Knowle
Solihull 026 · 6 sub-areas · 9,713 residents
Solihull 026 is a settled, predominantly owner-occupied corner of Solihull, home to around 9,700 people. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,050 a month — noticeably below the UK median for a two-bed — and nearly half of residents work from home, making this one of the more self-contained pockets within the borough.
Knowle 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 Knowle?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; 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 6 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Knowle in Solihull
Living in Knowle
This part of Solihull has a distinctly mature, residential feel. Owner-occupation runs at around 84%, well above the national norm, and almost three in ten residents are aged 65 or over — giving the area a quieter, more established character than many parts of the wider West Midlands. Green space is genuinely close: around half of residents are within walking distance of a park or open area, and the average distance to greenspace sits at roughly 350 metres.
Rents here are among the more affordable options within Solihull. A two-bed runs about £1,050 a month, fractionally below the UK national median for that size, and one-beds start at around £843. That said, buying is a different story — the median sale price is close to £549,000, pushing the deposit savings timeline to around seven and a half years on a typical local salary.
Around half of working residents here don't commute at all — the work-from-home rate of nearly 50% is striking. Of those who do travel, the majority drive: public transport accounts for just 2.4% of journeys, which reflects both the car-dependent layout and the limited rail options. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1.9 km away — about a 24-minute walk — and Birmingham city centre is around 39 minutes away by public transport on a typical journey.
The population skews older and settled, with families and couples with children making up a significant share of households. Deprivation is low — the area sits in the top decile nationally — and the unemployment claimant rate is 3.7%. Broadband coverage is complete, with 100% gigabit availability and no premises below the universal service obligation. See the streets and sub-areas below for more detail on specific pockets within Solihull 026.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Solihull 026 a nice place to live?
- For those wanting a quiet, well-kept suburban area with low crime and good green space access, it's a strong option. Owner-occupation is high at 84%, deprivation is in the lowest 10% nationally, and half of residents are within walking distance of a park. The trade-off is limited public transport and a high cost to buy.
- What is the rent in Solihull 026?
- A typical one-bed runs about £843 a month, a two-bed around £1,050, and a three-bed roughly £1,240. These are estimates scaled from borough-level data using local sale prices. Rent-to-take-home sits at close to 49%, so affordability is still a stretch despite the relatively moderate rents.
- Is Solihull 026 safe?
- Crime runs at around 37 incidents per 1,000 residents a year — less than half the UK national average of roughly 80. That makes it one of the lower-crime parts of the West Midlands. The area's low deprivation score (top 10% nationally) is consistent with this picture.
- What's the commute from Solihull 026 to Birmingham city centre?
- By public transport it's around 39 minutes to Birmingham. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1.9 km away — about a 24-minute walk. Most residents drive rather than use public transport, and nearly half work from home entirely.
- Who lives in Solihull 026?
- Mostly older, settled homeowners — nearly three in ten residents are 65 or over, and 84% own their home. The degree-qualified share is high at around 48%. It's a predominantly UK-born population, and nearly half of working residents work from home.
- What schools are near Solihull 026?
- There are 27 schools within typical catchment distance. Around 79% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, which is below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 5.8 km away. Always check current Ofsted ratings and admissions criteria directly.
- How much is council tax in Solihull 026?
- Council tax at Band D is around £2,197 a year — roughly £183 a month. This is the Solihull borough rate and applies across the area. Your exact band depends on your property's valuation, which you can check via the Valuation Office Agency.