Garforth South, Swillington & Little Preston
Leeds 087 · 4 sub-areas · 7,191 residents
Leeds 087 is a largely residential stretch of the wider Leeds area, home to around 7,200 people. A typical two-bedroom lets for about £960 a month — noticeably below the national two-bed median — and nearly three-quarters of households own their home outright or with a mortgage. The area skews older than much of Leeds, with one in four residents aged 65 or over.
Garforth South, Swillington & Little Preston is a mid-density neighbourhood of Leeds in the Yorkshire and The Humber 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 Garforth South, Swillington & Little Preston?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; 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 £1,130 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.
Garforth South, Swillington & Little Preston in Leeds
Living in Garforth South, Swillington & Little Preston
This part of Leeds reads more like a settled suburb than the student-heavy or city-centre districts that define much of the city's reputation. The population is older and more owner-occupied than you'd expect from Leeds as a whole, and the pace of life reflects that — quieter streets, established households, less of the churn you get closer to the university.
On cost, the neighbourhood sits comfortably below where most of Leeds's rental market trends. A two-bed at around £960 a month is meaningfully under the UK median of roughly £1,200, which is rare for a city of Leeds's size and connectivity. The trade-off is that public transport here is limited — around 57% of residents drive to work, and just over 5% use public transport. If you're car-free, factor that in.
The demographic picture is distinctive. Around a quarter of residents are 65 or older, and the 50–64 bracket adds another fifth. Families with children make up roughly one in five households, but the area's strongest identity is owner-occupied and settled — nearly 73% own their home. Social housing accounts for close to 18% of tenure, so there's a meaningful mix, but private renting is unusually low at just over 8%.
Practically speaking, the nearest mainline rail station is just under 2,500 metres away — roughly a 30-minute walk or a short drive. Broadband is a genuine bright spot: 100% gigabit coverage and no premises falling below the universal service obligation. See the streets and sub-areas below for more.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Leeds 087 a nice place to live?
- It depends on what you're after. It's a quiet, settled, predominantly owner-occupied suburb with affordable rents by Leeds standards. If you want a calm residential base with good broadband and don't need to rely on public transport, it works well. If you want walkable amenities, nightlife or easy car-free commuting, it's less suited to you.
- What is the rent in Leeds 087?
- A one-bedroom runs around £771 a month, a two-bed around £960, and a three-bed around £1,119. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose about 2.7% year-on-year, a modest pace by Leeds standards.
- Is Leeds 087 safe?
- The crime rate sits at roughly 90 incidents per 1,000 residents annually — slightly above the UK national average of around 80. That's not dramatically high, but it's not among the lowest-crime parts of Leeds either. The neighbourhood sits in the fifth deprivation decile nationally, which puts its crime profile broadly in line with similar areas.
- What's the commute from Leeds 087 to Leeds city centre?
- Most residents drive — around 57% commute by car. The nearest mainline rail station is about 2,500 metres away, roughly a 30-minute walk, so most people drive to the station rather than walking. Public transport mode share is low at just over 5%. About 31% of residents work from home, which helps explain the limited public-transport use.
- Who lives in Leeds 087?
- Predominantly older, owner-occupying households. A quarter of residents are 65 or over, and nearly 73% own their home. Families with children make up around one in five households. It's one of the less ethnically diverse parts of Leeds, with 96% of residents UK-born. Private renters are a small minority at just over 8%.
- What schools are near Leeds 087?
- There are eight schools within around 2km, but the Ofsted picture is weak — only about 18% are rated Good or Outstanding, well below the national rate of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding school is just under 3km away. If school quality matters to your decision, check individual catchments carefully via Leeds City Council's school finder.
- Is Leeds 087 good for families?
- It has some family-friendly attributes — relatively affordable rents, lots of owner-occupied housing, and greenspace within 400 metres for most residents. The school ratings nearby are below average, though, which is a meaningful drawback for families prioritising Ofsted results. The car-dependent layout suits families with vehicles better than those relying on public transport.