What it's like to live in Lees

Housing in the Oldham council area leans towards owner occupation at 60.4%, with 21.2% social rented and 17.7% private rented. The social rented share is a little above the England average of 17.1%, split between 8.1% council homes and 13.1% housing association. Lees itself is a mix of older terraces and later estate housing.

Average weekly social rents in the borough for 2024/25 were about £83 for a one bed, £95 for a two bed and £106 for a three bed, which is low compared with much of England. First Choice Homes Oldham is by far the largest landlord with around 11,356 homes, followed by Oldham Council with 2,083, Great Places with 1,547, Regenda with 1,384 and The Guinness Partnership with 1,159.

The borough's population is younger than average, with more under 16s and fewer over 65s than England as a whole. Demand for social housing is high: 7,885 households were on the council's register at March 2025, and a register is not a simple queue, which is part of why mutual exchange appeals to so many tenants.

Families are well served for schools close to home. St Thomas' Leesfield CofE Primary is practically on the doorstep at 0.1 miles, with St Edwards Roman Catholic Primary and Hey-with-Zion Primary both around 0.3 miles. Springhead Infant and Nursery School is half a mile away and takes younger children, and St Agnes CofE Primary is at 0.6 miles.

For secondary, Oasis Academy Leesbrook is the nearest at half a mile, with Co-op Academy Strinesdale under a mile, Sapience Girls Academy at a mile, Kingsland School at 1.2 miles and The Blue Coat School at 1.6 miles. That is an unusually good spread of choices for a town this size, though places depend on admissions rules rather than distance alone.

Outside school, Lees Library is a two-minute walk and a useful free space in the holidays. Lees Park gives children somewhere to run about, and Springhead Community Centre and the church halls nearby host local activities. The borough skews young, with 22.6% of the Oldham council area under 16, above the England average.

Lees is a walkable little place. The shops, library and pharmacies sit within a few hundred metres of each other, so if you do not drive, everyday errands are manageable on foot. The ground rises as you head east, so some streets are steeper than others, worth bearing in mind.

Buses are the backbone here. Oldham Mumps Interchange is about 1.3 miles away and Oldham Bus Station 1.8 miles, and both connect the borough with Manchester and the surrounding towns. Mumps is also a Metrolink tram stop, which gives you a direct link into central Manchester without changing.

For heavy rail, the nearest stations are Mossley at two miles and Greenfield at 2.4 miles, both on the line that runs between Manchester and Huddersfield. Neither is walking distance for most people, so you would drive, catch a bus or get a lift.

By car, you are well placed for the A62 and the routes across to Saddleworth and down to Ashton. Parking varies street by street, as it does across older Oldham neighbourhoods.

Green space is easy to reach. Lees Park is the local favourite at half a mile, and within a short drive or bus ride you have Becket Meadows, Waterhead Park, Dawsons Field and Alexandra Park in Oldham. Head east and the lanes climb quickly towards open countryside, which is a real bonus for walkers.

For a night out, Lees has a decent handful of pubs and bars for its size, including the Red Lion, the Angel Inn, The Front House, Milan Bar and Red Square Vodka Bar, most within a few minutes of the centre. Oldham town centre adds ODEON Oldham at 1.6 miles and Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre for bigger shopping trips.

If you like to keep active, there are several gyms within a couple of miles, among them Rhinos Gym & Fitness Centre, Scholes Gym, The Unit and PureGym. Lees Library is handy for quieter days, and Oldham Library and the Local Studies & Archive are a mile and a half away.

Work in this corner of Greater Manchester is spread across Oldham borough, neighbouring towns and central Manchester, which the tram from Mumps puts within commuting reach. Locally, the health sector is a visible employer, with The Royal Oldham Hospital, The Christie at Oldham and All Saints Hospital all within two and a half miles, alongside retail at the town centre shopping areas and supermarkets.

The figures for the wider Oldham council area show a tighter labour market than the national picture. At the 2021 Census, 52.5% of adults were in work, against 57.4% across England, and unemployment was 4.1% compared with 3.5%. By August 2026, 6.5% of people aged 16 to 64 in the borough were claiming unemployment-related benefits, well above the England figure of 4%.

That is worth knowing if you are moving for work rather than with a job already lined up. The upside is good transport into Manchester and the wider region, so your job search does not have to stop at the borough boundary.