Best Places to Live in Birmingham in 2024

The city centre has long been hailed as one of the best places to live in Birmingham, especially for young professionals. Young demographics can benefit from the fantastic connectivity of Birmingham city centre with major UK destinations, as well as the city core’s thriving business district at Colmore Row which offers exceptional career opportunities with some of the UK’s most established businesses. 

In recent years, the city’s business sector has built an impressive collection of global businesses, filled with leading finance giants. From HSBC to EY and PwC, the increasing employment opportunities across the city’s core will continue to rank this area amongst the best places to live in Birmingham.

As Birmingham City Council continues to build new amenities at the heart of the second city, the expansion of Centenary Square and the development of both Paradise and Arena Central will continue to attract new business and thus, new residents looking for new opportunities. The city centre is also set to become a focus of the Our Future City plan, improving links between the perimeter of the city and the city centre through innovative green corridors, improved job opportunities and enhanced transport.

Related: Explore Birmingham Property Investment

The Jewellery Quarter is one of Birmingham’s most iconic neighbourhoods, housing over 500 jewellery businesses across the entire district. Not only is the Jewellery Quarter steeped in heritage, but with over 200 listed buildings, the neighbourhood continues to draw more niche, independent businesses to Birmingham.

From Michelin-star restaurants to fascinating museums and swanky cocktail bars, the Jewellery Quarter is one of the best areas in Birmingham that sits just moments from the heart of the city centre. The region offers an intimate, community feel with easy access to the heart of Birmingham via its own dedicated Midlands Metro tram stop and regular bus routes. 

With this in mind, it’s no surprise that it continues to be named amongst the best places to live in Birmingham for young professionals, especially those that are looking for a laid-back vibe and scenic landscapes without giving up access to the city-centre.

Related: Explore Jewellery Quarter Property Investment

Coined the ‘coolest neighbourhood in Britain’ by the Sunday Times, Digbeth is quickly emerging as one of the best areas to live in Birmingham because of how unique it is in relation to the wider city. It even played a significant part in the Commonwealth Games, with Basketball and Volleyball events all taking place in the heart of the Smithfield Regeneration Site, showing Digbeth’s unique style to the rest of the world.

Often described as Birmingham’s ‘bohemian’ district and compared to the likes of Camden and Shoreditch, Digbeth is home to independent shops, pubs and cinemas, all intertwined with a network of digitally savvy entrepreneurs. Anchored by the ‘Custard Factory’, a mixed-use development housing independent businesses and progressive digital businesses, Digbeth represents the young, progressive side of Birmingham.

This means it’s incredibly popular with high-earning graduates or professionals that want the excitement of Digbeth’s nightlife within walking distance of the many arts and media businesses in the neighbourhood. It’s no wonder Digbeth is the second best location in the city for rental yields, achieving an average of 6.8%. Better yet, with the district soon to have its very own tram stop, you can expect property in Digbeth to become even more in-demand.

Related: Rental Yields In Birmingham In 2024

Take a walk along Birmingham’s picturesque canal network and you’ll eventually find yourself in Brindleyplace, arguably the city’s most desirable destination brimming with lively bars and restaurants. With its affluence, amenities and waterfront views, Brindleyplace has earned itself a reputation as one of the nicest areas in Birmingham.

As one of the ‘newest’ districts in the city, Brindleyplace was one of the first areas in Birmingham to experience extensive regeneration and long-term investment in the ‘Big City Plan’, developing it into one of the most affluent postcodes in the city. In 2022, the region received its own Metro Stop, linking it directly to the rest of the Birmingham region and into neighbouring city Wolverhampton. 

Ideal for summer nights on the canal, the growing collection of international businesses, leisure hotspots and surrounding residential development makes it a unique destination for living, socialising and working. With the likes of Deloitte and Deutsche Bank opting for canalside office spaces, Brindleyplace is popular with Birmingham’s top professionals and makes an exceptional place to both live and work.

Searching for the best area in Birmingham for education? Acting as a major gateway into Birmingham, Eastside is primarily home to two of Birmingham’s major educational institutions – Aston University and Birmingham City University. 

While these two universities have consistently attracted waves of students into the city, they’re increasingly also contributing to a growing graduate pool – creating one of the best places to live in Birmingham for young professionals that stay on from higher education to make the most of what the city can offer. 

At the same time, Eastside is undergoing an extensive regeneration scheme, an integral part of which is the UK’s biggest transport project – HS2. Curzon Street Station will become a key part of the area and will be the primary hub for the train line, connecting London to the city in just 49 minutes.

