Best places to live for commuting to Birmingham

Door-to-door commute times by train to Birmingham city centre from every neighbourhood in England, with typical house prices, good schools nearby and crime, so you can see where families can live within reach. Times are for the morning rush and include getting to the station and waiting for the train.

Find an area: add your budget and schools → See commute times on the map

neighbourhoods within 30 min

279

within 45 min

456

within an hour

7 min

quickest: Central

Commuter towns, quickest first

Typical door-to-door time across each town's neighbourhoods, the quickest of them, the typical home price, and the neighbourhood with the best family score.

Town	Typical commute	Quickest	Typical home	Best for families
Smethwick	28 min	26 min	£200k	Bearwood & Warley Woods
Coleshill (North Warwickshire)	30 min	30 min	£270k	Coleshill & Water Orton
Oldbury (Sandwell)	30 min	28 min	£238k	Warley South
Rowley Regis	30 min	30 min	£220k	Tividale
Birmingham	31 min	7 min	£220k	Brandwood North
West Bromwich	34 min	28 min	£228k	Great Barr
Blackheath	34 min	34 min	£219k	Blackheath
Tipton	34 min	32 min	£215k	Tipton
Hampton in Arden	37 min	37 min	£437k	Meriden, Hampton-in-Arden & Temple Balsall
Kingsbury	37 min	37 min	£326k	Kingsbury & Curdworth
Royal Sutton Coldfield	37 min	33 min	£360k	Little Sutton & Roughley
Tamworth	39 min	37 min	£246k	Dosthill & Two Gates
Solihull	40 min	31 min	£340k	Shirley Heath
Coseley	41 min	40 min	£225k	Woodsetton
Walsall	42 min	39 min	£180k	Walsall South East
Wednesbury	42 min	40 min	£228k	Woods & Mesty Croft
Dudley	42 min	34 min	£193k	Dibdale
Bilston (Wolverhampton)	43 min	42 min	£197k	Bilston North East
Cradley Heath	43 min	37 min	£228k	Old Hill
Fazeley	43 min	43 min	£250k	Fazeley, Mile Oak & Drayton Basset
Pheasey	43 min	43 min	£258k	Pheasey & Sutton Road
Wolverhampton	43 min	38 min	£225k	Compton & Merryhill North
Streetly	44 min	42 min	£372k	Streetly South
Knowle and Dorridge	45 min	44 min	£560k	Knowle
New Arley	45 min	45 min	£300k	New Arley & Fillongley
Bloxwich	46 min	44 min	£186k	Little Bloxwich
Coventry	46 min	41 min	£227k	Finham Park
Darlaston	46 min	46 min	£181k	Darlaston Central
Sedgley	46 min	44 min	£242k	Sedgley West
Barnt Green	47 min	47 min	£458k	Barnt Green & Lickey Hills
Balsall Common	48 min	48 min	£482k	Balsall Common
Rushall and Shelfield	48 min	47 min	£219k	Shelfield
Willenhall	48 min	45 min	£210k	Short Heath East
Polesworth and Dordon	48 min	47 min	£257k	Polesworth, Warton & Austrey
Bromsgrove	49 min	48 min	£270k	Bromsgrove Stoney Hill
Halesowen	49 min	36 min	£275k	Halesowen East
Perton	50 min	50 min	£285k	Perton & Pattingham
Streethay	50 min	50 min	£400k	Whittington, Hopwas & Clifton Campville
Pelsall	50 min	49 min	£258k	Pelsall North
Aldridge	51 min	50 min	£296k	Aldridge South
Alvechurch	51 min	51 min	£428k	Alvechurch, Hopwood & Holt End
Essington	51 min	51 min	£250k	Featherstone East & Essington
Codsall	52 min	51 min	£319k	Codsall
Hollywood	53 min	53 min	£370k	Hollywood & Drakes Cross
Nuneaton	53 min	49 min	£216k	Whitestone
Catshill	54 min	53 min	£321k	Marlbrook & Lickey End
Burton upon Trent	54 min	47 min	£183k	Burton Brizlincote
Coven	54 min	54 min	£270k	Featherstone West, Coven & Shareshill
Hartshill	54 min	54 min	£233k	Hartshill & Ansley
Stourbridge	54 min	50 min	£275k	Oldswinford & Pedmore
Binley Woods	55 min	55 min	£330k	Wolston, Binley Woods & Ryton
Brierley Hill	55 min	53 min	£220k	Withymoor Village
Royal Leamington Spa	55 min	54 min	£296k	Leamington Brunswick
Wombourne	55 min	54 min	£332k	Wombourne Inner
Wythall	55 min	55 min	£378k	Wythall & Gay Hill
Dickens Heath	56 min	56 min	£360k	Dickens Heath, Cheswick Green & Hockley Heath
Stretton (East Staffordshire)	56 min	56 min	£255k	Burton Stretton
Whitnash	56 min	56 min	£325k	Whitnash
Bedworth	57 min	54 min	£220k	Bedworth Coalpit Field & Exhall
Brownhills	57 min	54 min	£225k	Brownhills

