Five Ways South & Calthorpe Park
Birmingham 074 · 4 sub-areas · 6,996 residents
Birmingham 074 is a dense residential area within Birmingham, home to around 7,000 people and sitting firmly in the more affordable end of the city's rental market. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for around £990 a month — noticeably below the UK national average for a 2-bed. The neighbourhood has a high social housing concentration and unusually strong work-from-home rates for a Birmingham neighbourhood.
Five Ways South & Calthorpe Park is a commuter neighbourhood within Birmingham — train into Birmingham runs in around 14 minutes, and the rhythm of weekday mornings is shaped by it. A high share of adults are degree-educated, which often shows up in the kind of jobs people commute to.
Overview
What's it like to live in Five Ways South & Calthorpe Park?
2 parks and 1 playgrounds are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; there's effectively nothing within walking distance — eating out, drinking and shopping mean a drive; Crime sits around the national average — neither a notable concern nor a notable selling point; Public transport is genuinely strong; most errands and a fair share of social life don't need a car; rents are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £1,086 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.
Five Ways South & Calthorpe Park in Birmingham
Living in Five Ways South & Calthorpe Park
This part of Birmingham has a distinctly settled, community character — high-density housing, a broad ethnic mix, and a population that skews slightly younger than you might expect from a neighbourhood with significant social housing stock. Around 38% of households rent from a social landlord, which is well above typical Birmingham levels, and that shapes the feel of the streets: less transient than the student-heavy inner ring, more rooted.
On rent, this neighbourhood sits below the city average. A two-bedroom comes in at around £990 a month, meaningfully less than the UK national median of around £1,200. That affordability does come with trade-offs — deprivation is real here, with an Index of Multiple Deprivation score putting it in roughly the third decile nationally, meaning it's among the more deprived areas in England.
The population is genuinely diverse. Around 59% of residents were born in the UK, and the ethnic diversity index sits at 71.9 — high even by Birmingham standards, which is itself one of the UK's most diverse cities. The age spread is fairly broad, with just over a quarter of residents in the 18–34 bracket and about a fifth under 18, suggesting a neighbourhood with both young families and working-age adults rather than one dominated by any single demographic.
Practically, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1 km away — about a 12-minute walk — and Birmingham city centre is accessible in around 12 minutes by public transport. That's a strong connection for an area at this price point. Unemployment claimant rates are elevated at around 10%, which is worth factoring in if you're thinking about local amenities and community services. See the streets and sub-areas below for more.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Birmingham 074 a nice place to live?
- It depends on your priorities. Rents are genuinely affordable — a two-bed runs around £990 a month — and the rail connection to Birmingham city centre is quick at around 12 minutes. The trade-off is that deprivation is real here, crime runs above the national average, and school Ofsted ratings within catchment are well below the national share. It suits people who want space and affordability over polish.
- What is the rent in Birmingham 074?
- A one-bedroom property runs around £820 a month, a two-bedroom around £990, and a three-bedroom roughly £1,120. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose around 3.5% over the past year, which is relatively modest.
- Is Birmingham 074 safe?
- Crime runs at around 96 incidents per 1,000 residents annually, above the UK national rate of roughly 80. It's not among the most dangerous parts of Birmingham, but it's not low-crime either. The deprivation profile — it sits in roughly the third decile nationally — is the main driver. Worth factoring in, especially if you have children.
- What's the commute from Birmingham 074 to Birmingham city centre?
- Around 12 minutes by public transport, with the nearest mainline rail station about 1 km away — roughly a 12-minute walk. It's one of the neighbourhood's strongest practical attributes. The rail commute to London runs around 93 minutes and to Manchester around 99 minutes.
- Who lives in Birmingham 074?
- A genuinely mixed community — about 27% are aged 18–34, with a solid family presence from the 22% under-18 share. Around 38% of households are in social housing, which is high, and roughly 42% of residents hold a degree. Ethnic diversity is high even by Birmingham standards, with about 59% of residents born in the UK.
- What schools are near Birmingham 074?
- There are 81 schools within 2km, so choice isn't the issue — but quality is. Around 34% of those nearby schools are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, well below the national share of around 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is roughly 660 metres away. Check the Birmingham City Council school finder and Ofsted directly for current results.
- How affordable is buying a home in Birmingham 074?
- The median sale price is around £361,000. At current rents and typical deposit requirements, you'd be looking at roughly six years of saving to get a deposit together — that's the years-to-deposit figure for the area. For first-time buyers, it's more achievable than central Birmingham but still a stretch on local salaries.