Handsworth Wood
Birmingham 133 · 6 sub-areas · 10,276 residents
Birmingham 133 is a largely residential part of Birmingham, home to around 10,300 people and one of the more owner-occupied corners of the city. A typical two-bedroom home lets for around £990 a month — noticeably below the national two-bed median — and nearly four in five households own their home outright or with a mortgage, which is unusual for an inner Birmingham neighbourhood.
Handsworth Wood is a commuter neighbourhood within Birmingham — train into Birmingham runs in around 12 minutes, and the rhythm of weekday mornings is shaped by it. 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 Handsworth Wood?
2 parks and 2 playgrounds are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; The streets feel safe by national standards — police-recorded crime is well below the country-wide median; 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 6 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Handsworth Wood in Birmingham
Living in Handsworth Wood
Birmingham 133 sits firmly at the settled, owner-occupied end of Birmingham's housing spectrum. Nearly 79% of households own their home, compared to the much higher private-renting shares you'd find closer to the city centre. That tenure mix shapes the feel of the area: it's quieter, more family-oriented, and less transient than many Birmingham neighbourhoods. Under-18s make up just over a fifth of the population, and couples with children account for more than one in five households.
On cost, it's one of the more accessible parts of Birmingham. A two-bedroom home rents for around £990 a month — roughly £200 below the UK national median for a two-bed — and a one-bed comes in at around £820. The median house price sits at around £300,000, and a typical buyer could reach a deposit in around five years at current saving rates. Rents rose around 3.5% over the past year, broadly in line with Birmingham's general trend.
Demographically, the neighbourhood is notably mixed. The ethnic diversity index sits at 53.8, and just under 65% of residents were born in the UK — reflecting Birmingham's character as one of England's most diverse cities. The age profile is fairly spread across all bands, though the under-35 share (around 44% combined) gives it more of a working-age feel than some of the suburbs further out.
For getting around, the area is car-dependent — nearly 58% of residents commute by car, and public transport use is relatively low at 7.5%. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1 km away (about a 12-minute walk), and Birmingham city centre is around 13 minutes by public transport. Almost 30% of residents work from home at least part of the time. See the streets and sub-areas below for more detail on specific pockets within the neighbourhood.
What you'll need on day one
Compare Handsworth Wood with
Frequently asked
- Is Birmingham 133 a nice place to live?
- It's a settled, predominantly owner-occupied neighbourhood with crime rates well below the UK average and decent greenspace within reach. It suits families and those wanting stability more than a buzzy urban scene. The unemployment rate is on the higher side at around 10%, but the housing quality and ownership rates suggest an established community rather than a transient one.
- What is the rent in Birmingham 133?
- A one-bed runs around £820 a month, a two-bed around £990, and a three-bed around £1,120. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose roughly 3.5% over the past year. Even so, two-bed rents here are noticeably below the UK national median of around £1,200 a month.
- Is Birmingham 133 safe?
- By urban standards, yes — the crime rate is around 58.5 per 1,000 residents annually, which sits well below the UK national average of roughly 80 per 1,000. High owner-occupation and low population turnover tend to correlate with lower neighbourhood crime. As always, individual streets vary, so it's worth walking the specific area you're considering.
- What's the commute from Birmingham 133 to Birmingham city centre?
- Around 13 minutes by public transport — the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1 km away (about a 12-minute walk). That said, nearly 58% of residents drive to work, so the area isn't heavily served by frequent public transport. Working from home is also common here, with around 30% of residents doing so at least part of the time.
- Who lives in Birmingham 133?
- Predominantly owner-occupiers — nearly 79% of households own their home, which is high for Birmingham. The age spread is fairly even, with under-18s making up just over a fifth of residents and couples with children accounting for more than one in five households. The neighbourhood is ethnically diverse, reflecting Birmingham's broader character.
- What schools are near Birmingham 133?
- There are 99 schools within 2 km, giving families strong choice. Around 65.5% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, and the nearest Outstanding school is about 1,150 metres away. That Ofsted share is below the national average of roughly 89%, so it's worth checking individual inspection reports via the Ofsted website before relying on proximity alone.
- Is Birmingham 133 good for families?
- It's well set up for families — high ownership rates, a significant proportion of couple-with-children households, and nearly 100 schools within 2 km. The crime rate is below average and the nearest green space is under 400 metres away on average. The main caveat is that public transport is limited, so families without a car will find the area less convenient.