With this in mind, it’s not hard to imagine that Birmingham Eastside will become incredibly popular with London-bound commuters that want to be situated near key transport links. Similarly, this works in the opposite direction. London workers seeking a cheaper living situation may see Birmingham – and, by extension, Eastside – as a more affordable alternative. That being said, Eastside will quickly become one of, if not the most important neighbourhoods in the entirety of Birmingham. 

Related: Explore Eastside Property Investment

While Mailbox Birmingham is a hugely popular retail destination, the surrounding area remains a popular place to live for those with a taste for the finer things in life. A hotspot amongst the city’s biggest spenders, Mailbox is home to high-end brands including Harvey Nichols, Castle Fine Art and Gieves & Hawkes, as well as exceptional dining options from the likes of Marco Pierre White Steakhouse as well as independent eateries .

Within walking distance of New Street and Grand Central, Mailbox is a true city-centre district that represents the epitome of luxury, making it a popular living destination for the second city. 

With plenty of residential accommodation around the area and even within the Mailbox complex itself, this area is ideal for both short-term and long-term letting, especially with its central location.

Notable suburbs in the South of Birmingham, Moseley and Kings Heath are arguably the best places to live in Birmingham for music lovers. As the city’s musical hub, Moseley and Kings Heath are well known for hosting several music festivals, such as the iconic Moseley Folk & Art Festival. 

After ranking above London’s Muswell Hill, Mayfair and Blackheath, Moseley offers an attractive alternative to city-centre living with a selection of exciting pubs, restaurants and music venues. Investors also ought to keep an eye on these areas in Birmingham, as our latest research into local rental yields showed that these areas can achieve the best rental yields in the city at 8%.

Known as Birmingham’s garden suburb, Bourneville is regularly named one of the places to live in the city. Founded in 1900 by chocolate magnate John Cadbury, Bournville has flourished into not just a tourist destination for chocolate lovers but one of the best places to live in Birmingham. 

A quintessential British village, Bournville is in close proximity to some of the city’s best schools and has excellent train links with New Street Station in the city-centre.

Described as a ‘verdant suburb’, Bournville is home to sprawling parks, expansive open spaces and a high-street that boasts the largest zero-waste supermarket in the UK – The Clean Kilo. 

While it’s one of the more expensive suburbs of Birmingham, it’s no surprise that Bournville is popular with families looking for somewhere a little quieter that still benefits from its proximity to everything Birmingham’s city core has to offer.

A suburban spot on the outskirts of the city, Solihull has been referred to as ‘one of the best places to live and work in England’. 

With a thriving evening economy full of theatres, cinemas and restaurants, this historic market town is amongst the best places to live in Birmingham and the surrounding areas for professionals that can afford the higher property prices, especially those looking for a quieter spot outside of the city core. 

Situated just a 9-minute train journey away from Birmingham city centre, Solihull is renowned for being a commuter haven. Its amenities and employment opportunities are making this suburban spot more desirable for living, socialising and working. As home to Birmingham International Airport, Resorts World and the NEC, Solihull has been attracting commuters, visitors and residents for many years, and will continue to do so. What’s more, housing global Birmingham-born brands such as Gymshark and Lounge, Solihull’s profile has reached new heights in recent years. It’s no wonder Solihull is considered one of the best places to buy a house in Birmingham and the surrounding area.

Edgbaston – one of the more affluent areas in Birmingham – has long been rivalling Solihull for top position of the best places to buy a house and live in Birmingham or the broader West Midlands. 

With its mixture of properties ranging from studio apartments to beautiful detached homes, Edgbaston offers something for everyone – whether you’re looking to raise your family in a glorious green suburb, or attending the nearby University of Birmingham.

Boasting the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Edgbaston Cricket Ground, this thriving suburb is the perfect alternative for those seeking a quieter lifestyle but with the luxuries of Birmingham’s city centre amenities just a short journey away. The new West Midlands Metro stop – the latest addition to the wider tram network – makes Edgbaston even more accessible to the City Centre and its surrounding neighbourhoods.

Despite being only a stone’s throw from the city centre, Harborne holds its own identity as a suburban village with its own diverse high street. The neighbourhood is a foodie’s paradise, home to neighbourhood eateries including Harborne Kitchen, The Plough, Sabai Sabai and more. 

Between an inviting atmosphere, plenty of exciting new leisure hotspots and stunning green spaces, Harborne is one of the more desirable postcodes in Birmingham for families or professionals that want a community-led, village feel. This isn’t to mention the variety of acclaimed schools – both public and private – in Harborne and neighbouring Edgbaston that make these communities a fantastic option for growing families.