What it's like to live in Redhill

The Reigate and Banstead council area has 150,846 residents and leans towards home ownership: 71.1% of homes are owned and 15.7% privately rented. Social renting is 11.5%, below the England figure of 17.1%, split between a small council stock of 1.8% and 9.7% housing association. That tells you how tight social housing is locally.

Raven Housing Trust is by far the biggest social landlord with around 5,088 homes, followed by Southern Housing, Hyde, Metropolitan Housing Trust and Orbit. Average weekly social rents in 2024/25 were £121 for a one bed, £141 for two and £161 for three.

The age profile is slightly younger than England overall, with 20.2% under 16 and 27.1% aged 25 to 44, so there are plenty of families about. At 31 March 2025 the council's housing register held 1,062 households, and 167 social homes were let through the council that year, which is a useful reminder that a direct offer is not quick here.

There is a good spread of schools. St Matthew's Church of England Primary School is about 0.2 miles away, with St Joseph's Catholic Primary School at 0.3 miles, Wray Common Primary School at 0.5 miles and Earlswood Infant and Nursery School at 0.7 miles, so most parts of town have a primary within pram-pushing distance. A new school is also due to open nearby.

For older children, Carrington School is around half a mile off and St Bede's School 0.7 miles. Dunottar School, Reigate Grammar School and the Royal Alexandra & Albert School are all within a mile and a half, though some of those are independent. As always, check catchment and admissions before you count on a place.

Family life outside school is easy enough to fill. Redhill Memorial Park is the closest green space for younger children, with Wray Common and Earlswood Common a bit further for longer walks. Redhill Library runs as a local hub, there are scout groups at Reigate scout centres nearby, and Khin Family Services and Holy Trinity Church Hall add to the community side.

Redhill station is the big draw, around 0.2 miles from the centre. It is a junction, so trains run in several directions, and Earlswood, Reigate, Merstham and Nutfield stations are all within two miles if one suits your end of town better.

Buses matter here too. Redhill Bus Station sits right by the shopping centre, which makes it straightforward to get around the borough and to neighbouring towns without a car. If you do drive, the town has good links out to the motorway network, though the centre can be slow at school run and commuter times and parking costs money.

On foot, central Redhill works well. The shops, library, pharmacies, cinema and station are all clustered within a few hundred metres, so plenty of households manage without a car. Further out, towards Wray Common or Earlswood, you are looking at a fifteen to twenty minute walk into town, which is fine in good weather and less fun in winter. Cycling is doable on quieter residential roads.

For a town of this size, Redhill is well served. The Light cinema sits right by the Belfry Shopping Centre, so a film and a bite out is a ten minute walk for most of the centre. Everyman Cinema in Reigate, about a mile and a half away, is the smarter alternative.

Pubs are plentiful and close together: The Junction and The Sun are within a few hundred metres, with The Garland, The Home Cottage and The Red Lion just beyond. Q's Entertainment covers the later nights. For exercise there is The Gym near the station, Redhill Amateur Boxing Club, and yoga and pilates studios over towards Meadvale and Reigate.

Green space is the quiet strength. Redhill Memorial Park is the everyday one, Wray Common and Earlswood Common give you proper open ground, and Battlebridge and Priory Park are both inside two miles. Four libraries sit within three miles, including Reigate and Merstham, which is handy if you are after free indoor space in winter.

Across the Reigate and Banstead council area, 62.5% of adults are in work, well above the England figure of 57.4%. Unemployment sits at 2.8% against 3.5% nationally, and unemployment-related benefit claims were 2.2% of working-age people in August 2026, against 4% for England. In short, this is a borough where most people of working age are employed.

Redhill itself is a working town rather than a dormitory. The town centre carries offices, shops and the Belfry alongside East Surrey Hospital a mile and a half out, which is one of the larger employers in the area.

The railway junction also widens your options a long way. Plenty of residents commute out to Croydon, London, Gatwick and other Surrey towns, which means your job search does not have to stop at the town boundary. If you work shifts, the bus station and station being so central is a practical advantage.