Upper Shirley
Southampton 011 · 5 sub-areas · 7,808 residents
Southampton 011 is a residential neighbourhood within Southampton, home to around 7,800 people and markedly more owner-occupied than most of the city. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,100 a month — broadly in line with the national median for a 2-bed, and considerably cheaper than the South East's pricier commuter towns.
Upper Shirley 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; a high share of adults are degree-educated, which often shows up in the kind of jobs people commute to.
Overview
What's it like to live in Upper Shirley?
2 parks are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; 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.
Upper Shirley in Southampton
Living in Upper Shirley
Southampton 011 sits among the more settled, family-oriented parts of Southampton. Around three-quarters of homes here are owner-occupied — an unusually high share for a city neighbourhood — which gives the streets a quieter, more residential feel than the student-heavy zones closer to the university campuses. You'll find a spread of age groups rather than the young-professional concentration typical of inner-city areas.
On rent, this neighbourhood sits broadly at the UK median for a two-bedroom home. At around £1,100 a month for a 2-bed, it's significantly cheaper than comparable suburban areas across the wider South East, and more affordable than most of Southampton's own coastal-facing pockets. That said, with rents up around 3.5% year-on-year, the trajectory is upward.
The demographic picture here is notably qualified: approaching half of residents hold a degree-level qualification — well above the national average — yet median salaries run at roughly £33,000 a year. That gap between education level and earnings is a familiar pattern in parts of Southampton that house NHS and public-sector workers, which the health sector's 23% share of local jobs strongly suggests is the case here.
Practically, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1.7 km away — about a 22-minute walk or a short drive — giving access to London in just under two hours by rail. Most residents get around by car (around 39%), and a notable 36% work from home, which partly explains why public transport use is low at just over 4%. Broadband coverage is excellent: 100% of premises can access gigabit-speed connections. See the streets and sub-areas below for more on specific pockets within Southampton 011.
What you'll need on day one
Compare Upper Shirley with
Frequently asked
- Is Southampton 011 a nice place to live?
- It's one of Southampton's more settled, family-oriented neighbourhoods. Around three-quarters of homes are owner-occupied, crime sits below the national average, and broadband is 100% gigabit-capable. The trade-off is that nearby Ofsted ratings are below the national picture, so families with school-age children should check individual catchments carefully.
- What is the rent in Southampton 011?
- A one-bedroom home runs around £873 a month, a two-bedroom about £1,100, and a three-bedroom around £1,343. That 2-bed figure is roughly at the UK national median — relatively affordable for the South East. Rents rose around 3.5% in the past year.
- Is Southampton 011 safe?
- Yes, relatively. The crime rate is around 64 incidents per 1,000 residents a year — noticeably below the UK national average of roughly 80 per 1,000. The neighbourhood also sits in the least-deprived 20% of areas in England by the IMD index, which generally correlates with lower crime levels.
- What's the commute from Southampton 011 to London?
- By public transport, the rail journey to London takes around 1 hour 46 minutes. The nearest mainline station is roughly 1.7 km away — about a 22-minute walk. Around 39% of residents commute by car, and a significant 36% work from home, suggesting many jobs are either local or remote.
- Who lives in Southampton 011?
- Largely owner-occupying families and professionals. Around 74% of homes are owned, 22% of residents are under 18, and about 47% hold a degree-level qualification. The health sector accounts for nearly a quarter of local jobs, suggesting a significant proportion of NHS and public-sector workers among residents.
- What schools are near Southampton 011?
- There are 106 schools within 2 km, so options are plentiful. Around 30% of nearby schools are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — below the national average of around 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 1.4 km away. Check individual catchment boundaries directly before relying on proximity alone.
- Is Southampton 011 good for working from home?
- It's well-suited to it. Around 36% of residents already work from home — one of the higher rates you'll find in a Southampton neighbourhood — and 100% of premises have access to gigabit-speed broadband. There are no connections falling below the minimum universal service standard.