What it's like to live in Andover

Test Valley is a strongly owner-occupied area: 68.9% of homes are owned, 14.8% privately rented and 14.3% socially rented, a little below the England figure of 17.1%. Within that social housing, housing associations hold the larger share at 10.8% compared with 3.5% council-owned, so most tenants here have an association as their landlord.

The biggest social landlords in the council area are Aster Communities with around 4,978 homes, Sovereign Network Group with 1,268, Vivid Housing with 1,112, Abri Group with 327 and Clarion with 297. Average weekly social rents in 2024/25 were £113 for a one bed, £132 for two beds and £146 for three beds.

The age profile for the wider area leans slightly older than England: 21.2% are 65 or over against 18.4% nationally, with 27.9% aged 45 to 64. Demand for social housing is real here, with 2,387 households on the Test Valley register at March 2025 and 333 homes let through the council in 2024-25, which is part of why a mutual exchange can be a faster route.

There is a good spread of schools close to the centre. Andover CE Primary School is about 0.2 miles away, with Anton Junior School and Anton Infant School both within about half a mile. Norman Gate School and Wolverdene Special School are also nearby, so specialist provision exists locally rather than requiring a long trip.

For older children, The Mark Way School, Rookwood School, Lift Winton and Icknield School are all within a mile, and Andover College is in the town centre, which matters when teenagers start thinking about sixth form and vocational courses. As always, check current catchment areas and places before you commit to a swap, as these change year to year.

Family life is helped by the number of parks within easy reach: Town Park, Beech Hurst Park, Watermills Park, Phoenix Park and the Butterfly Garden. Andover Library is in the centre, and community venues including the koala Community Hub and St Ann's Hall are useful for groups and activities. In the wider Test Valley area, 18.1% of residents are under 16, close to the England figure.

Andover railway station is about three quarters of a mile from the centre, on the line that runs between London Waterloo, Basingstoke, Salisbury and the West Country. That makes commuting or day trips possible without a car, though you will want to factor in the walk, a bus or a lift to reach it.

Andover Bus Station sits right in the middle of town, a couple of minutes from the Chantry Centre and the library. Having the hub in the centre means town services and routes out to surrounding villages all meet in one place, which helps if you do not drive.

By road, the A303 runs close to the town, linking east towards the M3 and west towards Salisbury and the South West, with the A343 and A3057 heading off to local towns and villages. On foot, the centre is genuinely walkable: shops, the library, pharmacies, pubs and the cinema are all clustered within a few hundred metres, and the parks are a short walk beyond. Outlying estates are further out, so check the walk from any specific address.

For a town of this size, Andover is well served. There is an Odeon cinema a short walk from the centre, and a cluster of pubs and bars including The John Russell Fox, The Globe, the Angel Inn, The Redbridge and The Gin Palace, most of them within a few minutes of each other in and around the town centre.

Green space is one of the town's strengths. Town Park is closest to the centre, with Beech Hurst Park, Watermills Park and Phoenix Park nearby, plus the Butterfly Garden for something quieter. They give you options for dog walks, kickabouts and pushing a pram without getting in the car.

If you exercise indoors, Snap Fitness is about half a mile from the centre, with Hall Of Gains and PureGym under two miles away. Andover Library covers reading, computers and the sort of free activities that matter when money is tight. Village halls at Upper Clatford, Picket Piece and Goodworth Clatford serve the surrounding area.

Employment figures cover the wider Test Valley council area rather than Andover alone, and they are encouraging. 61.7% of adults are in work, above the England figure of 57.4%, and unemployment stands at 2.2% against 3.5% nationally. In September 2026, 2% of 16 to 64 year olds were claiming unemployment-related benefits, half the England rate of 4%.

That points to a reasonably steady local labour market. Andover itself provides town centre retail and hospitality jobs around the Chantry Centre and the main supermarkets, plus work in education, health and care at the schools, pharmacies and Andover War Memorial Hospital.

If local work does not fit, the transport links widen your options. The railway station opens up Basingstoke, Winchester, Salisbury and London Waterloo, and the A303 and A3057 put other Hampshire and Wiltshire employment centres within driving distance. Commuting costs are worth checking carefully before you accept a swap, as rail fares from here add up over a month.