Ely East
Cardiff 039 · 5 sub-areas · 7,922 residents
Cardiff 039 is a family-oriented neighbourhood within Cardiff, home to around 7,900 people. A typical two-bedroom home lets for about £1,070 a month — noticeably below the UK national median for a two-bed — and with a deposit reachable in under three years, it's one of the more accessible parts of the city for renters looking to eventually buy.
Ely East 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 demographic profile leans family-aged, with a clear share of households with school-age children.
Overview
What's it like to live in Ely East?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; the cultural offer is one of the area's draws — dozens of theatres, museums and galleries within two kilometres; 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; Transport links are limited — a car or e-bike is a practical assumption for most regular trips; 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.
Ely East in Cardiff
Living in Ely East
Cardiff 039 stands out within the city for its unusually young population — more than a third of residents are under 18, giving it a distinctly family feel that's rare in central Cardiff. Streets here are quieter and more residential in character than the city's inner core, with greenspace within walking distance for most households.
On rent, this neighbourhood sits at the affordable end of Cardiff's spectrum. A two-bedroom home runs around £1,070 a month, which is below the UK national two-bed median of roughly £1,200 and meaningfully cheaper than what you'd pay in Cardiff's more central or gentrifying pockets. Three-bedroom family homes come in around £1,190 a month — reasonable for the space on offer. That said, rent-to-take-home is still high at around 56%, so affordability is relative: you're not stretched as badly as in London, but you'll feel it.
The people here are predominantly families — couple-with-children households account for a significant share, and solo households at 26% are lower than you'd expect in a city neighbourhood. The degree-holding share at around 17% is below the Cardiff average for more central areas, suggesting a working population rather than a graduate-professional one. Around 89% of residents were born in the UK, and the ethnic diversity index sits at 36, which is moderately mixed by Welsh standards.
Practically speaking, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1.7 km away — about a 21-minute walk — and the nearest major employment hub is around 30 minutes by public transport. Broadband is fully gigabit-enabled across the neighbourhood, which is a genuine advantage for anyone working from home, and about 16% of residents already do. See the streets and sub-areas below for more on specific pockets within Cardiff 039.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Cardiff 039 a nice place to live?
- It depends what you're after. Cardiff 039 is a quiet, family-heavy neighbourhood with good greenspace access and fully gigabit broadband — well-suited to families and home workers. Crime is above the national average at 130 per 1,000 residents annually, and school quality within catchment distance is a weak spot right now. For families prioritising space and lower rents over city-centre buzz, it has genuine appeal.
- What is the rent in Cardiff 039?
- A one-bedroom runs around £894 a month, a two-bed around £1,070, and a three-bed around £1,190. These are estimates scaled from Cardiff-wide data using local sale prices — the official ONS figures don't go down to neighbourhood level. Rents rose 4.8% in the last year, so expect continued upward pressure.
- Is Cardiff 039 safe?
- The crime rate here is around 130 incidents per 1,000 residents per year — noticeably above the UK national average of roughly 80. That's something to weigh up. As in most urban Welsh neighbourhoods, serious violence is a small share of the total, but the overall rate is elevated. Checking crime maps for specific streets before committing to a move is a sensible step.
- What's the commute from Cardiff 039 to Cardiff city centre?
- The nearest mainline rail station is about 1.7 km away — roughly a 21-minute walk. From there, the nearest major employment hub is around 30 minutes by public transport. Over half of residents drive to work, which suggests the rail and bus options aren't as convenient as you might want. Cycling or driving to the station first is a common workaround.
- Who lives in Cardiff 039?
- Mostly families. More than a third of residents are under 18 — one of the highest shares in Cardiff — and couple-with-children households are the dominant household type. It's a working population rather than a graduate-professional one, with around 17% holding degree-level qualifications. Around 89% of residents were born in the UK.
- What schools are near Cardiff 039?
- There are five schools within typical catchment distance, but none are currently rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national standard where roughly 89% of schools carry one of those ratings. The nearest Outstanding school is around 30 km away. Families for whom school quality is a priority should investigate specific school options and admissions criteria carefully before moving here.
- Is Cardiff 039 good for families?
- In some ways yes — it's relatively affordable, with three-bed homes around £1,190 a month, greenspace is within easy reach for most residents, and broadband is fully gigabit-enabled. The main concern for families is school quality: no nearby schools carry a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating. If you can work around that — through school choice, catchment boundaries, or independent options — the neighbourhood's character suits family life well.