Living in Wiltshire

A 2-bed in Wiltshire runs about £950 a month and a 3-bed around £1,190 — noticeably below the national median for a 2-bed and affordable by South West standards. One-beds average around £730. Rents rose roughly 7% over the past year, so the affordability gap is narrowing. Council tax (Band D) is around £2,570 a year, or about £214 a month — factor that in, because it's higher than many comparable counties. With a median property price of around £354,000 and typical renter income, you're looking at about five and a half years to save a deposit. Rent takes up roughly half of a typical take-home salary, which is stretched — though less so than in Bristol or Bath.

Wiltshire's crime rate sits at around 63 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, noticeably below the UK average of roughly 80 per 1,000. That puts it among the safer counties in England — not surprising for a largely rural area with small market towns rather than dense urban centres. Anti-social behaviour and lower-level property crime tend to drive what incidents there are. The deprivation index (average decile around 7 out of 10) reflects a generally well-off county, which correlates with lower crime. The more rural sub-areas tend to have the lowest incident rates.

Around 40% of schools within typical catchment distance in Wiltshire are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — significantly below the national share of roughly 89%. That gap is worth knowing about if schools are a priority. The nearest Outstanding-rated school to a typical resident is just under 10 km away, which in a rural county often means transport is needed. The picture varies considerably by town: larger settlements with more school choice tend to fare better than smaller villages with a single option. If schools are a deciding factor, it's worth checking specific catchments rather than relying on the county average.

Wiltshire is car country. Over 52% of residents drive to work, and public transport accounts for just 2% of commutes. There's no metro or tram network — the nearest is over 100 km away. The average straight-line distance to the nearest mainline rail station is around 5.5 km. Rail commutes to London run around two and a half hours by public transport; Birmingham is over three hours. Working from home is common here — 34% of residents do so, well above the national average — and that's probably the main reason many people can make Wiltshire work despite the connectivity constraints. Gigabit broadband reaches around 78% of homes, which helps.

Wiltshire skews older and more settled than most of England. The 50-plus age groups account for nearly 43% of the population, while under-18s make up 20% — a family-heavy but ageing county. Just under 19% of residents are aged 18–34, which is low, reflecting the limited pull for younger renters without a major university or city centre. Two-thirds of homes are owner-occupied; private renting accounts for around 18%. The county is ethnically homogeneous — the diversity index sits at around 11 — with over 90% of residents UK-born. Around 34% hold a degree-level qualification, close to the national average, suggesting a mix of professional and trade occupations.