Groundsense

Birmingham

Birmingham is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands. All 24 figures Groundsense publishes are available here. Figures fetched 3 October 2026.

Birmingham has fewer pubs, bars and clubs per head than any other council in the West Midlands: 3.4 per 10,000 residents, down 9.1% since 2021. Few councils have more park within reach, with 100.1 ha of parks and public gardens within 1km of the average home, more than 94% of councils. Recorded crime and burglary are both the highest of the 30 councils in the region. Patients per GP, 1,966, is lower than at every neighbour but Bromsgrove.

Furthest from the middle

Open Birmingham on the map

Each line runs from the council with the lowest figure to the one with the highest. The dot is Birmingham and the tick is the council in the middle.

Cost of living

Council tax, band D£2,363

Lower than 68% of the 296 councils in England it is published for.

MHCLG, Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026-27, Table 9 · 2026-27 · How this is measured

Housing

Average house price, all homes£234k

Lower than 61% of the 360 councils in the UK it is published for.

Up 2.2% since June 2025

UK House Price Index · June 2026 · How this is measured

Average monthly rent, two bedrooms£1,003

Higher than 55% of the 316 councils in England and Wales it is published for.

4th highest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

Up 2.8% since August 2025

ONS Price Index of Private Rents · August 2026 · How this is measured

Price to local earnings6.5

Lower than 60% of the 348 councils in England, Scotland and Wales it is published for.

UK House Price Index average price (June 2026) over ASHE median gross annual pay, full time workers (2025) · June 2026 prices, 2025 pay · How this is measured

Energy efficiency score of the typical home68

Lower than 65% of the 318 councils in England and Wales it is published for.

Joint 5th lowest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

ONS, Energy efficiency of housing, median score by local authority, from MHCLG certificates · to March 2025 · How this is measured

Transport

Households with no car or van31.7%

Higher than 88% of the 329 councils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is published for.

The highest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

Census 2021: ONS TS045 for England and Wales, NISRA for Northern Ireland · 2021 · How this is measured

Residents within 1km of a train, Underground or tram station42.2%

Higher than 78% of the 350 councils in England, Scotland and Wales it is published for.

2nd highest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

DfT NaPTAN active stations, read at every census area · October 2026 · How this is measured

Amenities

Residents within 1km of a supermarket92.8%

Higher than 84% of the 358 councils in the UK it is published for.

4th highest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

Food Standards Agency register of food businesses, read at every census area · October 2026 · How this is measured

Residents within 1km of a pharmacy95.7%

Higher than 86% of the 318 councils in England and Wales it is published for.

4th highest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

NHS organisation register, dispensing contractors, read at every census area · October 2026 · How this is measured

Premises with full fibre available83.7%

Higher than 65% of the 359 councils in the UK it is published for.

Ofcom Connected Nations 2025, fixed broadband residential coverage by local authority · July 2025 · How this is measured

Education

Eleven year olds at the expected standard in reading, writing and maths64%

Higher than 57% of the 296 councils in England it is published for.

Joint 7th highest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

Up 2 points since 2018/19

DfE, Key stage 2 attainment by pupil residency · 2025/26 · How this is measured

Attainment 8 at sixteen, average score45.7

Lower than 50% of the 296 councils in England it is published for.

DfE, Key stage 4 performance, local authority district data by pupil residency · 2024/25 · How this is measured

Health

Patients per fully qualified GP1,966

Lower than 73% of the 296 councils in England it is published for.

NHS England, General Practice Workforce, practice level, August 2026 · August 2026 · How this is measured

GP practices rated Good or Outstanding95%

Lower than 75% of the 293 councils in England it is published for.

The lowest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

CQC Syndication API, GP practices (inspection category P2) · October 2026 · How this is measured

Safety

Recorded crime per 1,000 residents114.8

Higher than 92% of the 305 councils in England and Wales it is published for.

The highest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

Down 14.3% since 2022-23

Home Office recorded crime by community safety partnership, over ONS population estimates for June 2025 · 2025-26 · How this is measured

Residential burglary per 1,000 households11.7

Higher than 97% of the 305 councils in England and Wales it is published for.

The highest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

Home Office recorded crime by community safety partnership, over Census 2021 household counts · 2025-26 · How this is measured

Killed or seriously injured on the roads, per 100,000 residents a year42.6

Higher than 50% of the 350 councils in England, Scotland and Wales it is published for.

