Ilchester, Sparkford & Mudford
South Somerset 006 · 4 sub-areas · 7,424 residents
South Somerset 006 is a rural pocket of Somerset, home to around 7,400 people and significantly more affordable than most of southern England. A typical two-bedroom lets for about £880 a month — well below the national median of around £1,200 — and nearly two-thirds of residents own their home, making this one of the more settled, owner-occupied corners of the South West.
Ilchester, Sparkford & Mudford 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. 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 Ilchester, Sparkford & Mudford?
Greenspace is reachable but isn't on the immediate doorstep — most residents walk a few blocks to reach a park; 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 4 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Ilchester, Sparkford & Mudford in Somerset
Living in Ilchester, Sparkford & Mudford
This part of South Somerset has the feel of established rural England rather than a commuter belt. Most streets are quiet, the housing stock leans toward family homes and detached properties, and the population skews noticeably older than you'd find in a university city or suburban ring road development. Nearly one in five residents is 65 or over, and the area has a strongly settled quality — over 65% of households own their home outright or with a mortgage.
On cost, South Somerset 006 sits at the affordable end of the South West market. You'll pay around £880 a month for a two-bedroom, roughly £670 for a one-bedroom, and just over £1,090 for a three-bedroom. Those figures are meaningfully below what you'd pay in Bristol or Bath, and well under the national two-bed median. Council tax (Band D) comes to about £2,560 a year, which is in line with the county average. The median property price here is around £268,000 — and with a deposit-saving horizon of about 4.4 years on local salaries, buying is within reach for many residents.
The working-age population earns a median of roughly £30,000 a year, and just under 30% of residents work from home — an unusually high share that partly reflects the area's distance from major employment centres. Around 54% drive to work, and public transport use is minimal at under 1%. If you're not remote-working, a car is effectively essential here.
School provision is limited nearby — only four schools fall within typical catchment distance, and around 39% of those are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, notably below the national share of around 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is over 7 km away, so families will want to research specific catchments carefully before committing. See the streets and sub-areas below for more detail on local pockets.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is South Somerset 006 a nice place to live?
- It's a quiet, settled rural area with low crime and affordable rents — well below the national median. The trade-off is car dependency, limited public transport, and relatively few schools within easy reach. It suits people who value space, peace, and lower costs over urban convenience, particularly those who can work from home.
- What is the rent in South Somerset 006?
- A typical one-bedroom lets for around £670 a month, a two-bedroom for about £880, and a three-bedroom for 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 006 safe?
- Yes, relatively. The area records around 55 crimes per 1,000 residents annually — noticeably below the UK national rate of roughly 80. Rural character and high owner-occupation both tend to correlate with lower crime, and the deprivation score sits in the middle of the national range.
- What's the commute from South Somerset 006 to the nearest city centre?
- Most residents drive — over 53% commute by car and public transport accounts for under 1% of journeys. The nearest mainline rail station is about 7.4 km away. Long-distance rail journeys to London or Birmingham run to several hours by public transport, so remote working or car ownership is almost essential.
- Who lives in South Somerset 006?
- Mostly older, settled owner-occupiers — nearly two-thirds own their home, and almost one in five residents is 65 or over. Around 26% work from home, and the area is predominantly UK-born with a low diversity index. It's more families and established households than young professionals.
- What schools are near South Somerset 006?
- There are four schools within typical catchment distance. Around 39% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national share of about 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is over 7 km away. With such a small number of schools, families should check individual catchment boundaries directly.
- Is it worth buying a home in South Somerset 006?
- The median property price is around £268,000, and on local salaries a deposit is achievable in roughly 4.4 years — more realistic than much of the South West. With 100% gigabit broadband and nearly 30% of residents already working from home, it can make financial sense for remote workers prioritising space over commute access.