What it's like to live in Hammersmith

Housing here is mixed and often tight on space. Across the borough, 29.8% of homes are social rented, well above the 17.1% England figure, split fairly evenly between council (14.6%) and housing association (15.3%). Private renting is the biggest tenure at 36.4%, with 32.1% owned. That private rental share explains the churn you notice on some streets.

The council is by far the largest social landlord with around 11,983 homes, followed by Notting Hill Genesis, The Guinness Partnership, Peabody Trust and Southern Housing. So whoever your current landlord is, there is a fair chance of finding a match.

On cost, average weekly social rents in the borough for 2024/25 were about £132 for one bed, £145 for two and £162 for three. That is a lot of London for the money. For context, 2,079 households were on the council's housing register at March 2025, and 38 council homes changed hands by mutual exchange that year, which is why swapping is worth taking seriously.

Families are well served for schools, though places in sought-after ones are competitive. Within a short walk you have West London Free School Primary, St Peter's Church of England Primary and John Betts Primary, plus Ravenscourt Park Preparatory and Latymer Preparatory on the independent side. For older children there is West London Free School, The Godolphin & Latymer School, Latymer Upper School, St Paul's School and Sacred Heart High School, all within half a mile.

For days out, Ravenscourt Park is the main family space, with Furnivall Gardens, St Peter's Square and Dalling Road Open Space closer in. Hammersmith Library and Askew Road Library are useful for homework and rainy afternoons.

Worth knowing: across the borough, under-16s make up 15.6% of residents against 18.6% for England, while 25 to 44 year olds make up 38.5%. So it is a younger, more adult-heavy area than most of the country. Families are here, but you may notice fewer of them on your street than you would in a suburb.

Transport is Hammersmith's biggest selling point. Ravenscourt Park station is right on the doorstep, and Hammersmith has two separate Underground stations serving the Circle, Hammersmith & City, District and Piccadilly lines. Stamford Brook and Goldhawk Road are also within walking distance. That means direct trains into central London and a straight run out to Heathrow without changing.

Buses matter just as much. Hammersmith has two bus stations, upper and lower, sitting either side of the Broadway, so routes fan out across west and central London. If you do not drive, you will rarely feel stuck.

On foot, the area is flat and walkable, with the Thames path giving a pleasant car-free route east and west. Driving is the weakest option: the gyratory, the flyover and parking pressure all take their toll, and journeys at peak times can crawl. Many people here manage without a car and spend the money elsewhere.

For a place this size, there is a lot going on. Riverside Studios is the local cinema and arts venue, with The Chiswick Cinema, a Vue, Olympic Studios and the Electric Cinema all within a mile or so. Shopping runs from the Broadway Shopping Centre and Livat Hammersmith to West 12 and the much bigger Westfield just over a mile away.

Pubs are a real strength. The Salutation is on the doorstep, with The Dove by the river, Hammersmith Belle, The Prince of Wales Townhouse and The Stonemasons Arms all close by. Riverside drinking in summer is one of the great local pleasures.

If you like to keep active, there is plenty of choice: PureGym, F45 Training, Boom Cycle, Pilates West and Surge are all within half a mile. Add the parks, the towpath and the cultural centres, and you rarely need to leave W6 to fill a weekend.

Hammersmith and Fulham is a working borough. Census figures for the wider council area show 63.4% of adults in work, well above the England average of 57.4%. Unemployment sits at 5%, a little above the 3.5% England figure, and benefit claimants were 4.8% of 16 to 64 year olds in August 2026 against 4% nationally.

The local picture is office, retail, health and hospitality. Charing Cross Hospital is a major employer within a mile, and the shopping centres, pubs and venues listed above all take staff. Plenty of residents commute rather than work locally.

That is where Hammersmith earns its keep. With four Underground lines and two bus stations, you can reach jobs across central and west London without a long or expensive journey, and Heathrow is a direct ride away. If your work takes you around the capital, few places make it easier.