Cotham
Bristol 022 · 5 sub-areas · 8,968 residents
Bristol 022 is a dense, youthful corner of Bristol with around 8,968 residents and one of the highest concentrations of young professionals in the city. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,550 a month — noticeably above the UK national median for a 2-bed, and reflecting Bristol's increasingly competitive rental market. Over half of residents work from home, which shapes daily life here as much as anything else.
Cotham is a mid-density neighbourhood of Bristol in the South West 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 population skews young, with a high concentration of 18- to 34-year-olds; the rental market is active and turnover is high — people move through rather than stay.
Overview
What's it like to live in Cotham?
3 parks and 1 playgrounds are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; there's a serious food scene on the doorstep — 51 restaurants and lots of variety within a five-minute walk; 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 sit firmly in the upper bracket nationally, with a typical home letting at around £1,888 a month; 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.
Cotham in Bristol
Living in Cotham
What sets Bristol 022 apart from most of Bristol is the age profile. More than half of residents — around 56% — are between 18 and 34, which is unusually high even by central-Bristol standards. This isn't a neighbourhood in transition; it's firmly established as a place where young graduates and early-career professionals put down (temporary) roots. The streets feel active during the day in a way that purely commuter-heavy areas don't.
Rents here sit above the Bristol average. A 1-bed runs roughly £1,230 a month, a 2-bed around £1,550, and a 3-bed closer to £1,760. Those figures rose about 7.6% over the past year, which is a meaningful increase. The rent-to-take-home ratio here is steep — around 78% of median take-home pay goes on rent, which is one of the more stretched affordability positions in the city. Council tax for a Band D property runs about £2,714 a year.
The tenure mix tells its own story: over half of households — roughly 53% — rent privately, against just 42% who own. That's a significantly higher private-rental share than the national average, reinforcing this as a renter-majority neighbourhood. The degree-qualification rate is high too: just over half of residents hold a degree-level qualification, well above the national figure.
Practically, the nearest mainline rail station is under 500 metres away — roughly a six-minute walk — which is a genuine asset for anyone commuting out of Bristol or travelling to London (around 89 minutes by rail) or Birmingham (about 85 minutes). There's no metro or tram network here; the majority of residents who do commute tend to do so by car (around 18%) or on foot. But with 55% working from home, the commute question is less pressing for many. See the streets and sub-areas below for more.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Bristol 022 a nice place to live?
- It depends what you're after. It's a youthful, well-connected neighbourhood with fast broadband and a mainline rail station within walking distance. Rents are on the higher side for Bristol, and the affordability ratio is stretched. If you're in your 20s or early 30s and value convenience over space, it works well. Families looking for strong local schools may want to look elsewhere.
- What is the rent in Bristol 022?
- A typical one-bedroom flat runs around £1,230 a month, a two-bedroom around £1,550, and a three-bedroom about £1,760. Rents rose roughly 7.6% over the past year. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices — the official ONS figures only go down to council level.
- Is Bristol 022 safe?
- The overall crime rate — around 64.5 incidents per 1,000 residents per year — is below the UK national average of roughly 80 per 1,000. That's a reasonable position for an inner-city neighbourhood. As always, street-level variation exists, so checking Police.uk for specific streets you're considering is worthwhile.
- What's the commute from Bristol 022 to Bristol city centre?
- The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 500 metres away — about a six-minute walk. From there you're well connected, though most residents (around 55%) work from home and don't commute daily. For those who do, the car is the most common option, used by about 18% of working residents.
- Who lives in Bristol 022?
- Predominantly young adults — over 55% of residents are aged 18–34 — most of whom rent privately. Degree holders make up just over half the population. Families are relatively rare: couples with children account for fewer than 11% of households. It's a highly educated, mobile, renter-majority neighbourhood.
- What schools are near Bristol 022?
- There are 103 schools within a 2km radius, but only around 35% of those within typical catchment distance are rated Good or Outstanding — well below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is about 1,300 metres away. Families should check current Ofsted ratings directly before making decisions.
- How long does the train to London take from Bristol 022?
- The rail commute to London takes around 89 minutes by public transport, and the nearest mainline station is under 500 metres from the neighbourhood — roughly a six-minute walk. Birmingham is about 85 minutes by rail.