What it's like to live in Liverpool

Liverpool has a strong social housing sector: 26.4% of homes in the council area are socially rented, well above the England figure of 17.1%. Most of that is housing association rather than council, with big landlords including Torus62, The Riverside Group, Onward Homes, Cobalt Housing and Plus Dane Housing.

Average weekly social rents in the council area for 2024/25 were around £90 for one bed, £101 for two beds and £109 for three beds. Check the exact rent and service charges on any property before agreeing a swap, as city centre blocks can carry extra charges.

The area skews young: 15.7% of the council area is aged 16 to 24 against 10.6% nationally, reflecting the universities. Under-16s and over-65s are both below the England average.

Families do live in L3, though the city centre is more geared to younger adults. For primary, Holy Cross Catholic Primary is about 0.3 miles away, with Pleasant Street Primary, St Francis Xavier infant school and Faith Primary School all within 0.6 miles.

For older children, The LIPA High School is under a mile, along with Liverpool Life Sciences UTC, The Studio School, Notre Dame Catholic Academy and Harmonize Academy, all within a mile and a half. Always check current admission rules and catchments with the school directly before you commit to a move.

Green space is close but compact: St John's Gardens, Roscoe Gardens, Angel Field and The Quadrangle are all short walks. Community centres including the Bronte Youth and Community Centre, Marybone Community Hub and the Kurdish Community Centre give families places to meet.

You can live here without a car and most people in L3 do. Liverpool Lime Street is about a tenth of a mile away for mainline trains, with Liverpool Central, Moorfields and James Street all within walking distance for the local network. Edge Hill is about a mile and a half out.

Buses are everywhere. Stops at Great Charlotte Street, Brownlow Hill, Upper Newington, Cockspur Street and outside the Royal Liverpool University Hospital cover a wide spread of routes across the city.

On foot, this is about as walkable as England gets: shops, library, GP and station all inside half a mile. Driving is a different story. Traffic is heavy, streets are one-way in places and parking is scarce and often paid for, so check what comes with any home you're offered.

This is the strongest thing about L3. Cinema and theatre are on the doorstep: the Royal Court Theatre, Everyman Liverpool, ODEON at Liverpool ONE and Picturehouse at FACT are all within half a mile.

For shopping, St Johns Shopping Centre, Williamson Square and Clayton Square are a few minutes' walk, plus the shops around Lime Street. Libraries are unusually good here, with Central Library, the Liverpool Record Office, the International Library and the Athenaeum all nearby.

Nightlife is on your doorstep too: the O2 Academy, Boom Battle Bar, Ruby Blues and plenty of pubs like Ma Egerton's Stage Door, The North Western and Doctor Duncan's. Gyms include XF Liverpool, RYDE Studios and Slim Gyms. Great if you use it, less great if you want quiet.

Across the Liverpool council area, 51.1% of adults are in work, below the England figure of 57.4%, and unemployment sits at 4.8% against 3.5% nationally. Benefit claimants related to unemployment were 5.5% of working-age people in August 2026, compared with 4% in England.

That said, being in L3 puts you at the centre of the city's jobs: retail and hospitality in the shopping centres and bars, universities and hospitals close by. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital and John Moores University campus buildings are both within walking distance.

If you work elsewhere in the North West, Lime Street gives you a direct mainline connection, which makes commuting out realistic without a car.