Balsall Common
Solihull 025 · 5 sub-areas · 8,282 residents
Solihull 025 is a settled, predominantly owner-occupied corner of Solihull, home to around 8,300 people. A typical two-bedroom property lets for about £1,050 a month — broadly in line with the national average and meaningfully below what you'd pay closer to Birmingham city centre. Nearly half of residents work from home, making this one of the more self-contained pockets in the West Midlands.
Balsall Common is a green, lower-density part of Solihull — parks within walking distance of most addresses, a slower weekday rhythm, and a population skewed toward longer-tenure households rather than transient renters. 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 Balsall Common?
2 parks and 1 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 £1,258 a month for a typical home; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 5 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Balsall Common in Solihull
Living in Balsall Common
What defines this part of Solihull more than anything is its stability. Around 84% of households own their home — an unusually high share that shapes the whole character of the area. Streets are quiet, turnover is low, and the population skews older: more than one in four residents is 65 or over, and the 50–64 bracket is the second-largest age group. That's not a criticism — it means well-maintained properties, lower crime, and a neighbourhood that isn't in constant flux.
The cost picture is more accessible than Solihull's reputation might suggest. A two-bedroom home runs roughly £1,050 a month in rent — right around the UK median — while a three-bedroom comes in at about £1,240. Rents have risen only around 1% over the past year, which is notably flat compared to much of the West Midlands. Council tax (Band D) sits at around £2,200 a year, standard for the borough. Buying is a different story: the median sale price is around £455,000, which puts the deposit-saving timeline at over six years even on a decent salary.
The working-from-home rate here is striking — nearly half of residents work remotely, which helps explain why public transport use is just 2%. Most people who do commute drive. Birmingham is reachable by public transport in just over 30 minutes, which is workable for those heading in two or three days a week. The nearest rail station is roughly 1.4 km away — about a 17-minute walk.
Greenspace is a genuine plus. Around 47% of residents can reach green space within a short walk, with the nearest patch under 400 metres from a typical address. For a suburban setting, that's genuinely useful day to day. See the streets and sub-areas below for more detail on how this neighbourhood breaks down.
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Frequently asked
- Is Solihull 025 a nice place to live?
- It's a quiet, settled suburban neighbourhood with low crime and good greenspace access. The trade-off is that schools within walking distance score well below average on Ofsted ratings, and the area leans older — so if you're looking for a lively social scene or young professional community, you'll find it a little sedate. For families and remote workers who prioritise calm and stability, it works well.
- What is the rent in Solihull 025?
- A one-bedroom property typically rents for around £840 a month, a two-bedroom for roughly £1,050, and a three-bedroom for about £1,240. These are estimates scaled from borough-level data using local sale prices. Rents have risen only about 1% over the past year — slower than most of the West Midlands.
- Is Solihull 025 safe?
- Yes, relatively. The crime rate is around 40 incidents per 1,000 residents per year, roughly half the UK national average. It's one of the safer suburban pockets in the West Midlands, consistent with its high homeownership rate and settled, low-turnover population.
- What's the commute from Solihull 025 to Birmingham city centre?
- By public transport it's around 33 minutes to Birmingham — manageable for a hybrid working pattern. The nearest rail station is about 1.4 km away, a roughly 17-minute walk. Bear in mind that nearly half of residents work from home entirely, and most who do commute drive rather than use public transport.
- Who lives in Solihull 025?
- Predominantly older, established homeowners. More than half the population is aged 50 or over, and around 84% own their home. It's one of the more owner-occupied neighbourhoods in the West Midlands. Degree-level qualifications are common, at nearly 47% of residents, pointing to a professional and managerial demographic.
- What schools are near Solihull 025?
- There are 10 schools within 2km of a typical address in the neighbourhood, but only around 29% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 8.4 km away. Families with school-age children should check individual catchment areas carefully before choosing a specific street.
- How does Solihull 025 compare to other parts of Solihull for renters?
- It sits in the more affordable end of the borough for renters, with two-bedroom rents around the UK median. Ownership rates are very high, so the rental market is relatively thin — fewer properties come up. The area scores well on safety and greenspace but below average on nearby school quality, which is worth weighing against cheaper monthly costs.