Holborn & Covent Garden · Camden · Holborn and St Pancras constituency · 51.51654, -0.12112

WC2B 5ES— Holborn & Covent Garden, Camden

Location and area intelligence for WC2B 5ES, Holborn & Covent Garden, Camden

City living at its best

 

Schools 100%Safety 14/100Transport 70/100~5% yield · indicativeOnly 1 sales — thin data⚠ Knotweed sites nearby

Best for: Commuters, Young professionals

Compare areas

Lopsided profile — strong schools but weak safety

Liveability
63
Safety
14
Schools
76
Transport
70
Environment
63
Investment
61

The bottom line

WC2B 5ES offers exceptional schools (100% Good/Outstanding) and good transport links — strong value for Commuters and Young professionals who can accept its trade-offs.

The catch: 2 Japanese knotweed sites within 400m — may affect mortgage applications.

Less suited to Families.

Check your dealbreakers

Toggle the things that matter to you — see how WC2B 5ES scores on each.

Do you commute into central London daily?
Do you have or plan to have school-age children?
Do you work from home?
Do you cycle regularly?
Is noise a dealbreaker for you?

Toggle a question above to see how WC2B 5ES meets your needs.

Location

WC2B 5ES

Area Profile & Benchmarks

Area identity and London comparisons

Area Identity

Urban core
HighMixed
Buyer fit: ExcellentInvestment outlook: PositiveRisk: Low

London Benchmarks

vs London income-14.0% vs London avg
vs London crime+579.0% vs London avg

Deep-dive guides for WC2B 5ES

🛡️Crime & SafetyCrime rate, trends & breakdown by type🎓SchoolsOfsted ratings, exam scores & distances🏠Rental MarketAverage rents, demand & void risk

✨ Get your personal match score

Tell us what matters — safety, schools, transport — and we'll score every postcode for you.

Compare WC2B 5ES with:

Postcode Personality

🚇 Hyper-Connected🎓 School Smart⚠️ Very high crime🍕 Buzzing

“City living at its best”

Share:WhatsAppShare on X

How WC2B 5ES has changed

Schools

18 Apr

Nearest schools and Ofsted ratings

76

Education score

Excellent for families
★ Top school within 1km
—

Primary

St Josephs Catholic Primary School

Not yet inspected · Inspected Apr 2025 · 1 min walk

KS2: 105.4

★

Secondary

London Nautical, City of London Academy

Requires Improvement · Inspected Jun 2023 · 18 min walk

100% of local schools rated Good or Outstanding · based on 21 schools within 1.5km

Top 10% — exceptional provision

Childcare

Childcare

Thomas Coram Centre

Not inspected · 12 min walk

5 primaries · 0 secondaries · 1 childcare — within 1km

Safety

13 Jul

Crime rates and local incidents

Very high crime

441.4 incidents per 1,000 residents

Among London's highest crime areas
↑ Rising 254.7%

+174% vs borough

Note: this postcode is in the Central Activities Zone — London's business and visitor core. Crime is counted per resident, but the daytime and visitor population here is many times the resident count, so these figures reflect footfall, not residential risk.

Crime by type

Other35%
Theft19%
Anti-social behaviour17%
Violence & sexual offences14%
Burglary6%
Robbery4%
Vehicle crime3%
Drug offences2%

Stop & search

12.8

per 1,000 residents

→ Stable

trend

Road safety

100

Road safety score

0

Accidents (5yr)

13

Serious within 200m

Fire risk

LOW

Risk band

0

Incidents (1yr)

0

Incidents (5yr)

Nearest station: Soho Fire station · 768m

Crime is +579% above London average

Property

2 Jul

Prices, sales volume and market trends

Insufficient sales data

Only 1 sale recorded in the last 24 months — too few for a reliable median price. Price figures have been withheld to avoid misleading comparisons.

