What it's like to live in City of London

Social housing is a smaller slice here than nationally: 14.9% of homes are socially rented, compared with 17.1% across England. Private renting dominates at 48.3%, with 36.5% owned. The City of London Corporation is by far the biggest social landlord with around 1,923 homes, followed by The Guinness Partnership with 194, and smaller providers including the City of London Almshouses and Anchor Hanover.

Average weekly social rents in the council area for 2024/25 were about £126 for a one bed, £141 for two and £154 for three, which is low for central London.

Demand is real. The council's housing register held 800 households at March 2025, with 67 social homes let that year and five council homes swapped by mutual exchange.

Families are a minority here. Just 6.9% of residents in the City are under 16, against 18.6% across England, so there are fewer children around than in most neighbourhoods. That can mean calmer streets, but also less of the usual school-gate community.

For primary, Prior Weston Primary School and St Gabriel's CofE Academy are both around half a mile away, and Charterhouse Square School and Nursery is a similar distance. Secondary options mean looking into neighbouring boroughs, which is normal for City families.

For days out with children, the Barbican Centre and Barbican Library are a short walk, and small green spaces like St Mary Aldermanbury Garden and Festival Gardens give somewhere to sit outdoors close to home.

Very few places in Britain are better connected. Moorgate station is about a third of a mile away, with Liverpool Street, City Thameslink and Blackfriars all within half a mile. That gives you the Underground, national rail and Thameslink services north and south without changing.

Buses are everywhere. Stops at Moorgate, Cannon Street, Monument and Fenchurch Street are all within half a mile, so most journeys across central London start with a short walk.

Walking is the default here, and the Square Mile is small enough to cross on foot in half an hour. Driving is the weak point: streets are narrow and congested, parking is scarce and expensive, and the Congestion Charge applies. If you rely on a car, think carefully before swapping in.

Green space here comes in small pieces rather than big parks. St Mary Aldermanbury Garden is barely a couple of minutes away, with St Mary Staining, Cleary Garden, Festival Gardens and the churchyard of St John Zachary all within a quarter of a mile. They are pocket-sized gardens, good for a bench and a sandwich, not for a kickabout.

Culture is the real draw. The Barbican Centre, its cinemas and its library are a short walk, and Everyman Broadgate is nearby too. Guildhall Library and the Heritage Library are closer still.

For shopping, eating and going out, One New Change and the Royal Exchange are both within a few minutes. There is no shortage of pubs, bars and gyms, though many are aimed at the weekday office crowd.

Employment figures for the City council area are striking: 66.9% of adults are in work, well above the England average of 57.4%, and only 1.1% of working-age people claim unemployment-related benefits, against 4% nationally. Unemployment sits at 4.1%.

The local economy is finance, insurance, law and professional services, plus the hospitality, retail and security jobs that keep the Square Mile running. If you work in any of those, living here removes the commute entirely.

If your work is elsewhere, the rail and bus links make almost anywhere in London reachable. The age profile tells the story too: 40.7% of residents are aged 25 to 44, far above the national share.