Living in SW1A, Westminster
What the open data says about house prices, schools, crime and flood risk around SW1A in Westminster. Built from the same sources as every property report on this site, not opinion or marketing copy.
- Homes on the streets around central SW1A sold at a median of £899,000 across 5 recorded sales, above the England average of £290,000 (HM Land Registry).
- Prices across Westminster are down 20.7% on a year ago (UK House Price Index). The index for Westminster rests on 84 recorded sales in May 2026, the newest month with a count. July 2026 is a first estimate, which HM Land Registry revises as more sales are registered.
- Of the 207 schools within about 3 miles, 90% are rated Good or Outstanding, against 90% of state schools in England (Ofsted).
- The centre of SW1A is in flood zone 1 (low probability), on the Environment Agency flood map for planning.
- A Band D household in Westminster pays £1,050 in council tax for 2026-27, every precept included (MHCLG).
- Police recorded 4,149 crimes within roughly a mile of the centre in August 2026, most commonly other theft (Police.uk).
Figures gathered 15 October 2026, each from the source named in its section.
House prices
Average price in Westminster: £876,788, down 20.7% on a year ago (July 2026). The index for Westminster rests on 84 recorded sales in May 2026, the newest month with a count. July 2026 is a first estimate, which HM Land Registry revises as more sales are registered. The wider London average is £550,037.
Check sold prices for a specific address in SW1A →
See where SW1A ranks across London →
Council tax at Band D in Westminster: £1,050 a year (2026-27). Running costs by postcode: council tax, energy, tenure, and the estate charge no listing shows →
Compare SW1A with another district
Sold prices, the price trend, schools, flood zone, Band D council tax and crime for SW1A against any other district, each from the source the section below names.
What actually sold around SW1A
5 recorded home sales on the streets around central SW1A in the last 2 years, with a median of £899,000 and a range from £800,000 to £4,050,000. Mostly flats and maisonettes.
| Address | Type | Sold for | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat 8 Norway House, 21 - 24 Cockspur Street, SW1Y 5BN | Flat or maisonette | £1,405,003 | 6 Feb 2026 |
| Flat 18 Crusader House, 14 Pall Mall, SW1Y 5LU | Flat or maisonette | £800,000 | 18 Dec 2025 |
| Apartment 3 42 Pall Mall, SW1Y 5JG | Flat or maisonette | £4,050,000 | 19 Nov 2025 |
| 2 Castlemaine House, 12 Rose & Crown Yard, SW1Y 6RE | Flat or maisonette | £899,000 | 28 Mar 2025 |
| 3 Castlemaine House, 12 Rose & Crown Yard, SW1Y 6RE | Flat or maisonette | £840,000 | 17 Feb 2025 |
How to read this
Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Every sale of a registered property in England and Wales appears here once it completes, so the most recent weeks are always still filling in.
Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data
Schools nearby
207 schools within 3 miles , of which 90% are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted.
| Nearest well-rated schools | Stage | Ofsted | Distance | Admitted from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Grey Coat Hospital | Secondary | Outstanding | 0.7 mi away | no figure |
| Oasis Academy South Bank | Secondary | Outstanding | 1.0 mi away | no figure |
| St Vincent's Catholic Primary School | Primary | Outstanding | 1.2 mi away | no figure |
| St George the Martyr Church of England Primary School | Primary | Outstanding | 1.4 mi away | no figure |
| Christopher Hatton Primary School | Primary | Outstanding | 1.5 mi away | no figure |
| Lilian Baylis Technology School | Secondary | Outstanding | 1.5 mi away | no figure |
Will an address here get a place? How far Westminster schools admitted from, school by school →
112 state primary and 25 state secondary schools within range, plus 42 fee-paying schools.
Private schools
42 fee-paying schools within 3 miles: Alleyns Regents Park Prep, Arco Academy, Brighton College Prep Kensington, Cameron Vale School, Charterhouse Square School, City Junior School and others.
All 42 fee-paying schools near SW1A, with ages and admissions →
Fee-paying schools are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, not Ofsted, and the ISI publishes no open data feed. That is why they carry no rating here. A missing grade means we cannot see one, not that the school was judged poorly.
Universities
17 higher education institutions within 3 miles: Birkbeck College, City University, Courtauld Institute of Art, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Institute of Cancer Research, King's College London and others.
Relevant beyond study: a large student population shapes rental demand, and term-time letting is a different market from family letting.
What people here do for work
The most common occupations among working residents, from the 2021 Census. This is occupation rather than industry: it says what people do, not which industries employ them.
| Occupation group | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Associate professional and technical | 28.9% |
| Managers, directors and senior officials | 26.0% |
| Professional occupations | 25.4% |
| Elementary occupations | 6.9% |
| Caring, leisure and other service | 4.5% |
Source: ONS Census 2021, table TS063, for this district's small area.
How SW1A has changed since 2011
The biggest move: private renting, up 12.2 points since 2011, with England's change beside each line.
How to read this
The census neighbourhood at the centre of SW1A (E01004736, 1,467 residents in 2021, down 15.9% on 2011) on the 2011 and 2021 censuses, with England's own change over the same decade for scale. Each line is a share of the neighbourhood's households or residents, so a growing area and a shrinking one compare fairly. The biggest move here: private renting, up 12.2 points.
| Measure | 2011 | 2021 | Change | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 38.8% | 33.0% | -5.8 pts | -2.0 pts |
| Households renting privately | 51.4% | 63.6% | +12.2 pts | +3.7 pts |
| Households renting socially | 1.9% | 2.9% | +1.0 pts | -0.6 pts |
| Residents under 15 | 4.4% | 5.0% | +0.6 pts | -0.3 pts |
| Residents 65 and over | 9.9% | 10.4% | +0.5 pts | +2.1 pts |
| Adults with a degree or equivalent | 52.4% | 58.5% | +6.1 pts | +6.5 pts |
| Residents born outside the UK | 49.1% | 55.0% | +5.9 pts | +3.6 pts |
| Residents in good or very good health | 93.3% | 93.1% | -0.2 pts | +0.8 pts |
| Residents in a white ethnic group | 76.4% | 67.4% | -9.0 pts | -4.4 pts |
Office for National Statistics, Census 2011 and Census 2021, Open Government Licence. A district holds many neighbourhoods; the full report for an address shows the one it sits in.
