Cathays North
Cardiff 028 · 5 sub-areas · 10,004 residents
Cardiff 028 is a densely youthful neighbourhood within Cardiff, home to around 10,000 people and one of the most student-and-young-professional-heavy pockets in the city. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for around £1,070 a month — notably below the UK national two-bed median — and rents are still rising, up roughly 5% year-on-year.
Cathays North 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.
Overview
What's it like to live in Cathays North?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; food and drink within walking distance is workable but not dense — around 39 restaurants and 4 pubs in five minutes; 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 £1,157 a month for a typical home; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 5 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Cathays North in Cardiff
Living in Cathays North
Cardiff 028 stands apart from most of the city in one striking way: nearly three-quarters of its residents are aged between 18 and 34. That makes it one of the youngest-age-profile neighbourhoods anywhere in Wales, and the day-to-day character reflects it — high turnover, a lot of shared houses and smaller flats, and a social atmosphere that skews heavily towards students and early-career renters.
On cost, the neighbourhood sits at the affordable end of the Cardiff market. A two-bedroom flat runs around £1,070 a month, which is well below the UK national two-bed median of roughly £1,200. One-beds are available from around £894, and three-bedroom properties — popular with sharers — come in at about £1,190. Rents have been climbing, up around 5% over the past year, but the overall level remains competitive for the city.
The tenure picture here is almost entirely private rental. With fewer than one in ten households being a couple with children, this isn't a neighbourhood where families have put down roots. Around a fifth of households are single-person, but the dominant pattern is young renters in shared accommodation. The degree-qualification rate — around 35% of residents — is above average, pointing to a graduate-heavy population.
Practically speaking, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 940 metres away — about a 12-minute walk — giving good access to central Cardiff and onward connections. Around a third of residents work from home, which is high, and only about 7% use public transport to commute, suggesting many either walk, cycle, or don't commute at all. Broadband infrastructure is excellent: 100% of premises have gigabit-capable connections. For more on specific streets and sub-areas, see the streets and sub-areas section below.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Cardiff 028 a nice place to live?
- It depends on what you're after. If you're in your 20s, renting, and want an affordable base with good rail access into Cardiff, it works well. It's not a family-oriented neighbourhood — the population is overwhelmingly young renters — and the school catchment picture is weak. But for early-career renters or students, it's one of the more cost-effective options in the city.
- What is the rent in Cardiff 028?
- A one-bedroom flat runs around £894 a month, a two-bed around £1,070, and a three-bed around £1,190. Those figures are estimates scaled from Cardiff-level official data using local sale prices. Rents have been rising — up roughly 5% over the past year — so expect that trend to continue at renewal.
- Is Cardiff 028 safe?
- Relatively, yes. The crime rate is around 57 incidents per 1,000 residents annually, which is noticeably below the UK national average of roughly 80. For a dense neighbourhood with a lot of young renters and shared housing, that's a reasonable figure. As with any area of this type, petty theft and anti-social behaviour are more likely concerns than serious crime.
- What's the commute from Cardiff 028 to Cardiff city centre?
- The nearest mainline rail station is about 940 metres away — roughly a 12-minute walk. From there, central Cardiff is easily reachable. For context, the public transport journey to London takes around two hours. Around a third of residents work from home, so many don't commute at all.
- Who lives in Cardiff 028?
- Predominantly young adults aged 18 to 34 — around 72% of residents fall into that bracket, which is unusually high even by city standards. Most are private renters, many in shared houses or smaller flats. There are very few families with children. The degree-holder rate is above the Welsh average, suggesting a graduate-heavy population.
- What schools are near Cardiff 028?
- There are five schools within about 2 kilometres, but none currently hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating under proximity-weighted assessment — well below the national norm. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is around 26 kilometres away. For families, it's worth researching individual catchment boundaries directly before committing to the area.
- How fast is the broadband in Cardiff 028?
- Excellent — 100% of premises have access to a gigabit-capable connection, and no properties fall below the minimum universal service obligation. Whether you're working from home or streaming, connectivity isn't a concern here.