Drayton & Farlington
Portsmouth 026 · 4 sub-areas · 7,050 residents
Portsmouth 026 is a predominantly residential corner of Portsmouth, home to around 7,050 people and one of the most owner-occupied parts of the city. A typical two-bedroom home lets for about £1,124 a month — slightly below the UK median for a 2-bed — and nearly four in five residents own their home, which sets this neighbourhood apart from much of the wider Portsmouth area.
Drayton & Farlington is a mid-density neighbourhood of Portsmouth in the South East region. It sits between busier and quieter parts of the local authority and isn't dominated by a single use — there's a mix of workplaces, housing and local services. Most homes are owner-occupied, so turnover is low and many residents have been here a long time.
Overview
What's it like to live in Drayton & Farlington?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; The streets feel safe by national standards — police-recorded crime is well below the country-wide median; Public transport is genuinely strong; most errands and a fair share of social life don't need a car; rents are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £1,357 a month for a typical home; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 4 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Drayton & Farlington in Portsmouth
Living in Drayton & Farlington
Portsmouth 026 has the feel of a settled, family-oriented neighbourhood in a way that's quite distinct from the denser, more transient parts of the city closer to the waterfront. The population skews noticeably older than you might expect — around one in five residents is 65 or over, and a similar share falls in the 50–64 bracket, giving the area a stable, long-term character. Just over a fifth of households are single-person, so it's not exclusively family territory, but the dominant feel is one of people who've put down roots.
On cost, the neighbourhood sits at the affordable end of the Portsmouth spectrum. Median monthly rent lands at around £1,357 across all bedroom sizes, and a 2-bed specifically comes in at roughly £1,124 — roughly in line with the UK national median. Buy rather than rent, and the median price paid is around £369,000; you'd need about six years to save a deposit at average local earnings, which is demanding but not unusual for the South East. Rents rose around 2.7% last year, a modest increase by recent UK standards.
The ownership story is the defining demographic feature here. Nearly 79% of homes are owner-occupied — far above the Portsmouth average — with only around 16% rented privately and under 5% in social housing. The qualification profile is solid too: about a third of residents hold a degree-level qualification. The ethnic diversity index is low at 10.7, and more than 93% of residents were born in the UK, making this one of the more homogeneous parts of the city.
For getting around, the neighbourhood is largely car-dependent — over half of residents drive to work, and only around 4% use public transport for commuting. Working from home accounts for nearly a third of residents, a significant share. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 2.3 km away (around a 29-minute walk, though most people drive). See the streets and sub-areas below for more on specific parts of the neighbourhood.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Portsmouth 026 a nice place to live?
- For families and older owner-occupiers, yes — it's one of the more settled, lower-crime neighbourhoods in Portsmouth, with a deprivation decile of 8.4 out of 10 (among the least deprived in England). The trade-off is that it's car-dependent and public transport links are limited. It suits people who want a quieter residential base rather than an urban buzz.
- What is the rent in Portsmouth 026?
- A one-bedroom runs around £893 a month, a two-bedroom about £1,124, and a three-bedroom roughly £1,345. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose around 2.7% last year. Owner-occupation is high here at nearly 79%, so the rental market is relatively small compared to other parts of Portsmouth.
- Is Portsmouth 026 safe?
- It's one of the safer parts of Portsmouth. The crime rate sits at around 56.8 incidents per 1,000 residents annually — well below the UK national average of roughly 80 per 1,000. The area also sits in the top 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England, which typically correlates with lower antisocial behaviour and property crime.
- What's the commute from Portsmouth 026 to Portsmouth city centre?
- Most residents drive — over 55% commute by car. The nearest mainline rail station is about 2.3 km away (a 29-minute walk or a short drive). Public transport use for commuting is low, at under 4% of residents. Nearly a third of residents work from home, which is one of the higher WFH rates in the city.
- Who lives in Portsmouth 026?
- Predominantly long-term owner-occupiers — nearly 79% own their home. The population skews older, with around 41% aged 50 or over. There's a meaningful share of families with children (around 25% of households) and a smaller young professional contingent than you'd find in more central Portsmouth neighbourhoods. It's a stable, low-turnover community.
- What schools are near Portsmouth 026?
- There are 29 schools within typical catchment distance, so choice isn't a problem in terms of proximity. The quality picture is more mixed though — around 32.5% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, which is well below the national average of approximately 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is about 1,936 metres away. Check individual Ofsted reports before committing to a specific address.
- How long is the rail journey from Portsmouth 026 to London?
- By public transport, London takes around 115 minutes from Portsmouth. The nearest mainline station is roughly 2.3 km away. It's a workable London commute for occasional travel, but the distance and journey time make it tough for daily commuters — factor that in alongside the high rent-to-income ratio here.