughly 39% each, with private renters making up just over a fifth. The degree-qualified share is around 17%, and ethnic diversity is low, with over 84% of residents UK-born.
- What schools are near West Lancashire 014?
- There are 59 schools within typical catchment distance, but only around 31% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national share of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 3.2 km away. Families should research individual schools directly rather than relying on area-level figures, as quality varies considerably within the local school mix.