Illogan & Portreath
Cornwall 045 · 5 sub-areas · 7,539 residents
Cornwall 045 is a rural stretch of Cornwall with around 7,500 residents and a housing market that's considerably more affordable than much of the South West. A typical two-bedroom home lets for about £880 a month — noticeably below the UK's national median for a two-bed — though with over seven in ten households owning their home, renting here is a minority tenure.
Illogan & Portreath is a mid-density neighbourhood of Cornwall 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 older, with a long-settled feel and a high share of retirees; 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 Illogan & Portreath?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; Crime sits around the national average — neither a notable concern nor a notable selling point; Transport links are limited — a car or e-bike is a practical assumption for most regular trips; rents are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £1,004 a month for a typical home; broadband infrastructure is patchy — worth checking the specific postcode.
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.
Illogan & Portreath in Cornwall
Living in Illogan & Portreath
This part of Cornwall has the character you'd expect from a largely rural, owner-occupied corner of the far South West — quiet, spread out, and heavily car-dependent. Nearly seven in ten residents drive to work, and only around one in a hundred uses public transport for their commute. That tells you most of what you need to know about what daily life looks like here.
Rents sit well below national averages. A two-bedroom home runs around £880 a month, which is roughly a quarter less than the UK's national median two-bed rent of around £1,200. For buyers, the median house price is just under £281,000 — and with typical local salaries around £28,200 a year, saving a deposit takes roughly five years. That's more manageable than many parts of England, though council tax (Band D) at around £2,591 a year is on the higher side for a rural area.
The population skews noticeably older. Over a quarter of residents are 65 or over, and the 50–64 bracket is the single largest working-age group. Younger renters in their 20s and early 30s make up a much smaller share than you'd find in any city. This isn't a place with a large transient population — around 96% of residents were born in the UK, and the community has a settled, long-established feel.
Practically speaking, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 3.7 km away — about a 46-minute walk, so you'd want a car or a bike. Getting to any major UK employment hub takes well over four hours by public transport, which means this area works best for people who work locally, are self-employed, or work from home. Just over a fifth of residents — around 22% — already do. See the streets and sub-areas below for more detail on specific pockets within this area.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Cornwall 045 a nice place to live?
- It depends on what you're after. If you want rural quiet, affordable rents, and a settled community, it works well. It's not for people who need fast public transport, city nightlife, or are looking to be near a major employment hub — the nearest takes over four hours by public transport. The older demographic gives it a calm, established feel.
- What is the rent in Cornwall 045?
- A one-bed typically runs around £690 a month, a two-bed around £880, and a three-bed roughly £1,080. These figures are estimates scaled from council-level data using local sale prices. Rents have risen about 5.5% in the past year, so the market is moving, but it remains cheaper than most of the South West.
- Is Cornwall 045 safe?
- Yes, relatively. The crime rate is around 56.5 per 1,000 residents annually — well below the UK national rate of roughly 80 per 1,000. Rural areas like this tend to see lower levels of street crime and anti-social behaviour than towns and cities, and the older, settled population reinforces that pattern.
- What's the commute from Cornwall 045 to the nearest city centre?
- It's a long one if you're using public transport. The nearest mainline rail station is about 3.7 km away — you'll need a car or bike to reach it. Getting to any major UK employment hub takes over four hours by public transport. Around 70% of residents drive, and over a fifth work from home — which tells you most commuters here either work locally or remote.
- Who lives in Cornwall 045?
- Mostly older, long-established owner-occupiers. Over a quarter of residents are 65 or over, and nearly half are aged 50-plus. Owner-occupation sits at 72%, and 96% of residents were born in the UK. It's a settled, low-turnover community — not a place with a large population of young renters or newcomers.
- What schools are near Cornwall 045?
- There are 12 schools within typical catchment distance, but only around a third are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — significantly below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding school is around 8.5 km away. If schools are a key factor in your decision, it's worth researching individual options carefully before committing to the area.
- Is broadband good in Cornwall 045?
- It's a weak point. Gigabit-capable broadband covers none of the premises in this area — a real limitation given that over a fifth of residents work from home. Basic speeds appear to be available throughout, but anyone needing fast, reliable connectivity for remote work should check their specific address before moving here.