What it's like to live in Arundel
What is it like to live in Arundel? It is a small, handsome market town in West Sussex, tucked under the Downs, with a castle at its heart and a real village feel despite the visitors. It suits people who want quiet, greenery and a strong sense of place rather than big-city buzz. Castle Park and the WWT Arundel wetland centre are both close by.
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Arundel is a small town of around 3,500 people in the Arun district of West Sussex, sitting between the South Downs and the coast. It is best known for its castle and its steep, narrow High Street of independent shops.
It is a pretty place, and that brings visitors. Weekends can be busy. But it is also a working town with a library, a hospital, pharmacies, pubs and a railway station, and Littlehampton's bigger shops and supermarkets are only a couple of miles away.
This guide sets out what daily life here is actually like, so you can judge whether a swap into BN18 would suit your household.
Swapping to Arundel: key facts
Can I swap my council or housing association home to Arundel?
Yes, if you are already a council or housing association tenant. Mutual exchange means swapping homes with another social tenant, so it does not depend on the council waiting list: you need a tenant in or near Arundel who wants your area, and both landlords must agree. Landlords have 42 days to decide and can only refuse on set legal grounds. In 2024 to 2025, 33 council homes in Arun changed tenants by mutual exchange.
How long is the council housing waiting list in Arundel?
1,655 households were on the Arun housing register on 31 March 2025, down 27% on a year earlier. 568 social homes were let through the council in 2024 to 2025, roughly 2.9 households for every home let. Source: Local Authority Housing Statistics, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
How much is social rent in Arundel?
Average weekly social rents in the Arun council area in 2025/26: 1 bed £107 council, £112 housing association; 2 bed £123 council, £132 housing association; 3 bed £135 council, £152 housing association. Affordable rent homes cost more, typically 60 to 80% of market rent. Source: Regulator of Social Housing.
How much social housing is there in Arundel and who owns it?
9.3% of homes in the Arun council area are social housing (council 4.4%, housing association 4.9%), against 17.1% across England, according to the 2021 Census. The biggest social landlords there are Arun District Council (3,475 homes), Southern Housing (1,394 homes) and Worthing Homes Limited (621 homes).
How Busy Is The Swap Market In Arundel?
Figures as of 5 November 2026, updated every night. The waiting list figure is from 2024 to 2025 government data.
Which homes are available to swap near Arundel?
Homes are shown near their address, not on it. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right. Source: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence.
No homes listed within 5 miles at the moment. New homes are listed every week: see homes across West Sussex, use the alert form below, or list your own home so tenants here can find you.
What is housing like in Arundel and who lives there?
Arundel's housing stock is old and characterful, which is lovely to look at but means social homes here are not plentiful. Across the Arun area only 9.3% of homes are socially rented, well below the England average of 17.1%, while 71.2% are owned outright or on a mortgage.
Arun District Council is the biggest social landlord with around 3,483 homes, followed by Southern Housing, Worthing Homes, Clarion and Hyde. Average weekly social rents in 2024/25 were £101 for a one bed, £122 for two and £136 for three.
The council's housing register held 1,655 households at March 2025, and it is not a simple queue. In 2024-25, 33 council homes changed hands through mutual exchange.
Who owns the homes
Share of homes in the Arun council area, Census 2021.
Ages
Share of people in each age group, Census 2021.
Council waiting list and lettings
Households on the register by the size of home they need.
That is roughly 2.9 households waiting for every social home let in a year. Mutual exchange doesn't use the waiting list: if you already have a council or housing association home, swapping with another tenant can be a quicker way to move to Arundel.
A register counts households who have applied, so it isn't a simple queue: some are already social tenants hoping to transfer, and people can be on more than one council's list.
Typical weekly social rents in the Arun council area
Social rent averages for 2025/26. Affordable rent homes cost more, typically 60 to 80% of market rent.
Biggest social landlords in the council area
- Arun District Council3,475 homes
- Southern Housing1,394 homes
- Worthing Homes Limited621 homes
- Clarion Housing Association Limited519 homes
- Places for People Homes Limited408 homes
- Vivid Housing Limited336 homes
- Hyde Housing Association Limited296 homes
- M&G Affordable Living RP Limited250 homes
Compare these landlords against every other on tenant satisfaction, repairs and complaints.
What is it like to live in Arundel?
The town centre is compact, so the High Street, Jubilee Gardens, the library and Arundel Pharmacy are all within a short stroll of most addresses. Arundel & District Hospital is half a mile out.
Police recorded 24 incidents within about a mile of the centre in July 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour and criminal damage, which is unremarkable for a busy town centre.
What are the schools and family life like in Arundel?