Price history

Sales (24 months)1
New build0.0%
Price per m²£9,396/m²
Price per ft²£873/ft²
Avg floor area59.6 m²

EPC breakdown

C
16%
D
3%

Based on 19 properties · Confidence: medium

LHA rates — Inner North London

Shared room£708/mo
1 bedroom£1440/mo
2 bedrooms£1794/mo
3 bedrooms£2160/mo
4 bedrooms£3060/mo

Current mortgage rates

2-year fixed4.58%
5-year fixed4.32%
SVR7.25%

Bank of England (monthly average)

Affordability

Low

Market activity

100d

Days to sell

Energy & construction

Solar yield852 kWh/kWp/yr
Rebuild cost estimate£149,000
Rebuild cost per m²£2,500/m²

BCIS London average 2024. Excludes land value. Use for building insurance sum insured guidance only.

Construction era1983-1990
WallsSolid brick, as built, no insulation (assumed)
Roof(another dwelling above)
Heating fuelmains gas (not community)
GlazingSingle glazed
Council tax band Band EAnnual charge £1,982
Price growth potentialHigh

Market History

Price trajectory, velocity and distribution

Price Trajectory

2022–2024 · CAGR

+-1.3%

Total change

-3%

Market Activity

Price Velocity & Acceleration

Current Velocity

+6.7%

per year

Acceleration

+15.37

change in velocity

Market State

Steady growth

Velocity (%)Acceleration

Price Distribution

P25: £500k–£600k · P75: £500k–£600k · 3 sales

Property Type Mix

Total: 3 sales

Flat/maisonette100%

By decade

2020s

Market Cycle

BullCooling bullRisingSteadyRecoveryCorrectionBear

Market Eras

EraPeriodStart priceEnd priceChangeAvg sales/yr
Rate-rise correction2022–2023£575k£525k-8.7%1
Current market2024–2024£560k£560k+0%1

Buyer vs Seller Score

Composite market conditions index 0–100

38out of 100SellerBuyer

Market condition

Seller's Market

Favours sellers

Higher score = better conditions for buyers

Score breakdown

Price Velocity0
Sales Volume75

Transport

1 Jul

Public transport accessibility and links

PTAL 5

Very Good

1a
1b
2
3
4
5
6a
6b
Better than 81% of London
Holborn Underground StationCentral line
1.5 min walk
London Charing Cross→ Charing Cross
0 min

Nearby stations

Holborn Underground StationCentral · Piccadilly
2 min walk
Covent Garden Underground StationPiccadilly
6 min walk
Tottenham Court Road Underground StationNorthern · Central
8 min walk
Tottenham Court RoadElizabeth line
8 min walk
Chancery Lane Underground StationCentral
9 min walk
No bus stops within 400m

68

Walkability score

774

Footpaths (500m)

46

Santander docks (800m)

0.0 km

Nearest cycle dock

Central London commute times

London Bridge28 min ↓
Victoria28 min ↓
Waterloo ★18 min
Canary Wharf33 min ↓
City24 min ↓

▎ marker = outer-London average per hub. ↓ green = below average. ↑ orange = above average. ≈ grey = at average. · Source: TfL Journey Planner (sampled)

Find areas within a set commute time of your workplace →

Parking & EV

Car parks, spaces and charging points

12

Car parks (800m)

8

EV chargers (800m)

Total spaces (800m)450
Nearest car park174m
Santander docks (800m)46
Nearest cycle dock0.0 km

Nearby car parks

🅿️
Bloomsbury Square Car Park450 spaces· yes
290m

Environment

2 Jul

Flood risk, air quality and noise

Flood riskLOW
Low
Minimal flood risk
Surface waterMEDIUM
Medium
Air qualityLOW
NO₂: 22.0 µg/m³ · PM2.5: 14.0 µg/m³
Better than 87% of London
NoiseLOW
none
Quieter than 70% of London
Radon riskLOW
0.5% of local properties affected
ULEZ zone · £12.50/dayCongestion charge zone✗ Not Green Belt✗ Not AONB10% green spaceTree canopy: 40%
Above average green space

Nearest SSSI: Hampstead Heath Woods SSSI — 6.6 km

Energy

Solar: 852 kWh/kWp/yr

Ground stability

Geology: SAND AND GRAVEL

Subsidence risk: Low

Shrink-swell: Low

Running sand risk: Medium

Landslide records (2km): 1

Landslide susceptibility: Low

Insurance risk

Standard

Cost band

Low

Flood risk

Low

Subsidence risk

0.5%

Flood claim prob.

