Moving to Nottingham: areas, rents and commute

Matthew Duckett

Nottingham is the city I describe to people as the best value of the big university cities. It has two universities, one of the biggest hospitals in the country, Boots, Experian and a lot of professional services, and it has a compact centre with a tram that reaches most of the places people actually want to live. Rents are well below Birmingham for a similar home, and the countryside and the Peak District are within an hour.

The shape of it matters more than in most cities, because two of the places I recommend are not in Nottingham at all. West Bridgford and Beeston are both over the city boundary in their own districts, which changes the council tax and the schools, so the figures on those pages are for the district, not the city.

I have picked three areas that cover the usual briefs: the Lace Market for city living, West Bridgford for families who want the schools and a village centre, and Beeston for people who want more for their money and a short tram ride to the university, the QMC and Boots. None of this is a ranking. The figures are from live listings and public data, and the Blueprint works out which one fits you.

Matthew Duckett · 16 years in property · updated 14 Oct 2026

Nottingham at a glance

1-bed average rent

£734 a month

up 2.2% on a year, all tenancies

ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Nottingham, July 2026.

2-bed average rent

£913 a month

up 2.3% on a year, all tenancies

ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Nottingham, July 2026.

3-bed average rent

£1,049 a month

up 2.7% on a year, all tenancies

ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Nottingham, July 2026.

Council tax, Band D

£2,755 a year

Nottingham council area. Your band depends on the property.

MHCLG, 2026-27.

Population

325,765

Nottingham council area

ONS mid-year estimate, mid-2025.

Driving times from each area

Area	Nottingham station	East Midlands Airport	Queen's Medical Centre	Boots Beeston
Lace Market	5 min	30 min	15 min	20 min
West Bridgford	10 min	25 min	15 min	15 min
Beeston	20 min	25 min	10 min	10 min

Mapbox Directions, by car, weekday 8am departure, calculated 14 Oct 2026.

Rents in Nottingham

The ONS average for all private rents in Nottingham, 2-bed, is £913 a month (July 2026). That covers every tenancy, old and new.

Typical asking rents for a 2-bed in the areas below run from £1,030 to £1,095 a month, from live listings read 14 Oct 2026.

Some of the areas we know well

Areas in Nottingham

Map showing Lace Market, West Bridgford, Beeston and Nottingham station — © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap **Improve this map**

Lace MarketNG1

2-bed typical £1,040 a month, read 14 Oct 2026

5 min by car to Nottingham station

The Lace Market is the old warehouse quarter on the east side of the city centre, and it is where I send single professionals and couples who want to walk to work and live somewhere with a bit of history.

West BridgfordNG2

2-bed typical £1,095 a month, read 14 Oct 2026

10 min by car to Nottingham station

West Bridgford is the family suburb I recommend most often around Nottingham.

BeestonNG9

2-bed typical £1,030 a month, read 14 Oct 2026

20 min by car to Nottingham station

Beeston is the value option of the three and the one I show to anyone whose job is at the university, the QMC or Boots, because all three are on its doorstep.

Not a ranking: which area fits depends on your work, budget and household.

Which part of Nottingham fits your work, budget and schools is what I work out in your Blueprint.

Your Blueprint is drawn up around your job, your budget, your household and your arrival date. Delivered within one working day of us having everything we need.

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