What it's like to live in St Ives, Cambridgeshire

Huntingdonshire is a district of mostly owner-occupied housing. Census 2021 records 69% of homes owned, 16.8% privately rented and 12.9% social rented, below the England figure of 17.1%. Within that, housing associations hold most of the social stock at 10.5%, with council housing at just 2.4%, so a swap is a realistic route in.

The largest social landlords across the area are Places for People Living+ with around 6,110 homes, then bpha with 956, Accent Housing with 684, Cross Keys Homes with 672 and Muir Group with 670. Average weekly social rents in 2024/25 were about £100 for a one bed, £116 for two beds and £127 for three beds, though your own rent depends on the landlord and property.

The age profile for the district skews a little older than England, with 20.2% aged 65 and over and 27.5% aged 45 to 64, while under-16s make up 17.9%. For context on demand, 3,041 households were on the council's housing register at March 2025 and 716 social homes were let through the council in 2024-25.

Families are well served for schools close to home. Eastfield Infant and Nursery School and Westfield Junior School are both around half a mile from the centre, which covers the full primary age range between them. Thorndown Primary School and Wheatfields Primary School sit about a mile out, and Hemingford Grey Primary School is a similar distance across the river.

For older children, St Ivo Academy is just over half a mile away, so most of the town is within a reasonable journey. Aurora Fairway School, a specialist setting, is also nearby. Check current admissions and catchment details with the council before you plan a move, as places depend on your address and the year group.

Outside school, there is plenty of outdoor space. Warners Park is the closest green space to the centre, with Berman Park, Copley Scout Park and Waveney Road Playing Field all within just over a mile, and Fen Drayton Recreation Ground a short drive out. St Ives Library and Learning Centre is handy for younger children, and Inflatabounce under two miles away is an option for rainy days and parties.

St Ives has its own bus station, about a five minute walk from the centre, and that is the hub for local services. If you do not drive, it is worth checking the routes and times that matter to you, for work, school runs or hospital appointments, before you commit to a swap, as timetables change.

There is no railway station in the town itself, so rail journeys mean travelling to a station elsewhere first. Again, plan that properly if you rely on trains.

On foot, the town is manageable. The library is a few minutes from the centre, the main supermarkets and pharmacies are within a mile, and the primary schools are mostly under a mile and a bit from the middle of town. Warners Park is only a short walk away. Outer estates mean a longer walk into the centre, but it is flat ground, which helps if you are pushing a buggy or using a wheelchair.

By car, St Ives works as a base for the surrounding villages and the rest of Huntingdonshire. Parking varies by street, so ask the person you are swapping with what the arrangements are at the property.

St Ives has a sociable centre. Nelson's Head, the Royal Oak, Floods Tavern and The Snug are all in or beside the high street, and for a later night there is The Lounge and OutOut Nightclub within a few minutes' walk. It is a town where you can go out locally rather than always travelling for an evening.

For exercise, PureGym is under a mile from the centre. The parks give you the free option: Warners Park is the nearest, with Berman Park and Waveney Road Playing Field for kickabouts and dog walks, and Fen Drayton Recreation Ground a couple of miles out if you fancy a change of scene.

Community life leans on local halls. The Copley Centre, Burleigh Hill Community Centre and St Marys Centre host activities in and around the town, with village halls at Hemingford Abbots and Needingworth nearby. St Ives Library and Learning Centre is the other hub, useful for free warmth, computers and groups. Beyond that, the surrounding villages and the riverside countryside are the main draw for weekends.

Employment across the Huntingdonshire council area is strong on paper. Census 2021 found 61.6% of adults in work, above the England figure of 57.4%, and unemployment at 2.3% compared with 3.5% nationally. More recent benefit figures put unemployment-related claims at 2.3% of working-age people in September 2026, against 4% for England.

That suggests work is generally available in the district, though these numbers cover the whole of Huntingdonshire and its 180,832 residents, not St Ives alone. In practice, many people here travel out to jobs in Huntingdon, Cambridge and the wider area, while the town itself supports shops, schools, care, hospitality and services.

If you are moving for work, the honest advice is to work out your commute first. Without a station in town, journeys often mean a bus or a car, and costs add up. Check what your travel would realistically cost each week alongside the rent before you agree an exchange, and ask your potential swap partner how they get to work from the address.