What it's like to live in Street

Street sits within the Somerset council area, where 13.7% of homes are socially rented, a little below the England figure of 17.1%. That splits into 5% council-owned and 8.7% housing association. Owner-occupation is high at 67.4%, with 17.7% privately rented, so social homes are a smaller share of the market than in many urban areas.

Social rents across Somerset averaged £94 a week for a one bed, £109 for two beds and £120 for three beds in 2024/25. Your actual rent will depend on the landlord and the property. The largest social landlords in the county are Somerset Council with 9,682 homes, Abri Group with 9,637, LiveWest with 5,264, Aster Communities with 4,407 and Magna Housing with 2,565.

The age profile for Somerset skews older than England as a whole: 24.8% are 65 or over against 18.4% nationally, and 27.6% are aged 45 to 64. Under-16s make up 16.8%. Street has its share of families, but expect a settled, mixed community rather than a young one.

Street is well served for schools. Hindhayes Infant School is around a quarter of a mile away and Elmhurst Junior School a little further, with Brookside Community Primary School under a mile. Walton Church of England Primary and St Benedict's Church of England Junior School are both within two miles, so there is real choice for primary-age children.

For older children, Crispin School Academy is less than half a mile from the centre. Millfield School and Avalon School are under a mile away, with Tor School just over a mile and St Dunstan's School about two miles off in the Glastonbury direction. Admissions depend on catchment and places available in any given year, so check with Somerset Council before you commit to a swap.

Outside school, Merriman Park and Wraxhill Park are the closest places for children to run about, with Walton Park and Abbey Park a bit further. Street Library is in the town centre, and Crispin Community Centre and Crispin Hall host local groups and activities.

Street is a walkable town. The library, pharmacies and Clarks Village are all within a few minutes of the centre, and the main supermarkets sit under a mile out, so plenty of everyday trips can be done on foot or by bike if you are able to.

There is no railway station in Street itself, so train travel means travelling out to a station elsewhere in the county first. Buses are the main public transport link, connecting Street with Glastonbury and other Somerset towns. If you rely on buses, check the specific routes and evening timetables for the exact street you are considering, because frequencies vary across the town.

By car, Street is well placed for getting around central Somerset, with Glastonbury less than two miles away and West Mendip Community Hospital about three miles off. Parking provision differs a lot from one estate to another, so it is worth asking your exchange partner directly about parking, bus stops and how long their own journeys take.

Clarks Village is the obvious draw, a short walk from the town centre and the reason plenty of visitors come to Street at all. The Bayliss Centre adds more shopping close by, and The Gauntlet sits around Glastonbury way, under two miles off.

For eating and drinking, the town has a solid run of pubs: The Bear Inn and The Lantokay are both within a few minutes of the centre, with The King Alfred, Street Inn and Elms Inn close behind. For exercise, PureGym is just over a mile away, and the parks give you free space for walking, running or taking the dog.

Community life runs through Crispin Hall, Crispin Community Centre and the Royal British Legion in the town, plus Walton Village Hall and Chorale21 nearby. Street Library is right in the centre, with a second Library Hub under two miles away. Add the surrounding Somerset countryside and the Levels, and there is enough here to fill a weekend without spending much.

The employment figures below cover the whole Somerset council area rather than Street alone, so treat them as a guide. Across Somerset, 56.6% of adults are in work, close to the England figure of 57.4%. Unemployment sits at 2.3%, noticeably below the England average of 3.5%.

Benefit claimant numbers tell a similar story. In August 2026, 2.6% of people aged 16 to 64 in Somerset were claiming unemployment-related benefits, against 4% across England. That points to a reasonably steady local jobs picture, though wages and hours vary a lot by sector in a rural county like this.

In Street itself, retail is clearly part of the local economy given Clarks Village and the town centre shops, alongside schools, health services and the hospital nearby. If you are moving for work, it is worth looking at the whole central Somerset area rather than Street alone, since Glastonbury and other towns are within easy commuting distance by car or bus.