Bitterne East
Southampton 016 · 5 sub-areas · 7,857 residents
Southampton 016 is a mid-sized residential neighbourhood in Southampton, home to around 7,900 people. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,100 a month — slightly below the national two-bed median — and the area skews noticeably older and more owner-occupied than many parts of the city. Rents rose around 3.5% last year, broadly in line with the wider South East.
Bitterne East is a mid-density neighbourhood of Southampton in the South East 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. 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 Bitterne East?
The area is unusually green for its density — 9 parks and 4 playgrounds sit within five minutes' walk of the centroid; 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 are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £1,246 a month for a typical home; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
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.
Bitterne East in Southampton
Living in Bitterne East
Southampton 016 has the feel of a settled, mainly residential neighbourhood — the kind of place where families and older owner-occupiers have put down roots rather than one that turns over quickly with students or young renters. Over six in ten households own their home, which is notably higher than you'd expect from a city neighbourhood, and the relatively low share of private renters (around one in six households) reinforces that sense of stability.
On cost, this neighbourhood sits at the more affordable end of the Southampton market. A two-bedroom flat runs about £1,100 a month — just under the national two-bed median of around £1,200 — and even a three-bedroom comes in at roughly £1,340. For buyers, the median sale price is around £249,000, and the average time to save a deposit works out at just under four years at local salary levels. Council tax (Band D) comes to around £2,382 a year, broadly typical for the South East outside London.
The demographic profile here is more evenly spread across age groups than many city neighbourhoods. Under-18s make up nearly a quarter of residents, which points to a meaningful family presence, while the 65-plus cohort accounts for around 18% — higher than most inner-city areas. About a quarter of residents hold a degree-level qualification, which is modest compared to more professional-heavy Southampton postcodes. Nearly one in five households is in social housing, a somewhat elevated share that shapes the neighbourhood's social mix.
Practically, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1.6 km away — about a 20-minute walk. Most residents drive: nearly six in ten commute by car, while just over 7% use public transport. Around a quarter work from home, which is a meaningful share and speaks to the settled, professional-but-not-city-centre character of the neighbourhood. Broadband coverage is strong — 100% of premises can access gigabit speeds. See the streets and sub-areas below for more.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Southampton 016 a nice place to live?
- It's a stable, settled neighbourhood with a strong owner-occupier majority and reasonable rents by South East standards. The trade-off is a crime rate above the national average and Ofsted ratings for nearby schools that lag well behind the national picture. It suits families and older residents more than young professionals looking for city-centre energy.
- What is the rent in Southampton 016?
- A one-bedroom typically runs around £873 a month, a two-bedroom about £1,104, and a three-bedroom roughly £1,343. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose around 3.5% in the past year.
- Is Southampton 016 safe?
- The crime rate of around 94.8 incidents per 1,000 residents annually is noticeably above the UK average of roughly 80 per 1,000. The neighbourhood sits in the more deprived half of English areas by IMD score, which tends to correlate with higher crime. It's not the highest-crime part of Southampton, but it's worth factoring in.
- What's the commute from Southampton 016 to Southampton city centre?
- The nearest mainline rail station is about 1.6 km away — roughly a 20-minute walk. Most residents drive rather than use public transport: around 58% commute by car, and only about 7% use buses or trains. If you're car-free, check specific route options before committing.
- Who lives in Southampton 016?
- Mainly settled families and older owner-occupiers. Over 60% of households own their home, and nearly one in five is in social housing. The age spread is fairly even across all groups, with a meaningful under-18 cohort suggesting plenty of families. The private rental market here is smaller than in most city neighbourhoods.
- What schools are near Southampton 016?
- There are 78 schools within 2 km, so there's no shortage of options nearby. However, only around 39.5% of those are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding school is about 2.7 km away. Check individual catchment boundaries carefully.
- How does Southampton 016 compare to other Southampton neighbourhoods for affordability?
- It's on the more affordable side within Southampton. A two-bedroom at around £1,100 a month sits just under the national median, and the median sale price of roughly £249,000 makes buying more accessible than in pricier parts of the city. The time to save a deposit is just under four years at local salary levels.