Butetown
Cardiff 049 · 6 sub-areas · 11,270 residents
Cardiff 049 is a densely populated neighbourhood within Cardiff, home to around 11,270 people and skewed heavily towards younger renters. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,068 a month — noticeably below the UK national median for a 2-bed — though at nearly 56% of take-home pay, affordability is still tight. The area sits close to a mainline rail station and has strong broadband coverage.
Butetown is a mid-density neighbourhood of Cardiff in the Wales 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. The population skews young, with a high concentration of 18- to 34-year-olds; a high share of adults are degree-educated, which often shows up in the kind of jobs people commute to.
Overview
What's it like to live in Butetown?
3 parks and 4 playgrounds are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; food and drink within walking distance is workable but not dense — around 26 restaurants and 0 pubs in five minutes; Recorded crime is higher than the national norm — common for built-up urban areas, but worth weighing if you're looking for a quieter base; 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 £1,157 a month for a typical home; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 6 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Butetown in Cardiff
Living in Butetown
Cardiff 049 stands out within Cardiff for its unusually young, transient population. With nearly half of all residents aged between 18 and 34, this is the kind of neighbourhood defined by house-shares, short-term lets and the energy that comes with a high student and young-professional concentration. It doesn't feel like a settled, family suburb — over four in ten households are single-person, and just one in ten is a couple with children.
Rents here sit below the UK national median for most bedroom sizes. A one-bed runs around £894 a month, a two-bed around £1,068, and a three-bed about £1,186. Those figures look reasonable on paper, but the rent-to-income ratio tells a harder story: residents here typically spend around 56% of their take-home pay on rent, which is well above what most financial advisers would consider comfortable. Rents rose roughly 4.8% in the past year, so the pressure isn't easing.
The demographics shape what the neighbourhood feels like day to day. Nearly half of residents hold a degree-level qualification, and the ethnic diversity index of 60 suggests a genuinely mixed community — only 65% of residents were born in the UK. That combination of youth, education and diversity gives the area a certain cosmopolitan energy, but it also means high turnover and the transient feel that comes with it.
Practically speaking, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 586 metres away — about a seven-minute walk — which is a real asset for anyone commuting into central Cardiff or beyond. The rail journey to London takes just under two hours. Greenspace is unusually accessible: over 91% of residents are within a short walk of green space, with the nearest just 156 metres away on average. See the streets and sub-areas below for more detail on specific pockets within the neighbourhood.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Cardiff 049 a nice place to live?
- It depends what you're after. If you're young, renting, and want walkable green space, fast broadband and a short walk to the train station, it works well. Rents are below the UK median for most flat sizes. The trade-off is high crime relative to the national average, no highly-rated schools nearby, and a distinctly transient, high-turnover feel that doesn't suit everyone.
- What is the rent in Cardiff 049?
- A one-bedroom flat typically costs around £894 a month, a two-bed around £1,068, and a three-bed about £1,186. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose roughly 4.8% in the past year, and residents here typically spend around 56% of their take-home pay on rent.
- Is Cardiff 049 safe?
- Crime is high here — around 249 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, which is roughly three times the UK national average. This is typical of dense, high-turnover urban areas with large student populations. It doesn't make it uniquely dangerous, but it's worth checking street-level data on Police.uk for your specific postcode before committing.
- What's the commute from Cardiff 049 to Cardiff city centre?
- The nearest mainline rail station is about a seven-minute walk away (roughly 586 metres). Most residents either work from home — over 41% do — or commute by car. The low public transport commute share of 6.8% suggests many jobs accessible from here aren't on a direct rail line, so your specific commute route matters.
- Who lives in Cardiff 049?
- Mostly young renters and graduates. Nearly half the population is aged 18 to 34, four in ten households are single-person, and almost half of residents hold a degree-level qualification. It's a diverse neighbourhood — only 65% of residents were born in the UK — with a notably international character and high turnover.
- What schools are near Cardiff 049?
- There are six schools within typical catchment distance, but none are currently rated Good or Outstanding on a proximity-weighted basis. Wales uses Estyn rather than Ofsted for school inspections. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is over 24 km away. Families prioritising local school quality would need to research individual schools carefully via Estyn's website.
- How far is Cardiff 049 from London by train?
- The rail journey to London takes around 116 minutes from the nearest mainline station, which is roughly a seven-minute walk away. Birmingham is about 129 minutes by public transport. These are usable commuting distances for occasional travel, though daily London commuting from here would be demanding.