St Philip's Catholic Primary School is the closest primary at under half a mile. Lyminster Primary is 2.4 miles out, with White Meadows Primary Academy, St Catherine's Catholic Primary and River Beach Primary all within three miles towards Littlehampton.
For secondary, The Littlehampton Academy is the nearest at 2.8 miles, so most teenagers here will travel by bus or train. Worth planning before you commit to a swap.
For days out with children there is Castle Park, Arundel gardens and the wetland centre, plus Arundel Library. The Norfolk Centre and Arundel Scout Hall host local groups, and the Arun East Family Hub in Littlehampton is under three miles away.
Primary schools
- St Philip's Catholic Primary School, Arundel0.4 mi
- Arundel CofE Primary School0.9 mi
- Lyminster Primary School2.4 mi
- White Meadows Primary Academy2.6 mi
- St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Littlehampton2.6 mi
Secondary schools
- Cornfield School2.5 mi
- The Littlehampton Academy2.8 mi
Parks
- Priory Pocket Park0.8 mi
- Arundel Park1.3 mi
- Worthing Road Allotment Gardens2.3 mi
- Cheal Way Park2.4 mi
- Hedgehog Hollow2.7 mi
Libraries
- Arundel Library0.3 mi
What shops and everyday essentials are in Arundel?
Supermarkets
- Co-op Foodnearby
- Morrisons2.2 mi
- Tesco2.6 mi
Pharmacies
- Arundel Pharmacynearby
- Glyn Norris Pharmacy2.5 mi
- Tesco Pharmacy2.6 mi
Hospitals
- Arundel & District Community Hospital0.5 mi
How do you get around Arundel?
Arundel station is about half a mile from the centre, with Ford two miles away and Amberley three, so rail is a genuine option here rather than an afterthought. That matters if you work or study outside the town.
Bus stops at Riverbank and Queen Street sit right in the middle of town, with more at Selwyn Avenue towards Littlehampton. Services in a small town are never as frequent as in a city, so check the timetable for the trips you make most.
By car you are close to the A27 corridor. Parking in the old streets is tight, and the hills mean walking into town is easy going one way and a pull the other.
Train stations
- Arundel0.5 mi
- Ford2 mi
- Amberley3 mi
What is there to do in Arundel?
The High Street, The Old Printworks Shops and the Nineveh Chapel independent shops give Arundel a browsing culture that is rare in a town this size. Antiques, small cafes and one-off shops rather than chains.
There is no shortage of pubs: The Red Lion, The Swan Hotel, Norfolk Tap and The Norfolk Arms Hotel are all in the centre. For green space, Jubilee Gardens and Castle Park are on the doorstep, and WWT Arundel is a short walk for birdlife and boardwalks.
Gyms are mostly a couple of miles off, around Littlehampton, with Imogym, RyanFitHub and The Dedicated Gym among them.
Gyms
- Earth Studio2.5 mi
Pubs and bars
- The Swannearby
- The Red Lionnearby
- The Eaglenearby
- The White Hartnearby
- The King's Armsnearby
Community centres
- Arundel Bowling Clubnearby
- Red Crossnearby
- Burpham Village Hall.1.7 mi
- K2 Youth & Community Centre2.5 mi
- The Wickbourne Centre2.8 mi
What is work and the local economy like in Arundel?
Across the wider Arun council area, 52.4% of adults are in work, below the England figure of 57.4%, and unemployment is lower at 2.6%. In August 2026, 3.7% of 16-64s claimed unemployment-related benefits, just under the England rate.
The age profile explains a lot: 28.4% of Arun residents are 65 or over against 18.4% nationally, so fewer people are of working age. Locally, tourism, hospitality, shops and care work are visible parts of the picture.
With Arundel and Ford stations nearby, commuting further afield for work is realistic, and many people here do exactly that.
Figures are for the Arun council area, Census 2021 and ONS claimant count.
How safe is Arundel?
Like every town centre, Arundel has police incidents logged each month. In August 2026 there were 35 within about a mile of the centre, made up of:
Source: data.police.uk street-level crime. Counts cover a fixed one-mile radius around the centre, so busy high streets and stations always record far more than the residential streets around them, and most incidents are minor. Compare like with like: a similar-sized town centre, not a village.
Is Arundel a good place for social housing tenants?
If Arundel appeals, the practical step is to list your own home on Mutual Home Exchange and set Arundel or BN18 as a desired area. Swaps depend on someone here wanting to move where you already live, so the sooner your home is visible, the better.
Write an honest advert: bedrooms, floor, garden or not, heating, parking, and what is good about your neighbourhood. Add clear photos. Be open to nearby Littlehampton and Ford too, which widens your chances a lot.
Both landlords have to approve an exchange, so start those conversations early.
Tell me when a home appears near Arundel
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Nearby place guides
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