Under 30 minutes from Birmingham city centre

78 neighbourhoods. The 15 with the best family score:

Neighbourhood	By train, door to door	By car (light traffic)	Typical home	Walk to a Good+ primary	Drive to a Good+ secondary	Crime	Family score
Bearwood & Warley Woods, Smethwick	30 min	11 min	£215k	6 min	3 min	High	6.4 / 10
Harborne East, Birmingham	18 min	12 min	£385k	8 min	4 min	High	6.2 / 10
Tividale, Rowley Regis	30 min	19 min	£226k	8 min	4 min	Low	6.2 / 10
Bournville East & Stirchley West, Birmingham	28 min	16 min	£275k	6 min	4 min	High	6.1 / 10
Harborne West, Birmingham	28 min	12 min	£341k	15 min	4 min	Average	6.0 / 10
Small Heath Park, Birmingham	23 min	11 min	£180k	5 min	3 min	High	5.9 / 10
Warley West, Oldbury (Sandwell)	30 min	14 min	£215k	7 min	3 min	Average	5.9 / 10
Saltley East, Birmingham	25 min	12 min	£170k	5 min	3 min	High	5.8 / 10
Selly Oak, Birmingham	23 min	12 min	£242k	7 min	4 min	Very high	5.7 / 10
Lozells East, Birmingham	23 min	6 min	£171k	5 min	3 min	High	5.7 / 10
Stirchley North & Selly Park, Birmingham	28 min	13 min	£290k	8 min	4 min	High	5.7 / 10
Saltley West, Birmingham	14 min	10 min	£175k	6 min	3 min	High	5.6 / 10
Selly Oak Park & Lodge Hill, Birmingham	28 min	14 min	£286k	10 min	3 min	High	5.6 / 10
Warley East, Smethwick	28 min	12 min	£238k	8 min	3 min	Average	5.6 / 10
Smethwick South East, Smethwick	26 min	9 min	£180k	5 min	4 min	Very high	5.5 / 10

30 to 45 minutes from Birmingham city centre

201 neighbourhoods. The 15 with the best family score:

Neighbourhood	By train, door to door	By car (light traffic)	Typical home	Walk to a Good+ primary	Drive to a Good+ secondary	Crime	Family score
Finham Park, Coventry	42 min	33 min	£320k	7 min	4 min	Very low	9.0 / 10
Halesowen East, Halesowen	37 min	17 min	£380k	8 min	4 min	Very low	8.4 / 10
Streetly South, Streetly	42 min	21 min	£329k	9 min	4 min	Very low	8.4 / 10
Shirley Heath, Solihull	44 min	23 min	£420k	9 min	4 min	Very low	8.0 / 10
Monkspath North, Solihull	40 min	26 min	£466k	11 min	4 min	Very low	7.9 / 10
Ulverley Green & Langley, Solihull	37 min	22 min	£425k	11 min	4 min	Very low	7.7 / 10
Coundon, Coventry	45 min	32 min	£229k	7 min	4 min	Very low	7.7 / 10
Brandwood North, Birmingham	31 min	17 min	£345k	6 min	3 min	Average	7.4 / 10
Warley South, Oldbury (Sandwell)	32 min	14 min	£270k	7 min	4 min	Low	7.4 / 10
Walmley, Royal Sutton Coldfield	37 min	19 min	£355k	8 min	5 min	Very low	7.4 / 10
Little Sutton & Roughley, Royal Sutton Coldfield	42 min	23 min	£418k	8 min	7 min	Very low	7.4 / 10
Streetly North, Streetly	44 min	21 min	£372k	11 min	5 min	Very low	7.4 / 10
Dosthill & Two Gates, Tamworth	41 min	29 min	£280k	8 min	6 min	Very low	7.3 / 10
Compton & Merryhill North, Wolverhampton	43 min	31 min	£300k	9 min	4 min	Low	7.2 / 10
Stivichall & Finham, Coventry	42 min	36 min	£365k	9 min	5 min	Very low	7.1 / 10

