What it's like to live in Nantwich

Nantwich sits in an area where owning is the norm. Across Cheshire East, 71.9% of homes are owner-occupied, 15.5% are privately rented and 11.6% are social rented, split between 2.7% council and 8.9% housing association. That social share is below the England average of 17.1%, which is why swapping is often the most practical route in.

The biggest social landlords in the council area are The Guinness Partnership with 5,499 homes, Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust with 5,054, Plus Dane Housing with 4,725, Onward Homes with 1,084 and Great Places Housing Association with 950. Average weekly social rents for 2024/25 were £96 for a one bed, £110 for a two bed and £120 for a three bed.

The age profile leans older than England as a whole: 22.4% of residents are 65 or over against 18.4% nationally, and 28.3% are aged 45 to 64. Under-16s make up 17.3%. For context, Cheshire East's housing register held 7,847 households at the end of March 2025, with 952 social homes let through the council in 2024-25.

Families are well served for schools. Nantwich Primary Academy is right in the town, with Highfields Academy and Millfields Primary Academy around half a mile away, St Anne's Catholic Primary School and Pear Tree Primary School a little further. That cluster means most families have a few realistic options within a short walk or a very short drive.

For older children, Malbank School and Sixth Form College is half a mile from the centre and Brine Leas School under a mile, so sixth form study can carry on locally. Shavington Academy, St Thomas More Catholic High School and The Oaks Academy are all within about three miles. Always check current admissions and catchment details with Cheshire East before you commit to a swap.

Outside school, there is plenty of space to burn off energy. The Barony is the main open space, with Brookfield Park and Coronation Gardens closer in. Nantwich Youth Community Centre and halls at Brookfield, Stapeley and Acton host the sort of clubs and groups that make a new town feel like home quickly.

Nantwich has its own railway station about half a mile from the centre, which is a real advantage for a town this size. It puts rail travel within walking distance for many households, rather than something that needs a drive first.

For drivers, the town sits on the south Cheshire road network, with Crewe and the wider county easy to reach. Parking and running a car are straightforward enough, but plenty of people here manage without one for everyday trips, because the supermarkets, pharmacies, library and schools are clustered so tightly around the centre.

Walking is genuinely the simplest way to get about in central Nantwich. The M&S Foodhall is a few minutes away, Morrisons and Aldi around a third of a mile, and Coronation Gardens barely further. Local bus services link the town with Crewe and surrounding villages, and they are worth checking against your own journeys, especially if you will be travelling at school or shift times. If you are coming from a city with frequent services, expect a quieter timetable here and plan around it.

For a town of this size, Nantwich has a decent spread of places to go. The Barony is the big open space for sport and events, while Coronation Gardens and Brookfield Park are the easy everyday walks, both within half a mile of the centre. Kingfisher Reach Park and Joey the Swan give you somewhere different a couple of miles out.

The town centre has a good run of pubs and bars within a few minutes' walk, including The Red Cow, The Talbot, The Malbank, The Bowling Green and Bench Bistro Bar. Studio covers later nights. It is a sociable town rather than a loud one, and most people stay local rather than travelling for a night out.

Nantwich Library sits in the centre and is free to join, which matters if you are watching the budget. Nantwich Civic Hall is the main venue for community events and bookings. Area 51 Fittness is the nearest gym at under three miles, so if fitness classes are part of your routine, factor in the short journey.

The employment figures here cover the whole Cheshire East council area, which has a population of 398,772, so treat them as a guide to the wider picture rather than Nantwich alone. Across the area, 58.4% of adults are in work, slightly above the England figure of 57.4%.

Unemployment runs low. Just 2.4% of adults are recorded as unemployed, against 3.5% for England, and unemployment-related benefit claimants stood at 2.4% of 16 to 64 year olds, compared with 4% nationally. That points to a steady local jobs market rather than a volatile one.

In practice, Nantwich itself offers work in shops, hospitality, care and schools, while many residents commute. Crewe is the obvious nearby destination, and the railway station makes wider commuting realistic without a car. If your job is tied to a particular employer or shift pattern, check the journey times and service frequencies carefully before you agree a swap, because a Cheshire East commute can look very different from a city one.