Smith's Wood South
Solihull 004 · 4 sub-areas · 6,783 residents
Solihull 004 is a residential neighbourhood within Solihull, home to around 6,800 people and sitting at the more affordable end of the borough's rental market. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,050 a month — noticeably below the UK national median for a 2-bed — and Birmingham is reachable in under 40 minutes by public transport. The trade-off is a high social housing concentration and one of the borough's lower shares of well-rated nearby schools.
Smith's Wood South is a mid-density neighbourhood of Solihull in the West Midlands region. It sits between busier and quieter parts of the local authority and isn't dominated by a single use — there's a mix of workplaces, housing and local services. The demographic profile leans family-aged, with a clear share of households with school-age children.
Overview
What's it like to live in Smith's Wood South?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; Crime sits around the national average — neither a notable concern nor a notable selling point; 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 4 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Smith's Wood South in Solihull
Living in Smith's Wood South
Solihull 004 has the feel of a settled, predominantly residential area — the kind of neighbourhood where owner-occupiers and long-term social tenants live side by side, and where families with children make up a significant share of the population. It's quieter and more everyday than the more affluent parts of Solihull, but that's reflected in what you pay.
Rent here is genuinely affordable by Solihull standards. A two-bedroom home runs around £1,050 a month — at or slightly below the UK national median, which is unusual for a West Midlands borough that trends more expensive. If you're priced out of central Solihull but want to stay in the borough, this area makes the numbers work. The deposit horizon sits at around 3.2 years' savings, which is modest compared to most of the South.
The people who live here skew young: over a quarter of residents are under 18, and nearly a quarter are in the 18–34 bracket. That gives the area a noticeably younger demographic profile than Solihull as a whole. Nearly 39% of homes are social housing — a share that stands out in a borough otherwise dominated by owner-occupation — while just under 10% are privately rented. Owner-occupiers account for around half of households.
Practically speaking, Birmingham is the main anchor. The public transport journey to Birmingham takes roughly 38 minutes, which makes this workable as a city commute. The nearest rail station is around 2.2 km away — a walk of roughly 28 minutes, or a short drive. Most residents here travel by car (around 63% of commuters), with only about 11% using public transport. Working from home accounts for nearly 17% of commuters, above the traditional average. See the streets and sub-areas below for more on how the neighbourhood breaks down locally.
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Frequently asked
- Is Solihull 004 a nice place to live?
- It depends what you're after. It's a settled, affordable residential area with good Birmingham access and strong broadband. The trade-offs are a higher-than-average crime rate, a lower share of highly-rated nearby schools, and a local demographic that skews younger and more working-class than other parts of Solihull.
- What is the rent in Solihull 004?
- A one-bedroom home runs around £843 a month, a two-bed around £1,050, and a three-bed around £1,240. These figures are estimates scaled from borough-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose only about 1% over the past year — one of the slower rates in the region.
- Is Solihull 004 safe?
- Crime runs at around 105 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, which is above the UK national rate of roughly 80. It's on the higher end for Solihull but not in the same bracket as the highest-crime parts of the wider West Midlands. Street-level variation means it's worth checking specific roads you're considering.
- What's the commute from Solihull 004 to Birmingham?
- By public transport it's around 38 minutes to Birmingham. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 2.2 km away — about a 28-minute walk, though most residents drive to the station or commute by car entirely. Around 63% of working residents travel by car.
- Who lives in Solihull 004?
- It's a relatively young area — over a quarter of residents are under 18, and nearly a quarter are aged 18–34. About half of homes are owner-occupied, but unusually for Solihull, nearly 39% are social housing. Private renters account for under 10% of households.
- What schools are near Solihull 004?
- There are 80 schools within 2 km of typical residents, but only around 26% are rated Good or Outstanding — well below the national share of around 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 2.7 km away. Families should check individual Ofsted ratings and admissions boundaries carefully.
- How affordable is buying a home in Solihull 004?
- The median property price is around £232,000. Based on local salaries and typical deposit requirements, it takes roughly 3.2 years of savings to reach a deposit — relatively modest compared to southern England, though the high rent-to-income ratio (nearly 49%) makes saving while renting a stretch.