Climate

Local weather conditions and energy potential

1,526 hrs/yr

Sunshine

601 mm/yr

Rainfall

22.8°C

Summer avg

3.1°C

Winter avg

Solar yield851.7 kWh/kWp/yr

Source: Met Office UK Climate Averages 1991-2020

Health

GP, dental and hospital access

SOHO CENTRE FOR HEALTH AND CARE

1ST FLOOR, 30 SOHO SQUARE, W1D 3QS

10 min walk

86%

Recommend GP

86%

Overall GP experience

7

GPs within 1km

16

Dentists within 1km

Nearest hospitalGreat Ormond Street Outpatients - Zebra and Hippo Clinic Areas · 567 m
Nearest A&EUNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST · 1.5 km
A&E 4hr targetNHS target: 95% · London avg: ~68%79.1%

Amenities

Shops, restaurants, parks and more

71

Parks (1km)

341

Restaurants (800m)

153

Cafes (800m)

23

Pubs (400m)

7

Pharmacies (800m)

14

Gyms (1km)

21

Sports (1km)

5

Convenience

Nearest supermarketCo-op Food · 779 m
3 tennis courts2 swimming pools2 sports halls

Nightlife (500m)

2

Nightclubs

25

Late-night venues

A
2,040 licensed premises in boroughHome Office 2023/24

1

Libraries (1km)

11

Cinemas (2km)

194m

Post office

Nearby shops

Sainsbury's Local99 m
Fabrique178 m
Little Waitrose196 m
Sunrise398 m

Nearby cafes

Truedan70 m
Dr Hammer91 m
Caffè Nero108 m
Blank Street Coffee109 m

Nearby restaurants

Il Panino16 m
Burger King70 m
Wagamama70 m
Pita Pit71 m

Nearby pubs

Simmons59 m
The George63 m
Hercules Pillars76 m
Princess Louise90 m

Nearby gyms

Soho Gym123 m
Bull at the Gate174 m
GymBox209 m
Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing350 m

Nearby pharmacies

Boots87 m
Kerrs285 m
Holborn Pharmacy380 m
Zen532 m

Nearby health

CheqUp HQ71 m
Liva Healthcare73 m
Weight Medics115 m
Wasabi160 m
Food hygiene (5-star)48% of 1126

Business

Local businesses registered here

Active businesses
0
New (last 12 months)
0
Dissolved (last 12 months)
0
Industry diversity
0
3yr survival rate
100.0%
Right-to-buy sales (5yr)
198

High street

A

High street health

Investment

Investment grade, yield and market outlook

61

Investment score

Good

Score reflects rental yield, demand & liquidity — not capital appreciation. See Price growth potential below.

Avg monthly rent
£2,102London avg: £1,950/mo
Gross yield
4.5% (good)London avg: 3.8%Strong yield — top 25% of London
Gentrification score63/100
Right-to-buy sales (5yr)Above average for outer London — neighbourhood in transition198
Sales last 12 months0

Rental market

Very High

Demand

Very Low

Void risk

Young professional

Tenant profile

+18.1%

Rent growth (1yr)

Market liquidity

Low

Market activity

100d

Est. days to sell

4/100

Velocity score

Future outlook

71.3

Price growth score

B
High

Development pressure

Low

New supply risk

Strong gentrification momentumHigh investment qualityExcellent transport access

Infrastructure pipeline

Infrastructure score45/100
Bakerloo Extension route2,726m
Crossrail 2 route1,072m

