Is Derby a Good Place to Live? Full Area Report

Name: HouseCheckup UK Property Database
Creator: HouseCheckup
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

East Midlands / Derbyshire·Last updated: 2026-05-06

Avg Property Price

£210,000

Avg Rent

£750/month

Crime Rating

Average

Schools (Good+)

69% Good or Outstanding

Broadband Avg

70 Mbps

Transport

Good

Flood Risk

Medium

Population

260K

Is Derby a good place to live?

Derby is an East Midlands city known for its engineering heritage, home to Rolls-Royce and Toyota, with easy access to the Peak District National Park. HouseCheckup property analysis shows Derby offers excellent value with affordable housing and strong employment in advanced manufacturing and engineering. The city sits at the gateway to the Peak District, providing residents with outstanding countryside access that few comparably sized cities can match.

What is the average property price in Derby?

The average property price in Derby is £210,000, with average rent of £750/month. Population is 260K. These figures aggregate HM Land Registry transactions and live rental listings across Derby, and are updated alongside the rest of this guide on 2026-05-06.

What's the flood risk in Derby?

HouseCheckup classifies the flood-risk picture in Derby as Medium, drawing on Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning data and surface-water flooding layers. A full HouseCheckup property report adds the postcode-specific zone, historical flood incidents, and 2050/2080 climate projections.

Is Derby a safe place to live?

Police.UK street-level data places Derby's overall crime rate at Average. Like every UK town and city, Derby has safer and less safe streets — see the HouseCheckup property report for the postcode-specific picture.

What are the schools like in Derby?

Around 69% Good or Outstanding in Derby. The HouseCheckup property report shows the catchment-area schools for any address with their full Ofsted history.

What is the transport like in Derby?

Derby has a transport rating of Good, drawn from NaPTAN public transport access nodes and rail data. Average broadband speed is 70 Mbps per Ofcom Connected Nations.

Pros of Living in Derby

Affordable property prices with strong local employment opportunities
Major employers including Rolls-Royce, Toyota, and Bombardier
Gateway to the Peak District National Park for outdoor activities
Good rail connections to London, Birmingham, and the north
Rich industrial heritage and growing cultural scene

Cons of Living in Derby

City centre needs further investment and regeneration
Flood risk along the River Derwent corridor
Nightlife and cultural amenities are limited compared to Nottingham
Some areas of deprivation in the inner city

Frequently Asked Questions About Derby

According to HM Land Registry and the ONS UK House Price Index, the average house price in Derby (city) was around £215,000 in early 2026, below the East Midlands regional average of £239,000 (February 2026, +1.2% YoY). Premium Derby postcodes like DE22 Allestree, DE23 Littleover, and DE3 Mickleover range from £280,000 to £400,000, while DE23 Normanton, DE21 Chaddesden, and DE24 Alvaston remain very accessible. Run a £24.99 HouseCheckup report for any Derby postcode.

Derby is an East Midlands city anchored by a strong advanced-manufacturing cluster — Rolls-Royce (civil aerospace HQ), Toyota Manufacturing UK, and Alstom (formerly Bombardier) train building. Police.UK records show roughly average crime, and Ofsted's inspection database shows around 69% of Derby schools rated Good or Outstanding. The Peak District National Park sits 12 miles north for outdoor lifestyle access. East Midlands Trains services to London St Pancras take around 90 minutes. For wider comparisons, see /research/best-commuter-towns-london.

Police.UK and Derbyshire Constabulary data show Derby recording roughly the average crime rate for a city of its size. Residential postcodes DE22 Allestree, DE22 Darley Abbey, and DE73 Chellaston record consistently safer profiles. Reported crime concentrates in DE1 city-centre night-time-economy zones around the Cathedral Quarter and along DE23 Normanton Road. For a national comparison, see /blog/safest-places-to-live-uk-2026.

Ofsted's inspection database shows around 69% of Derby schools rated Good or Outstanding — slightly below the England average. The strongest Good and Outstanding clusters sit in DE22 Allestree (Ecclesbourne School in nearby Duffield) and DE22 Darley Abbey. Independent options include Derby Grammar School and Derby High School. The University of Derby has grown significantly with Kedleston Road and Markeaton Street campuses. For catchment-driven premiums, read /blog/school-catchment-areas-property-prices.

Environment Agency flood maps place parts of central Derby along the River Derwent — including DE1 Cathedral Green, DE21 Darley Abbey, and DE22 Mackworth — in Flood Zones 2 and 3. Derby suffered major flooding in November 2019, prompting the £95m Our City Our River EA flood-defence scheme. Always check the EA Flood Map for Planning at the address level before exchange. For more, see /blog/flood-risk-zones-explained.

Derby's average price of around £215,000 sits well below HMRC's £300,000 first-time-buyer SDLT relief threshold under the April 2025 SDLT regime, meaning most local first-time buyers pay zero SDLT. That makes Derby one of the most accessible markets in the East Midlands. The most affordable entry points are DE23 Normanton, DE21 Chaddesden, and DE24 Alvaston. See /research/cheapest-uk-postcodes-first-time-buyers-2026 and /blog/stamp-duty-guide-2026.

ONS Private Rent and House Prices data for March 2026 puts the average England private rent at £1,434/month, up 3.4% on the year. Derby tracks well below this thanks to lower purchase prices, supporting strong gross yields for buy-to-let investors. The University of Derby's 17,000 students support HMO demand around DE22 Kedleston Road. For yield analysis, see /blog/best-buy-to-let-areas-2026.

Derby station runs East Midlands Railway services to London St Pancras in around 90 minutes and CrossCountry services to Birmingham (40 minutes), Sheffield (35 minutes), and Newcastle. The A38 and A50 link to the M1 (Junction 25), M6 Toll, and the wider motorway network. East Midlands Airport sits about 15 miles south-east. Run a £24.99 HouseCheckup report for connectivity at any Derby postcode.

Related research and reports

Cheapest UK postcodes for first-time buyers (2026)HouseCheckup-original ranking of the most affordable UK postcodes, with avg price, rent, transport and schools.Safest UK postcodes (2026)Police.UK-derived ranking of the safest postcodes by crime rate, plus the local-area context behind each entry.Best UK property reports (2026 comparison)Side-by-side review of every major UK property report — HouseCheckup, Groundsure, Hometrack, Rightmove and Zoopla.

Data sources for this guide

HouseCheckup area guides aggregate official UK government datasets. The figures shown above for Derby come from:

Pillar guide

Cheapest places to live in the UK (2026)

More areas in East Midlands

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