Ham Hill & Merriott
South Somerset 017 · 8 sub-areas · 9,901 residents
South Somerset 017 is a rural pocket of Somerset, home to around 9,900 people and sitting well outside any major urban orbit. A typical two-bedroom home lets for about £880 a month — noticeably below the national median and among the more affordable corners of the South West. Nearly three in four households here own their home, giving the area a settled, owner-occupier feel that's increasingly rare.
Ham Hill & Merriott is a mid-density neighbourhood of Somerset 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 Ham Hill & Merriott?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; there's effectively nothing within walking distance — eating out, drinking and shopping mean a drive; The streets feel safe by national standards — police-recorded crime is well below the country-wide median; 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 £980 a month for a typical home; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 8 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Ham Hill & Merriott in Somerset
Living in Ham Hill & Merriott
South Somerset 017 has the character of a deeply rural Somerset community rather than a commuter village or market-town suburb. Car ownership is close to universal — around 60% of residents drive to work, and just under 1% use public transport. That tells you something important: this is a place where you need a car, and where daily life is organised around it.
Rents here are low by almost any measure. A two-bedroom home averages around £880 a month — well under the national median of roughly £1,200 for the same size. Even a three-bedroom property comes in at just over £1,090 a month. The trade-off is that with rents up around 3% year-on-year and a median house price of about £319,000, buyers are still stretching — the average deposit takes around five years to save on local wages. And at just over 50% of take-home pay, rent-to-income here is high relative to what the headline figures suggest.
The population skews noticeably older. Nearly a third of residents are aged 65 or over, and almost a quarter are in the 50–64 bracket. Younger adults — those aged 18 to 34 — make up fewer than 14% of the population. This is the demographic profile of a community where people have settled and stayed, not one that attracts a lot of new arrivals in their twenties.
For connectivity, the picture is mixed. Gigabit broadband reaches around 62% of premises, and there's no broadband below the universal service obligation — a solid baseline for remote workers. Around 31% of residents work from home, which is high and helps explain why so many people can live here despite the distance from major employment hubs. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 6.2 km away in a straight line — around a 75-minute walk, so realistically a drive. See the streets and sub-areas below for more on specific parts of the neighbourhood.
What you'll need on day one
Compare Ham Hill & Merriott with
Frequently asked
- Is South Somerset 017 a nice place to live?
- It depends what you're after. It's quiet, affordable by South West standards, and has very low crime. But you'll need a car for almost everything — public transport is minimal — and the nearest rail station is over 6 km away. It suits people who work from home or are semi-retired, not those who need easy access to a city.
- What is the rent in South Somerset 017?
- A one-bedroom home averages around £667 a month, a two-bedroom about £881, and a three-bedroom just over £1,090. These are estimates scaled from county-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose around 3% over the past year.
- Is South Somerset 017 safe?
- Yes, by national standards. The crime rate is around 46 per 1,000 residents annually — well below the UK average of roughly 80. Rural areas like this tend to have lower crime across most categories, and the predominantly owner-occupied community reinforces that.
- What's the commute from South Somerset 017 to the nearest city centre?
- Most people drive — around 60% of residents commute by car, and fewer than 1% use public transport. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 6 km away as the crow flies. The journey to London by public transport takes close to four hours, and Birmingham is similar.
- Who lives in South Somerset 017?
- Predominantly older, settled owner-occupiers. Nearly a third of residents are aged 65 or over, and almost a quarter are in their 50s. Younger adults under 35 are a small minority. Around 31% work from home, suggesting a professional element that's chosen rural living without giving up career earnings.
- What schools are near South Somerset 017?
- There are 13 schools within typical catchment distance, but only around 41% are rated Good or Outstanding — well below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 7 km away. Families should check catchment boundaries carefully before committing.
- Is South Somerset 017 good for remote workers?
- Reasonably, yes. Around 31% of residents already work from home — one of the higher rates in Somerset. Gigabit broadband covers about 62% of premises, and no properties fall below the minimum broadband standard. Rents are low, but you'll need a car and should check coverage at the specific property.