Living in SW3, Kensington and Chelsea
What the open data says about house prices, schools, crime and flood risk around SW3 in Kensington and Chelsea. Built from the same sources as every property report on this site, not opinion or marketing copy.
House prices
Average price in Kensington and Chelsea: £1,250,149, down 14.7% on a year ago (2026-06). The wider London average is £553,870.
What actually sold around SW3
69 recorded home sales on the streets around central SW3 in the last 2 years, with a median of £1,630,000 and a range from £166,000 to £8,500,000. Mostly flats and maisonettes.
| Address | Type | Sold for | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 ELYSTAN PLACE, SW3 3JY | terraced | £2,900,000 | 2026-05-19 |
| FLAT 44 RANELAGH HOUSE, 3 - 5 ELYSTAN PLACE, SW3 3LD | flat-maisonette | £600,000 | 2026-04-30 |
| FLAT 25 CRANMER COURT WHITEHEADS GROVE, SW3 3HN | flat-maisonette | £1,700,000 | 2026-03-18 |
| FLAT 134 CRANMER COURT WHITEHEADS GROVE, SW3 3HE | flat-maisonette | £2,350,000 | 2026-02-05 |
| FLAT 212 CRANMER COURT WHITEHEADS GROVE, SW3 3HG | flat-maisonette | £820,000 | 2026-01-16 |
| FLAT 7 BYRON COURT, 10 ELYSTAN STREET, SW3 3NX | flat-maisonette | £1,100,000 | 2026-01-08 |
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.
Schools nearby
193 schools within 3 miles , of which 95% are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted.
| Nearest well-rated schools | Stage | Ofsted | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oratory Roman Catholic Primary School | Primary | Outstanding | 0.2 mi |
| Christ Church CofE Primary School | Primary | Outstanding | 0.3 mi |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School | Primary | Outstanding | 0.3 mi |
| Servite RC Primary School | Primary | Outstanding | 0.8 mi |
| Chesterton Primary School | Primary | Outstanding | 1.2 mi |
| The London Oratory School | Secondary | Outstanding | 1.3 mi |
88 state primary and 23 state secondary schools within range, plus 66 fee-paying schools.
Private schools
66 fee-paying schools within 3 miles: Ashbourne College, Brighton College Prep Kensington, Broomwood Pre-Prep & Broomwood Prep-Girls, Broomwood Prep - Boys, Cameron Vale School, Chepstow House School and others.
All 66 fee-paying schools near SW3, 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
12 higher education institutions within 3 miles: Birkbeck College, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Institute of Cancer Research, London Business School, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Royal Academy of Music 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 |
|---|---|
| Managers, directors and senior officials | 36.7% |
| Professional occupations | 26.5% |
| Associate professional and technical | 17.2% |
| Caring, leisure and other service | 6.6% |
| Administrative and secretarial | 6.2% |
Source: ONS Census 2021, table TS063, for this district's small area.
Crime
970 crimes recorded within roughly a mile of central SW3 in 2026-06, most commonly violent crime.
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 9 of 10 on the Index of Multiple Deprivation (least deprived nationally), based on Kensington and Chelsea's figures.
Common questions about SW3
What is the average house price in SW3?
The average sold price in Kensington and Chelsea is £1,250,149 as of 2026-06, according to the UK House Price Index.
Are house prices rising in SW3?
Prices in Kensington and Chelsea are down 14.7% on a year ago (UK House Price Index).
What do houses actually sell for in SW3?
The median of 69 recorded sales around central SW3 in the last 2 years is £1,630,000, ranging from £166,000 to £8,500,000 (HM Land Registry Price Paid Data).
Are the schools good in SW3?
193 schools sit within 3 miles of central SW3, and 95% are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted.
How much crime is there in SW3?
970 crimes were recorded within roughly a mile of central SW3 in 2026-06, most commonly violent crime (Police.uk).
Is SW3 at risk of flooding?
Central SW3 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 SW3 a good place to live?
That depends on what you need, so here is what the official data says rather than an opinion: 95% of nearby schools are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted; the median home sells for £1,630,000; the area sits in decile 9 of 10 on the Index of Multiple Deprivation; 970 crimes were recorded within about a mile. Every one of those figures names its source on this page.
Is SW3 safe?
970 crimes were recorded within roughly a mile of central SW3 in 2026-06, according to Police.uk. The most common category was violent crime. Crime counts follow how many people are around, so a busy district records more than a quiet one of the same size.
Neighbouring districts
Weighing two up? SW3 or SW7, SW3 or SW1W, SW3 or SW1X.
Want the full picture for a specific property?
This page covers SW3 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.