What it's like to live in Coalville

Social renting is less common here than nationally: 13.5% of homes in the North West Leicestershire area are social rented, against 17.1% across England, with 71.8% owned outright or on a mortgage. That means fewer social homes to swap into, so patience helps.

North West Leicestershire District Council is by far the biggest social landlord with around 4,080 homes, followed by EMH Housing and Regeneration with 1,715, then Midland Heart, Platform Housing and Sanctuary Housing.

Average weekly social rents in the council area in 2024/25 were £86 for a one bed, £99 for a two bed and £110 for a three bed. The age profile skews slightly older than England's, with 20.1% aged 65 and over and 28% aged 45 to 64.

For a town this size, the choice of schools is decent. Saint Clare's Primary, Belvoirdale Community Primary and Broom Leys Primary are all within two thirds of a mile, with Hugglescote Community Primary and All Saints CE Primary a little further out.

For older children, The Newbridge School is only a few minutes from the centre, with The Castle Rock School, Forest Way School and Ibstock Community College all within three miles. Do your own checks on places and inspection reports for the year you would be applying.

Coalville Library has Family Hub support attached, which is worth knowing if you want advice, groups or somewhere warm and free to take the children. Scotland's Playing Field, Coalville Park, Bardon View Park and the Tiny Forest give you green space close to home.

Coalville is a walkable town. Schools, parks, the library, the surgeries and the shopping centre all sit within a mile or so of the centre, so plenty of trips can be done on foot or by pushchair without much planning.

Public transport here is buses. There are stops and interchanges at the Family Centre, Fairfield Road, Station Road and Sherwood Close, all within a mile and a half, linking the town and the villages around it. Check the exact routes and times for the journeys you make most before you commit.

A car opens up more, particularly for work further afield in Leicestershire, and the retail park is easy to reach by road. But you are not stranded without one.

The Century Theatre, about a mile out, is the main place for shows and screenings, and there are outdoor cinema events at Loughborough and Leicester within a few miles.

Pubs are plentiful and varied: The Scaffold Inn, the Flying Horse, the Merry Miners Bar, The Victoria Biker's Pub and the Halfway Hotel are all a short walk from the centre, with The Emporium for a later night.

If you like keeping active, PureGym Coalville and Physique Fitness sit near the middle of town, and there are martial arts clubs including GKR Karate and Ashby and Coalville Martial Arts. For weekends, the parks, the Dogtastic secure dog field and the Coalville Tool Library all add something a bit different.

North West Leicestershire is a working district. Around 60.3% of adults in the wider council area are in work, above the England figure of 57.4%, and unemployment sits at 2.4% against 3.5% nationally.

That pattern holds in the benefits figures too: 2.1% of 16 to 64 year olds in the council area were claiming unemployment-related benefits in August 2026, against 4% across England. On the numbers, this is an area where people tend to be in jobs.

We do not have detail on individual employers here, so it is worth checking commuting times and local vacancies for your own line of work. The town centre, retail park and hospital are all within easy reach for shift work.