Knowle West
Bristol 045 · 5 sub-areas · 7,686 residents
Bristol 045 is a residential neighbourhood within Bristol, home to around 7,700 people. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,550 a month — above the UK national median for a two-bed but reflecting Bristol's position as one of the South West's pricier cities. The area stands out for its unusually high social housing concentration and a notably high share of families with children.
Knowle West is a green, lower-density part of Bristol — parks within walking distance of most addresses, a slower weekday rhythm, and a population skewed toward longer-tenure households rather than transient renters. The demographic profile leans family-aged, with a clear share of households with school-age children.
Overview
What's it like to live in Knowle West?
4 parks and 3 playgrounds are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; 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 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.
Knowle West in Bristol
Living in Knowle West
Bristol 045 sits firmly in the more affordable tier of Bristol's neighbourhoods, but the affordability is relative — rents have climbed nearly 8% in the past year alone, and the cost picture here is complicated by some striking pressures. Around one in four households is a single-person home, but the larger story is the significant family presence: over a quarter of residents are under 18, pointing to a neighbourhood built around family life rather than young professional flat-sharing.
The rent gradient puts a two-bed at around £1,550 a month — higher than the UK average of roughly £1,200 for the same size, but in keeping with Bristol's broadly elevated market. For context, a one-bed starts around £1,230 and a three-bed reaches about £1,760. The real affordability squeeze shows up in the numbers: rent takes up an estimated 78% of typical take-home pay for residents here, which is a significant burden by any measure. Buying isn't an easier route — the median sale price is around £265,000, and it takes roughly four years of saving to reach a deposit.
Who lives here is one of the defining features of this neighbourhood. Around 39% of households are in social rented housing — well above what you'd typically see in Bristol's more mixed or owner-occupied areas — and only around 13% are in private rental. Owner-occupiers make up 47% of households. The degree-holding share sits at about 20%, modestly below Bristol's generally well-educated population. About 85% of residents were born in the UK, with a diversity index of 23, suggesting a moderately mixed community by Bristol standards.
Practically, the nearest mainline rail station is about 1.5 km away, and most residents drive: nearly 6 in 10 commute by car, while fewer than 1 in 10 use public transport. Working from home accounts for about 17% of residents, roughly in line with post-pandemic Bristol norms. For streets and sub-areas, see the list below.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Bristol 045 a nice place to live?
- It depends what you're looking for. The area has a strong family character, reasonable green space nearby — around 79% of residents are within walking distance of greenspace — and full gigabit broadband coverage. The trade-off is a high crime rate (around 162 per 1,000 residents annually) and an Ofsted picture that's well below the national average. It's an area with real community roots, but prospective residents should go in with eyes open on both crime and school quality.
- What is the rent in Bristol 045?
- A one-bed runs around £1,230 a month, a two-bed around £1,550, and a three-bed around £1,760. Rents rose about 7.6% over the past year. These are estimates scaled from Bristol-wide data using local sale prices, since official rent statistics don't drill down to neighbourhood level.
- Is Bristol 045 safe?
- Crime here runs at around 162 incidents per 1,000 residents annually — roughly twice the UK national average. That's a high rate and one of the more significant factors to weigh up. The area falls in the most deprived 10% of English neighbourhoods, which tends to correlate with elevated crime exposure. Check the police.uk crime map for street-level detail before deciding.
- What's the commute from Bristol 045 to Bristol city centre?
- The nearest major employment hub is around 19 minutes away by car or public transport. The nearest mainline rail station is about 1.5 km on foot. Most residents — nearly 6 in 10 — drive to work. Public transport use is low at under 10%, so if you're car-free, factor that into your decision.
- Who lives in Bristol 045?
- Predominantly families — over a quarter of residents are under 18, and couples with children make up nearly 19% of households. Around 39% of homes are social rented, which is high by Bristol standards. Owner-occupiers account for 47% of households. It's a settled, community-rooted area rather than the transient rental mix found in Bristol's student and professional quarters.
- What schools are near Bristol 045?
- There are 112 schools within 2 km of typical residents — a large catchment area by any standard. Around 43% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, which is well below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is about 2.7 km away. Families should verify current Ofsted ratings and catchment boundaries directly, as these change.
- How affordable is buying a home in Bristol 045?
- The median sale price here is around £265,000. On a typical local salary of around £34,000, it takes an estimated four years of saving to reach a deposit. Renting is also a stretch — monthly rent absorbs around 78% of typical take-home pay — so Bristol 045 reflects the broader affordability squeeze affecting much of the city.