What it's like to live in Eastbourne

Housing in the Eastbourne council area is 59.7% owned, 26.6% privately rented and 13% social rented, which is below the England figure of 17.1%. Within that, 7.1% is council housing and 6% housing association. Private renting is a big part of the market here, more so than in many towns.

Average weekly social rents in the borough for 2024/25 were about £89 for a one bed, £104 for a two bed and £114 for a three bed. Eastbourne Borough Council is the largest social landlord with 3,442 homes, followed by Stonewater with 780, Places for People Homes with 544, Southern Housing with 411 and Anchor Hanover Group with 182.

The population skews older than England overall, with a quarter aged 65 and up and fewer people in the 25 to 44 bracket. At the end of March 2025 there were 1,107 households on the council's housing register, and 193 social homes were let through the council that year. A register is not a simple queue, which is one reason a mutual exchange can be worth pursuing.

Families in central Eastbourne have a decent spread of primary schools nearby. Bourne Primary School is around three quarters of a mile away, with St Thomas A Becket Catholic Primary, Motcombe Infants', St John's Meads Church of England Primary and Stafford Junior School all within about a mile and a quarter. That usually means a walk rather than a drive.

For older children, Gildredge House is half a mile away and The Cavendish School a little over a mile. Eastbourne College, St Andrew's Prep and Bede's Prep are independent schools in the same area, so check which ones are state-funded before you set your heart on a catchment.

Beyond school, there is plenty to fill a weekend. Gildredge Park, Upperton Gardens and the squares give younger children somewhere to run, and the beach is a few minutes from the centre. Eastbourne Library runs from a central spot, and community centres including Marine Hall, Seaside Community Hub, Old Town Community Centre and the Bridgemere Centre are the kind of places where local groups and activities tend to be based. Under-16s make up 16.8% of the borough, slightly below the England figure.

Eastbourne station is right in the town centre, about two minutes' walk from the BN21 core. It is the end of the line, so trains run inland and along the coast. Hampden Park station, two miles north, and Windy Ridge are the other options within three miles if you settle further out.

By car, the town is reached by the A22 and A27, and the seafront road runs the length of the promenade. Parking in the central streets can be tight, as it usually is in a Victorian town centre, so a permit or a short walk is often part of the deal.

On foot, the centre is genuinely walkable. From BN21 you can reach the library, the shopping centres, pharmacies, the cinema and the beach without needing transport at all. The Meads side climbs a little towards the cliffs, which is worth knowing if steps and hills are a problem. Local buses link the centre to Old Town, Hampden Park and Langney for the bigger out-of-town shopping. Eastbourne District General Hospital is a short bus ride or a brisk walk.

The seafront is the main event, with the promenade, the beach and the Wishtower Slopes leading towards the cliffs. Inland, Gildredge Park is the biggest green space close to the centre, while Upperton Gardens, Hartfield Square and Wilmington Square are small, pleasant and handy for a sit-down.

For shopping and a wet afternoon, The Beacon, The Labyrinth and the Enterprise Shopping Centre are all within a third of a mile, and Langney Shopping Centre is a few miles out. Cineworld is in the centre too. Gyms range from Anytime Fitness and the Natural Fitness Centre to Bayes Active for women and the sports hall at the University of Brighton campus.

Pubs are close at hand: The Eagle, The Dolphin, the Dew Drop Inn and Bibendum are all a short walk from BN21, with Havana Lounge Club nearby. For later nights, NME and Cameo are the main options. It is not a huge nightlife scene, but there is enough variety for most tastes without needing to travel to Brighton.

Census figures for the Eastbourne council area show 51.8% of adults in work, below the England average of 57.4%. Unemployment was 3.5%, the same as England. The gap in the employment rate largely reflects the older age profile: 24.5% of residents are 65 or over, well above the national 18.4%.

More recent benefit data puts unemployment-related claimants at 4.8% of 16 to 64 year olds across the borough, against 4% for England. That is worth knowing if you are moving without a job already lined up.

Locally, the big employers you would expect in a coastal town of this size include Eastbourne District General Hospital, the retail in the three central shopping centres, hospitality along the seafront, and education, including the University of Brighton campus. Brighton and Hastings are both reachable by train for wider job markets, so commuting is realistic for some roles. If your work is flexible or remote, the town centre location and the station make Eastbourne an easier base than many coastal towns.