What it's like to live in Oakham

Rutland has less social housing than most places. Just 10.9% of homes are socially rented, compared with 17.1% across England, with 9% housing association and only 1.9% council owned. Around 70.9% of homes are owned outright or with a mortgage and 16.7% are privately rented, so social lets are genuinely scarce and a mutual exchange is a sensible route.

The main social landlords in the area are Amplius Living, with around 1,394 homes, then Platform Housing, Nottingham Community Housing Association, The Hospital of St John the Evangelist and of St Anne in Okeham, and Accent Housing. Average weekly social rents in 2024/25 were about £100 for a one bed, £113 for two beds and £119 for three.

The population skews older than England as a whole: 25.3% are 65 or over against 18.4% nationally, with fewer residents aged 25 to 44. Rutland's housing register held 566 households at March 2025 and 65 homes were let through the council in 2024-25, which gives a sense of how tightly held homes here are.

Families are well served for a town of this size. Within half a mile of the centre there are five primary schools: Littles, Brooke Priory School, Oakham Church of England Primary School, English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy and Catmose Primary. Having a Catholic option and a range of choices this close together is unusual in a rural area.

For older children, Catmose College is around half a mile away, with Oakham Shires School and the independent Oakham School also in town. Most households will find a secondary place within a short walk or a very short journey, which saves a lot of daily hassle.

Outside school, children have Cutts Close Park and the castle grounds in the centre, Centenary Field and Royce Recreation Ground nearby, and Burley Park a short trip away. Rutland County Library is in the middle of town. Oakham Rugby Football Club sits about a mile out, and village halls at Egleton, Langham, Hambleton and Manton host local activities. Rutland Memorial Hospital being so close is reassuring with young children. Check individual school admissions before you plan a move.

Oakham has its own railway station about a quarter of a mile from the town centre, which is a real advantage for a town this size. It puts rail travel within easy walking distance for most people in town, rather than needing a drive to a station first.

The town itself is good for walking. The centre, the library, the hospital, the supermarkets, the parks and the main schools are all within half a mile or so of each other, so day to day errands rarely need a car. Pavements are straightforward and distances are short.

Beyond the town it is a different picture. Rutland is rural, and getting to surrounding villages, to Rutland Water or to larger towns is simpler with a car or a bike. Roads are generally quiet country routes rather than motorways. If you do not drive, check current bus timetables carefully before you commit, as rural services vary and are worth testing on a visit at the times you would actually travel.

Oakham Castle is the obvious landmark and sits right in the centre, with Cutts Close Park next to it. Between them they give the town a proper green heart for picnics, play and a sit in the sun. Centenary Field and Royce Recreation Ground add more space within half a mile, and Burley Park is under two miles out.

For eating and drinking, the town has a decent cluster of pubs and bars within a few minutes' walk, including the Admiral Hornblower, the Wheatsheaf, Jinky's, The Angler and Catmose Club. It is the kind of place where you get to know the regulars fairly quickly.

If you like to train, Limitless gym and Oakham School Gym are both close to the centre, and Oakham Rugby Football Club is around a mile away for club sport. Rutland County Library covers reading, computers and community events. Beyond that, the appeal is the countryside itself: Rutland is small, quiet and easy to explore on foot or by bike once you know the lanes.

Employment figures cover the whole Rutland council area rather than Oakham alone. Around 54.8% of adults are in work, slightly below the England figure of 57.4%, which partly reflects the county's older age profile rather than a shortage of jobs.

Unemployment is low. Just 1.9% of adults were recorded as unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 3.5% across England, and unemployment-related benefit claims stood at about 1.8% of working-age residents in September 2026 compared with 4% nationally. On these measures Rutland is one of the steadier parts of the country for work.

Locally, a lot of employment comes from public services, schools, health, retail, hospitality and agriculture, which is typical of a small county town. Oakham's own employers are limited by its size, so plenty of residents commute. The railway station and the road links to Leicester, Peterborough and Stamford matter here: if your work is in a bigger centre, factor the journey into your decision before you swap.