Freemantle
Southampton 021 · 4 sub-areas · 8,204 residents
Southampton 021 is a mixed residential area within Southampton, home to around 8,200 people. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,100 a month — slightly below the UK national median for a 2-bed — with strong public-sector employment nearby and a notably high share of private renters making up almost half of all households.
Freemantle 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. The rental market is active and turnover is high — people move through rather than stay.
Overview
What's it like to live in Freemantle?
2 parks and 2 playgrounds are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; food and drink within walking distance is workable but not dense — around 10 restaurants and 8 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 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 4 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Freemantle in Southampton
Living in Freemantle
Southampton 021 sits in a part of the city where the balance between renters and owners tilts firmly towards renting. Nearly 45% of households are in the private rented sector — well above the national norm — which gives the area a more transient, mixed feel than the owner-occupied suburbs to the south. It's not the most polished corner of Southampton, but it's functional, reasonably central, and cheaper than most of England's southern cities.
Rents here are moderate by South East standards. A two-bedroom home runs around £1,100 a month, which is marginally below the UK median for that bedroom size and noticeably below what you'd pay across much of the wider South East. The flip side is that rents are still steep relative to local incomes: at roughly 57% of take-home pay for a median earner, housing costs here absorb more of your salary than is comfortable. Rents rose around 3.5% in the past year, broadly in line with the national trend.
The people who live here skew younger — around 30% are aged 18 to 34, higher than the Southampton average — with a significant share of single-person households at nearly 40%. Around 16% of residents are in social housing, which adds a measure of demographic spread. About 37% hold a degree-level qualification, and the ethnic diversity index of 37.7 points to a genuinely mixed community, with just under two-thirds of residents born in the UK.
Practically speaking, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 570 metres away — about a seven-minute walk — which makes Southampton Central straightforwardly accessible. The rail commute to London takes just over 83 minutes. Most residents drive to work, though just under a quarter work from home. Greenspace is within easy reach too: the nearest green area is about 320 metres away, and over half of residents live within walkable distance of a park. See the streets and sub-areas below for a more granular breakdown.
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Frequently asked
- Is Southampton 021 a nice place to live?
- It's a functional, mixed neighbourhood rather than a polished one. Rents are moderate by South East standards, the rail station is a short walk away, and greenspace is nearby. The crime rate is high compared to the national average, and the Ofsted picture for local schools is below average, so it suits younger renters more than families.
- What is the rent in Southampton 021?
- A one-bedroom flat runs around £870 a month, a two-bedroom around £1,100, and a three-bedroom around £1,340. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose roughly 3.5% over the past year.
- Is Southampton 021 safe?
- The recorded crime rate is around 253 incidents per 1,000 residents annually — well above the UK national average of roughly 80. Southampton as a whole has an elevated crime rate, and this neighbourhood reflects that. Checking street-level data on police.uk for your specific street is advisable before moving.
- What's the commute from Southampton 021 to Southampton city centre?
- The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 570 metres away — about a seven-minute walk. Most residents commute by car (around 44%), and nearly a quarter work from home. The rail journey to London Waterloo takes just over 83 minutes.
- Who lives in Southampton 021?
- Mostly younger adults — around 30% are aged 18 to 34 — with a high share of single-person households at nearly 40%. It's predominantly a renting neighbourhood, with 45% in private rented housing. About 37% hold degree-level qualifications, and the community is ethnically diverse.
- What schools are near Southampton 021?
- There are 55 schools within a 2 km radius, but only around 20% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — significantly below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is about 1.2 km away. Families should check specific catchment areas carefully.
- How affordable is buying a home in Southampton 021?
- The median sale price is around £248,000. On a typical local salary, saving a 10% deposit takes roughly 3.8 years — more manageable than many southern cities, but still a significant commitment given that rents absorb around 57% of take-home pay in the meantime.