Demographics

16 Jun

Population, deprivation and income

Decile 4/10

More deprived than average

Index of Multiple Deprivation

More deprived than average

Rank: 12,105 nationally

1,792

Est. population

10,101/km²

47%

Employed

52%

Degree educated

£36,100

Median income

3.9%

Claimant rate

Urban coreHigh densityMixed

32

Community stability

Age profile

17%
36%
15%
19%
Under 1817%
18–3436%
35–4915%
50–6419%
65+12%

Tenure

33%
47%
Own outright11%
Own (mortgage)7%
Private rent33%
Social rent47%
Shared ownership2%
Rent free0%

Ethnicity

31%
24%
26%
White British32%
White Other24%
Asian26%
Black7%
Mixed7%
Other6%

Employment & lifestyle

Managerial / professional35%
Routine / semi-routine11%
No car household81%
Unemployed6%
No qualifications10%

Housing tenure (Census 2021)

Social rent47%
Private rent33%

vs. London

Income vs London-14.0%

Planning

Conservation areas and development

Conservation area
Yes
Article 4 area
Yes
Listed buildings (800m)
462
Live planning apps (800m)
35
Development activity
high
Residential apps (800m)
0
Commercial apps (800m)
11
Major developments (800m)
0
Planning apps (12 months)
77
Planning apps (3 years)
72
Local approval rate
86%
Borough approval rate
87%
Historic landfill (400m)
1
Opportunity area
No
Central activities zone
Yes
CIL rate (residential)
£250/m²
Coal mining risk area
No
Japanese knotweed sites (400m)
2

Housing pipeline (800m)

Homes approved
0
Under construction
0
Completed (3yr)
40
Largest scheme
221 homes · 48, 48, Carey Street, WC2A 2JE
Pipeline pressure
NONE

Named schemes (500m)

BRUCE HOUSE, 20, BRUCE HOUSE, 20, KEMBLE STREET, WC279 homes
completed
43 - 49, 43 - 49, Parker Street, WC2B 5PS64 homes
completed
AVIATION HOUSE, WESTERN PART OF SITE, AVIATION HOUSE, WESTERN PART OF SITE, NEWTON STREET, WC255 homes
completed
8-18, 8-18, WILD STREET, WC251 homes
completed
Parker Street Hostel, 25, Parker Street Hostel, 25, Parker Street, London, WC2B 5PA43 homes
completed

Politics

Local councillors and MP

Ward majority
Green
Ward majority vote
14.7%
Ward turnout
37%
Election year
2026
MP
Sir Keir Starmer (Labour)
MP majority
11,572
Constituency
Holborn and St Pancras

Councillors

Hamza ChowdhuryGreen
Jim MonahanGreen
James WhiteGreen

Live in WC2B 5ES? Rate your area

Help future residents make better decisions. Takes 30 seconds.

★★★★★

Resident Reviews

Be the first to review this area

🏘️

No reviews yet for WC2B 5ES.
Help others by sharing your experience.

Reviews are from real residents. No account required. Inappropriate content is removed automatically.

Compare Camden with nearby boroughs:

Camden vs IslingtonCamden vs HaringeyCamden vs WestminsterCamden vs Kensington And Chelsea

Similar postcodes

Frequently asked questions

📍 Track WC2B 5ES

Get a free monthly update when crime, prices or school ratings change in this area.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Key facts for WC2B 5ES

Full postcodeWC2B 5ES
Postcode districtWC2B
BoroughLondon Borough of Camden
WardHolborn & Covent Garden
Latitude51.516537
Longitude-0.121123
Parliamentary constituencyHolborn and St Pancras
CountryEngland
RegionGreater London

Trusted official data sources

Office for
National Statistics
LONDONDATASTORE
Ofsted
HM LAND
REGISTRY
Environment
Agency
DATA.POLICE.UK
GOV.UK
TfL
Transport
for London
NHS
Digital
Companies
House
Royal
Mail
Food Standards
Agency
Ofcom
Met
Office
Ordnance
Survey