8th highest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

DfT RAS0403, adjusted casualties by highway authority, 2023 to 2025, over ONS population estimates for June 2025 · 2023 to 2025 · How this is measured

Community

Residents at the same address a year earlier89.2%

Lower than 70% of the 318 councils in England and Wales it is published for.

6th lowest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

ONS Census 2021, TS019 Migrant indicator · 2021 · How this is measured

Pubs, bars and licensed clubs per 10,000 residents3.4

Lower than 90% of the 361 councils in the UK it is published for.

The lowest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

Down 9.1% since 2021

ONS UK Business Counts, SIC 56301 and 56302, over ONS population estimates for June 2025 · 2026 · How this is measured

Wellbeing

Life satisfaction, mean out of 107.2

Lower than 86% of the 347 councils in the UK it is published for.

Joint 4th lowest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

ONS, personal wellbeing estimates by local authority · 2022-23 · How this is measured

Anxiety, mean out of 103.4

Higher than 73% of the 347 councils in the UK it is published for.

7th highest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

ONS, personal wellbeing estimates by local authority · 2022-23 · How this is measured

Healthy life expectancy at birth, women58 yrs

Lower than 82% of the 359 councils in the UK it is published for.

5th lowest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

Down 1.9 years since 2011 to 2013

ONS, Healthy life expectancy, UK · 2022 to 2024 · How this is measured

Environment

Park and public garden space within 1km of the average home100.1 ha

Higher than 94% of the 343 councils in England, Scotland and Wales it is published for.

3rd highest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

ONS, Access to public parks and playing fields, from OS Open Greenspace · April 2020 · How this is measured

Nitrogen dioxide where people live, annual mean14.3 µg/m³

Higher than 91% of the 361 councils in the UK it is published for.

2nd highest of the 30 councils in the West Midlands.

Down 25.9% since 2019

Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, background NO2 on the 1km grid, read at every census area · 2024 · How this is measured

Next door, side by side

Birmingham shares a boundary with Bromsgrove, Dudley, Lichfield, North Warwickshire, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall. Lowest first.

Average monthly rent, two bedrooms
  1. Dudley£782
  2. Walsall£797
  3. Sandwell£851
  4. North Warwickshire£882
  5. Bromsgrove£899
  6. Lichfield£967
  7. Birmingham£1,003
  8. Solihull£1,065
Average house price, all homes
  1. Sandwell£206k
  2. Walsall£215k
  3. Dudley£231k
  4. Birmingham£234k
  5. North Warwickshire£270k
  6. Solihull£335k
  7. Lichfield£337k
  8. Bromsgrove£339k
Council tax, band D
  1. Dudley£2,145
  2. Solihull£2,197
  3. Sandwell£2,244
  4. Lichfield£2,352
  5. Birmingham£2,363
  6. Bromsgrove£2,479
  7. North Warwickshire£2,532
  8. Walsall£2,627
Recorded crime per 1,000 residents
  1. Lichfield54.7
  2. North Warwickshire60.7
  3. Bromsgrove63.8
  4. Dudley74.1
  5. Solihull79.4
  6. Walsall92.9
  7. Sandwell96.1
  8. Birmingham114.8
Patients per fully qualified GP
  1. Bromsgrove1,663
  2. Birmingham1,966
  3. North Warwickshire2,023
  4. Lichfield2,088
  5. Walsall2,126
  6. Dudley2,157
  7. Solihull2,174
  8. Sandwell2,210
Eleven year olds at the expected standard in reading, writing and maths
  1. North Warwickshire61%
  2. Sandwell61%
  3. Walsall61%
  4. Dudley62%
  5. Birmingham64%
  6. Lichfield66%
  7. Solihull67%
  8. Bromsgrove70%
Nitrogen dioxide where people live, annual mean
  1. Lichfield8 µg/m³
  2. Bromsgrove8.2 µg/m³
  3. North Warwickshire9 µg/m³
  4. Dudley10.8 µg/m³
  5. Solihull11.8 µg/m³
  6. Walsall13.3 µg/m³
  7. Birmingham14.3 µg/m³
  8. Sandwell14.6 µg/m³
Residents within 1km of a train, Underground or tram station
  1. Lichfield18.8%
  2. Walsall19.5%
  3. Bromsgrove19.6%
  4. Dudley21.6%
  5. North Warwickshire22%
  6. Solihull25.1%
  7. Birmingham42.2%
  8. Sandwell46.9%

What changed

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