45 minutes to an hour from Birmingham city centre

177 neighbourhoods. The 15 with the best family score:

Neighbourhood	By train, door to door	By car (light traffic)	Typical home	Walk to a Good+ primary	Drive to a Good+ secondary	Crime	Family score
Eastlands, Rugby	57 min	45 min	£285k	8 min	4 min	Very low	8.8 / 10
Sedgley West, Sedgley	46 min	28 min	£278k	8 min	4 min	Very low	8.4 / 10
Oldswinford & Pedmore, Stourbridge	50 min	29 min	£333k	8 min	3 min	Very low	8.3 / 10
Hillmorton, Rugby	59 min	48 min	£285k	8 min	3 min	Low	8.2 / 10
Allesley Green & Lower Eastern Green, Coventry	48 min	29 min	£292k	6 min	6 min	Very low	8.0 / 10
Pedmore Fields, Stourbridge	54 min	28 min	£356k	8 min	4 min	Very low	8.0 / 10
Kingswinford South, Kingswinford	59 min	31 min	£305k	9 min	4 min	Very low	7.9 / 10
Kenilworth South, Kenilworth	60 min	42 min	£439k	7 min	6 min	Very low	7.8 / 10
Wall Heath, Kingswinford	58 min	32 min	£320k	10 min	3 min	Very low	7.7 / 10
Bromsgrove Stoney Hill, Bromsgrove	48 min	30 min	£372k	9 min	5 min	Very low	7.6 / 10
Ravensdale, Coventry	47 min	32 min	£237k	8 min	3 min	Very low	7.5 / 10
Hayley Green, Halesowen	53 min	22 min	£315k	9 min	5 min	Very low	7.5 / 10
Wollaston, Stourbridge	56 min	32 min	£278k	8 min	4 min	Low	7.5 / 10
Allesley Park, Coventry	46 min	31 min	£235k	6 min	7 min	Very low	7.4 / 10
Knowle, Knowle and Dorridge	46 min	27 min	£582k	12 min	4 min	Very low	7.2 / 10

An hour to 90 minutes from Birmingham city centre

404 neighbourhoods. The 15 with the best family score:

Neighbourhood	By train, door to door	By car (light traffic)	Typical home	Walk to a Good+ primary	Drive to a Good+ secondary	Crime	Family score
May Bank, Newcastle-under-Lyme	84 min	56 min	£219k	8 min	3 min	Very low	8.4 / 10
Hatherley, Cheltenham	71 min	68 min	£322k	7 min	4 min	Very low	8.2 / 10
Allestree North, Derby	72 min	67 min	£305k	10 min	4 min	Very low	8.2 / 10
Leckhampton, Cheltenham	72 min	68 min	£512k	9 min	4 min	Very low	8.1 / 10
Allestree South, Derby	71 min	67 min	£305k	9 min	4 min	Very low	8.0 / 10
Crewe South West & Wistaston, Crewe	77 min	69 min	£320k	8 min	4 min	Very low	8.0 / 10
Broughton Astley, Broughton Astley	82 min	53 min	£291k	10 min	3 min	Very low	8.0 / 10
Elmbridge, Gloucester	83 min	66 min	£324k	8 min	4 min	Very low	8.0 / 10
Alsager West, Alsager	90 min	64 min	£275k	8 min	4 min	Low	8.0 / 10
Weeping Cross & Brocton, Stafford	65 min	40 min	£295k	7 min	6 min	Very low	7.9 / 10
Bishop's Cleeve East & South, Bishop's Cleeve	82 min	67 min	£337k	8 min	4 min	Low	7.9 / 10
Newport South, Newport (Telford and Wrekin)	88 min	45 min	£260k	7 min	3 min	Average	7.9 / 10
Groby East, Groby	88 min	55 min	£278k	7 min	5 min	Very low	7.8 / 10
Spondon North, Derby	72 min	67 min	£232k	9 min	4 min	Very low	7.7 / 10
Churchdown & Innsworth, Innsworth	81 min	66 min	£286k	8 min	4 min	Low	7.7 / 10

