Areas · West Midlands · West Midlands

Area guide · West Midlands

Birmingham

How Birmingham compares with every council area in England and Wales, on official figures only (1,176,960 people, mid-2025). Ranked 1st = best for someone living there. There is no overall score: the places are too different for one number to be honest.

Gigabit broadband
95.0%
56th fastest of 318
lastmiddle area: 89.4%1st
Ofcom Connected Nations, January 2026
Average house price
£234,257
101st most affordable of 317
lastmiddle area: £289,2821st
HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, July 2026
Price change over 12 months
+2.5%
135th fastest rising of 317
lastmiddle area: +1.8%1st
HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, July 2026
Fine particles (PM2.5)
7.9 µg/m³
280th cleanest of 318
lastmiddle area: 6.9 µg/m³1st
Defra modelled background PM2.5, 2024 (WHO guideline 5 µg/m³)
Recorded crime
114.2 per 1,000
261st lowest of 283
lastmiddle area: 73.3 per 1,0001st
ONS / Home Office police recorded crime, year ending March 2026
Deprivation rank
5 / 296
292nd least deprived of 296
lastmiddle area: 148.5 / 2961st
English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); 1 = most deprived

Flood risk and road noise are not here because no official figure exists for a whole council area. Both vary street by street, which is what the free check reads.

Check a street in Birmingham

These figures are for the whole area. The free check reads one postcode: flood, crime, noise and the station, in seconds.

League tables for West Midlands

Fastest broadbandMost affordable homesFastest-rising pricesCleanest airLowest recorded crimeLeast deprived (England)

Other areas in West Midlands

BromsgroveCannock ChaseCoventryDudleyEast StaffordshireHerefordshireLichfieldMalvern HillsNewcastle-under-LymeNorth WarwickshireNuneaton and BedworthRedditchRugbySandwellShropshireSolihullSouth StaffordshireStaffordStaffordshire MoorlandsStoke-on-TrentStratford-on-AvonTamworthTelford and WrekinWalsallWarwickWolverhamptonWorcesterWychavonWyre Forest