What it's like to live in Shoreham-by-Sea

Shoreham sits in an area where owning dominates. Across Adur, 72% of homes are owned, 14.8% privately rented and 12.4% socially rented, below the England figure of 17.1%. Social housing is a smaller slice here than in many places, which is worth knowing when you are weighing up how many swap options are likely to come up.

Adur District Council is by far the biggest social landlord with around 2,528 homes, followed by Southern Housing with 319, The Guinness Partnership with 224, Clarion with 192 and Hyde with 175. Average weekly social rents in Adur for 2024/25 were £103 for a one bed, £119 for a two bed and £135 for a three bed.

The population skews older than England as a whole: 23.6% are 65 or over and 27.3% are 45 to 64, with 17.9% under 16. In 2024-25, 179 social homes were let through the council and 11 council homes changed hands by mutual exchange, with 1,033 households on the housing register at March 2025.

School choice is one of Shoreham's practical strengths. Within half a mile or so you have Swiss Gardens Primary School, Shoreham Beach Primary School, Buckingham Park Primary School, St Nicolas and St Mary CofE Primary School and St Peter's Catholic Primary School. That is five primaries inside a short walk or quick drive, which gives families real options.

For older children, Shoreham Academy is just over a mile away, with Shoreham College and Lancing College also nearby. West Sussex Alternative Provision College and Springboard Education are both within about two miles. Always check current admission arrangements with West Sussex County Council before you commit to a swap, as catchments and places change year to year.

Family life outside school leans on the outdoors. Beach Green and Adur Recreation Ground give space for running about, The Meads Open Space and Windlesham Gardens are closer in, and the beach itself is free entertainment most of the year. Shoreham Library is central, and community venues including The Shoreham Centre, Shoreham Parish Centre and Esteem host local activities.

Shoreham-by-Sea station sits about a tenth of a mile from the town centre, which is about as central as a station gets. Southwick is 1.6 miles away and Lancing 2.2 miles, with Fishersgate and Portslade also within three miles, so there are several options if one line or platform suits you better.

The town centre is walkable. The high street, library, pharmacies, Co-op and Coronation Green are all clustered together, and Shoreham Beach is reached on foot across the river. If you live on the beach side or towards Buckingham Park, you will walk a little further into town, but distances stay modest.

For drivers, the coast road links Shoreham westwards to Worthing and eastwards to Southwick, Portslade and Brighton, and Holmbush Shopping Centre is an easy drive at 1.3 miles. Local buses run along the coastal corridor and connect the surrounding towns. Parking in the older streets near the centre can be tight, as it tends to be in towns built before cars, so check what comes with any home you are considering.

The riverside and the beach shape most of what people do here. Coronation Green sits beside the Adur, Beach Green is down on the shingle, and the South Downs are an easy trip inland. Between them you get walking, swimming and sea air without needing to travel.

The town has a solid run of pubs within a few minutes of the centre: The Buckingham Arms, The Crabtree, Ferry Rigg Inn, The Old Star and The Royal Sovereign are all clustered close together, which makes for a decent choice on a given evening. For exercise, Fifth and Found, Studio Three19 and 360 Three Sixty Fitness are all in or beside the town centre, with YogaSouth and Perch Gym a couple of miles out.

For shopping and a change of scene, Holmbush Shopping Centre is 1.3 miles away and covers the bigger stores. Shoreham Library is a hub in its own right, and Southwick, Lancing and Portslade libraries are within easy reach. Brighton is close enough for bigger nights out and larger venues when you want them.

Across the Adur council area, 56.3% of adults are in work, just below the England figure of 57.4%. Unemployment sits at 2.7%, lower than the 3.5% England average, and unemployment-related benefit claims were 3.1% of working-age people in September 2026 against 4% nationally. The picture is of a steady local labour market rather than a booming one.

Adur's age profile helps explain it. Nearly a quarter of residents are 65 or over, above the England average, and the 25 to 44 group is smaller than nationally, so a decent share of the population is retired rather than job-seeking.

Many working residents commute. The station in the centre of town and the coast road make Brighton and Worthing realistic for daily travel, which widens the job market well beyond Shoreham itself. Locally, the harbour, Southlands Hospital, Holmbush Shopping Centre, schools and the town's shops and pubs are visible sources of work. If your job depends on a particular commute, time the journey before you agree a swap.