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What it's like to live in Solihull

Day to day, the centre does the heavy lifting. Sainsbury's, Aldi, Morrisons and a Tesco Express are all within a quarter of a mile, with Boots, Superdrug and Morrisons pharmacies alongside. The Core Library is practically in the middle of town.

The age profile for the wider council area leans older than England's, with 21.1% aged 65 and over and fewer young adults. You notice that in the pace of the place. It is calm rather than lively, though there is enough going on in the evenings if you want it.

Getting around

Solihull station is about half a mile from the town centre, with Widney Manor just over a mile away and Olton around two miles. Shirley and Dorridge are both within roughly three miles. That gives you real choice if you commute by train rather than drive.

Buses are easy here. Several Solihull Town Centre stops sit within a tenth of a mile of the shops, with more by House of Fraser. If you do not drive, you are not stuck.

On foot, the centre is compact. Shops, library, cinema, pharmacies and parks are all inside a half-mile circle, which is unusual and genuinely useful. Drivers have Sears Retail Park and Solihull Retail Park under two miles out for bigger trips. Parking in and around a busy town centre is the usual trade-off, so check what comes with any home you are considering before you commit.

Schools and family life

Families are well served close to the centre. Saint Alphege Church of England Infant School is 0.2 miles away, with St Alphege C of E Junior School and Solihull Preparatory School around half a mile. Greswold Primary and St Augustine's Catholic Primary are both 0.8 miles out.

For older children, Tudor Grange Academy and Lode Heath School are both 0.9 miles away, with The Triple Crown Centre at a mile, Solihull Academy at 1.5 miles and Langley School at 1.8. Always check current admissions and catchments with the council before you plan a move around a particular school.

Outside the school gates there is plenty. Tudor Grange Park and its lake are 0.4 miles from the centre, Malvern Park 0.3, and The Core Library is a tenth of a mile away. Across the council area, 19.2% of residents are under 16, a touch above the England figure.

Things to do

For a town of this size, the centre punches above its weight. Cineworld Solihull is a tenth of a mile from the shops, and Touchwood and Mell Square sit right alongside. Hush Cinema is just over a mile away if you want something different.

Eating and drinking is mostly clustered in the centre too, from Cote and Kibou to Spinners, Paramo Lounge and Green's Cocktail Lounge. Popworld is the main late option nearby. It is a sociable town centre rather than a big night-out destination.

The parks are the real selling point. Brueton Gardens and Malvern Park are a short walk from the shops, with Tudor Grange Park and its lake a little further. For keeping active there are gyms within a few hundred metres, including The Club Solihull and Solihull Training Centre. Community life has a base too, with Oliver Bird Hall and The Hub nearby.

Work and the local economy

Across the Solihull council area, 56.1% of adults are in work, close to the England figure of 57.4%. Unemployment sits at 3.2%, slightly below the 3.5% England average, and benefit claimants among 16 to 64 year olds were 3.6% in August 2026 against 4% nationally. In short, a steady local labour market rather than a struggling one.

The town centre itself is a big employer, with Touchwood, Mell Square and the wider retail and hospitality trade, plus health services such as Bupa Health Centre Solihull and Achieve Health on the High Street.

If you work further afield, the rail links matter. Solihull, Widney Manor and Olton stations give you options for commuting, and the retail parks a couple of miles out add more. It is a reasonable base whether you work locally or travel.

Housing and who lives here

Solihull is a largely owner-occupied area. Across the council area, 72.2% of homes are owned, 12.8% privately rented and 14% socially rented, below the England figure of 17.1%. Social housing is in demand and does not come up often.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is by far the biggest social landlord with 9,828 homes, followed by Bromford Housing Association with 1,153, Citizen Housing Group with 1,015, Platform Housing with 816 and Sanctuary Housing with 199.

Rents are modest. Average weekly social rents in the council area for 2024/25 were £91 for a one bed, £104 for two beds and £118 for three. At 31 March 2025 the council's housing register held 3,293 households, and 695 social homes were let through the council in 2024-25. A register is not a simple queue. Only 30 council homes changed hands by mutual exchange that year, which tells you swaps here are worth chasing early.

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