Most affordable with good schools, within an hour

A Good or Outstanding primary within a 15-minute walk, a Good or Outstanding secondary within a 15-minute drive, and average or lower crime, cheapest first.

Neighbourhood	By train, door to door	By car (light traffic)	Typical home	Walk to a Good+ primary	Drive to a Good+ secondary	Crime	Family score
Palfrey, Walsall	41 min	18 min	£165k	10 min	4 min	Average	4.5 / 10
Whitmore Reans & Dunstall Hill, Wolverhampton	39 min	30 min	£170k	8 min	6 min	Average	4.1 / 10
Cradley West & Hayes Lane, Stourbridge	53 min	26 min	£174k	9 min	5 min	Low	5.0 / 10
Moseley, Birmingham	33 min	12 min	£175k	10 min	5 min	Low	4.6 / 10
Bloxwich North West, Bloxwich	50 min	26 min	£180k	6 min	5 min	Average	5.1 / 10
Smith's Wood North, Birmingham	33 min	21 min	£180k	8 min	6 min	Average	4.1 / 10
Longford, Coventry	52 min	28 min	£182k	12 min	4 min	Average	4.0 / 10
Holbrooks, Coventry	49 min	29 min	£186k	10 min	5 min	Average	4.1 / 10
Pendeford, Wolverhampton	46 min	32 min	£188k	6 min	4 min	Average	5.9 / 10
Burton Horninglow, Burton upon Trent	53 min	52 min	£190k	8 min	4 min	Average	5.5 / 10
Bilston North East, Bilston (Wolverhampton)	42 min	24 min	£197k	8 min	3 min	Average	5.7 / 10
Town East, Rugby	54 min	43 min	£200k	10 min	3 min	Average	5.6 / 10
Sparkhill North, Birmingham	31 min	10 min	£200k	5 min	2 min	Average	6.4 / 10
Chapelfields, Coventry	41 min	32 min	£200k	4 min	5 min	Average	5.7 / 10
Woodcross, Wolverhampton	42 min	26 min	£202k	9 min	5 min	Average	4.9 / 10

Questions

Where can I live within an hour of Birmingham city centre?

456 neighbourhoods in England are within 60 minutes of Birmingham city centre door to door by train, 279 within 45 minutes and 78 within 30. The commuter towns table above lists the towns, quickest first.

What are the best places to live for families commuting to Birmingham city centre?

The lists above rank neighbourhoods at each commute time on a family score: how far it is to walk to a Good or Outstanding primary school, how far to drive to a Good or Outstanding secondary, recorded crime and deprivation. Within 45 minutes, the top is Finham Park.

Where is cheapest to live with good schools within an hour of Birmingham city centre?

Of the neighbourhoods within 60 minutes with a Good or better primary within a 15-minute walk, a Good or better secondary within a 15-minute drive and average or lower crime, the cheapest typical home price is in Palfrey (£165k).

How are the commute times worked out?

Door to door at the morning peak. By train: getting from homes to the neighbourhood's best station (walking, or driving and parking where the station is more than 20 minutes' walk), the typical train leaving between 07:00 and 08:45 including the wait, then the walk from the arrival station. The fastest train on a line is often a few minutes quicker. Car times are a typical drive without rush-hour traffic, so expect longer at peak times.

Family score: each neighbourhood's place in England (0 to 10) on walking time to a Good or Outstanding primary, driving time to a Good or Outstanding secondary, recorded crime and deprivation, averaged. School times are from the middle of the neighbourhood. Prices are typical sales over the latest 12 months.