Cathays South & Bute Park
Cardiff 032 · 5 sub-areas · 13,923 residents
Cardiff 032 is a densely youthful neighbourhood within Cardiff, home to around 13,900 people and defined by one of the most striking age profiles of any neighbourhood in Wales. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for around £1,070 a month — noticeably below the UK national median for a 2-bed — though renters spend a significant share of take-home pay to get there.
Cathays South & Bute Park 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 South & Bute Park?
The area is unusually green for its density — 8 parks and 2 playgrounds sit within five minutes' walk of the centroid; there's a serious food scene on the doorstep — 59 restaurants and lots of variety within a five-minute walk; Crime sits around the national average — neither a notable concern nor a notable selling point; 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 South & Bute Park in Cardiff
Living in Cathays South & Bute Park
Cardiff 032 stands apart from most of Cardiff in one unmistakable way: nearly three quarters of residents are aged between 18 and 34. That's not a slight skew — it's a population that's almost entirely made up of students and young adults, which shapes everything from the rhythm of the streets to the type of housing on offer. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 460 metres away — about a six-minute walk — making it well-connected for a neighbourhood of its density.
On cost, Cardiff 032 sits at a relatively accessible point on the city's rent spectrum. A two-bedroom flat runs around £1,070 a month, and a one-bedroom comes in at about £895. That's meaningfully cheaper than equivalent properties in many English cities, though the rent-to-take-home ratio here — approaching 56% — signals that affordability isn't straightforward, particularly for lower earners. The median property sale price is around £221,600, putting a deposit within reach faster than much of the UK: roughly 3.4 years of saving at a typical local salary.
The demographic make-up is almost singular. With just over 14% of residents under 18 and under 6% aged 35 to 49, this is not a neighbourhood where families and established professionals dominate. Around one in three households is a single-person household, and the couple-with-children share is very low at just over 4%. That tells you something clear about who moves here and, often, how long they stay. Ethnic diversity is moderate, with around 30% of residents born outside the UK.
On a practical level, the area scores well for connectivity. Every property has access to gigabit broadband, and there's no broadband below the universal service obligation — a genuine selling point. A significant share of residents — nearly 34% — work from home, which reflects both the age profile and the types of roles people here tend to hold. 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 032 a nice place to live?
- It depends what you're after. Cardiff 032 works well for young adults and students — it's close to the city centre, rail-connected, and relatively affordable by UK standards. For families or older residents looking for quiet, settled streets with good local schools, it's not the right fit: the area skews overwhelmingly young, schools within catchment distance have no Good or Outstanding ratings, and crime rates are high relative to the national average.
- What is the rent in Cardiff 032?
- A one-bedroom flat runs around £895 a month, a two-bedroom around £1,070, and a three-bedroom around £1,190. These are estimates scaled from Cardiff-level ONS data using local sale prices. The two-bed figure sits just below the UK national median of around £1,200, though renters here spend close to 56% of take-home pay on rent — so affordability is relative.
- Is Cardiff 032 safe?
- Crime runs at around 568 incidents per 1,000 residents annually, which is well above the UK national rate. That figure is heavily influenced by the neighbourhood's young, transient population and city-centre proximity — both factors that consistently inflate crime statistics. It's worth looking at specific sub-areas if personal safety is a priority, as incident rates tend to cluster around busier late-night corridors.
- What's the commute from Cardiff 032 to Cardiff city centre?
- The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 460 metres away — about a six-minute walk. The nearest major employment hub is reachable in under six minutes by car or public transport. For most residents, getting into central Cardiff is a short walk or a quick bus ride rather than a formal commute.
- Who lives in Cardiff 032?
- Overwhelmingly young adults — nearly 75% of residents are aged 18 to 34, making this one of the most distinctively youthful neighbourhoods in Wales. It's heavily student and early-career in character. Single-person households make up roughly a third of all homes, and fewer than 5% of households are couples with children. Around 30% of residents were born outside the UK.
- What schools are near Cardiff 032?
- There are five schools within typical catchment distance, but none are currently rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — significantly below the national average of around 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 26 km away. Families with school-age children should check Cardiff council's admissions maps carefully and consider neighbouring areas with stronger local school ratings.
- How fast is the broadband in Cardiff 032?
- Gigabit-capable broadband is available to 100% of properties in Cardiff 032, with no homes falling below the universal service obligation minimum. It's one of the neighbourhood's clearest practical advantages, particularly relevant given that nearly 34% of residents work from home.