Crime
4,149 crimes recorded within roughly a mile of central SW1A in August 2026, most commonly other theft.
Flood risk
Zone 1 (low probability). This is the Environment Agency's flood zone for the area's centre point, an individual property's own risk can differ, especially near a specific watercourse.
Deprivation
This area falls in decile 8 of 10 on the Index of Multiple Deprivation (least deprived nationally), based on Westminster's figures.
Getting around & nearby essentials
49 supermarkets, 32 pharmacies, 2,606 restaurants and cafés, 165 pubs, 38 hospitals within a mile of central SW1A, hospitals within three miles.
Buses from the centre of SW1A
Best-served stop: Trafalgar Square, with 29.2 buses an hour on weekday daytimes.
Evenings, Sundays and routes
The best-served stop within 800 m of the centre of SW1A is Trafalgar Square: 29.2 buses an hour on a weekday daytime, 27.8 in the evening and 26.0 on Sunday daytime; first bus 00:15, last 00:42. Routes there: 453, 159, 139, 88, 12. 5 stops with a scheduled service within that distance.
Departures a passenger can board, from the timetables operators publish to the Department for Transport's Bus Open Data Service, for Tuesday 8 Sep 2026 and Sunday 13 Sep 2026. Scheduled, not observed. Two stops on opposite sides of a road are two stops. The full report does this for the stops within 500 m of an address.
Source: operators' timetables on the Bus Open Data Service (Department for Transport)
GP practices and A&E
3 GP practices within 3.0 km of the centre of SW1A. The nearest, Soho Centre for Health and Care, has 2,682 registered patients and 1,359 patients per fully qualified GP, against an England median of 2,186.
| Practice | From the centre | Patients | Per qualified GP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soho Centre for Health and Care | 0.6 mi | 2,682 | 1,359 |
| Soho Square General Practice | 0.6 mi | 5,522 | 2,556 |
| Great Chapel Street Medical Centre | 0.6 mi | 474 | 268 |
Nearest A&E: Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, where 70.3% of type 1 attendances were seen within four hours in July 2026; then Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust at 73.1%.
How to read this
NHS England: patients registered at a GP practice (1 Aug 2026), the general practice workforce (July 2026), and A&E attendances by provider, monthly. Fully qualified GPs exclude trainees. Practices are matched by postcode.
Source: NHS England, monthly releases
Council tax and the council's finances
A Band D household in Westminster pays £1,050 for 2026-27, all precepts included, a rise of 3.0% on the year before against an England median rise of 4.8%. Every band for Westminster, and how it compares.
| Year | Band D bill | Rise |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | £829 | +6.0% |
| 2022-23 | £866 | +4.5% |
| 2023-24 | £914 | +5.5% |
| 2024-25 | £975 | +6.7% |
| 2025-26 | £1,019 | +4.5% |
| 2026-27 | £1,050 | +3.0% |
No exceptional financial support from government since 2020-21 and no section 114 notice on record for Westminster, as at 7 Sep 2026.
How to read this
A home's own band is on its council tax bill, free to look up at gov.uk/council-tax-bands; the report shows every band's bill at the council beside the home's other checks.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, live council tax tables (Band D, area averages) and the Exceptional Financial Support lists published each year; section 114 notices as published by the councils.
Source: MHCLG live council tax tables and Exceptional Financial Support lists
Common questions about SW1A
What is the average house price in SW1A?
The average sold price in Westminster is £876,788 as of July 2026, according to the UK House Price Index.
Are house prices rising in SW1A?
Prices in Westminster are down 20.7% on a year ago (UK House Price Index). The index for Westminster rests on 84 recorded sales in May 2026, the newest month with a count. July 2026 is a first estimate, which HM Land Registry revises as more sales are registered.
What do houses actually sell for in SW1A?
The median of 5 recorded sales around central SW1A in the last 2 years is £899,000, ranging from £800,000 to £4,050,000 (HM Land Registry Price Paid Data).
Are the schools good in SW1A?
207 schools sit within 3 miles of central SW1A, and 90% are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted.
How much crime is there in SW1A?
4,149 crimes were recorded within roughly a mile of central SW1A in August 2026, most commonly other theft (Police.uk).
Is SW1A at risk of flooding?
Central SW1A sits in Zone 1 (low probability) for river and sea flooding (Environment Agency). Individual addresses vary, so check the full report for a specific property.
Is SW1A a good place to live?
That depends on what you need, so here is what the official data says rather than an opinion: 90% of nearby schools are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted; the median home sells for £899,000; the area sits in decile 8 of 10 on the Index of Multiple Deprivation; 4,149 crimes were recorded within about a mile. Every one of those figures names its source on this page.
Is SW1A safe?
4,149 crimes were recorded within roughly a mile of central SW1A in August 2026, according to Police.uk. The most common category was other theft. Crime counts follow how many people are around, so a busy district records more than a quiet one of the same size.
Neighbouring districts
Want the full picture for a specific property?
This page covers SW1A as a whole. For sold price history, EPC rating, exact-address crime and flood risk, school catchment areas and 30+ other checks on one specific property, search its full postcode.