Living in Leicester

In Leicester, the median gross salary is €3,316 a month (2025) and tenants pay an average rent of €1,195 a month (2026).

Leicester had a population of 406,580 at the end of 2021. For Leicester, the regional median gross salary was €3,308 per month at the end of 2024. The city faced an unemployment rate of 5.24% at the end of 2018.

Last checked 2026-09-2330 sources

Population406,580people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics

Median gross salary3,316EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS)

Average rent1,195EUR/month31 Aug 2026Official source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority

Unemployment rate5.24%country median 3.4% — 54% aboveOfficial source · Eurostat

Recorded crime11,001offences per 100,000country median 9,646 — 14% aboveOfficial source · Office for National Statistics

PM2.5, annual mean11µg/m³31 Dec 2019Nearest stationOfficial source · European Environment Agency

Higher unemployment than 90% of United Kingdom cities that publish it, more recorded crime than 70% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and dirtier air than any other United Kingdom city that publishes it.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Leicester?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Leicester.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Leicester. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€24

Mobile plan, 10 GB€13

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	24.02 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	BT Full Fibre 150²Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	12.87 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Three 100GB one-month data pack²⁰Official · national market
Rent price index, mean	1,195 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition¹⁹Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,195 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority¹⁵Official

Is Leicester a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker44%strong on work, weak on safety · range 35–53%

Skilled employee57%strong on work, weak on safety · range 49–65%

Student39%strong on education, weak on work · range 32–46%

Family50%strong on family, weak on cost · range 42–58%

Retirement31%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 20–42%

Work and income

The employment rate of 54% was recorded at the end of 2021. Leicester's working population was 173,780 at the end of 2021.

What is the typical salary in Leicester?

The median gross salary is about 3,316 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

Median gross salary: 3,316 EUR/month · Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS)¹
Median gross salary (regional): 3,308 EUR/month · 2026-08-06 · Office for National Statistics (ONS)¹³

What is the unemployment rate in Leicester?

The unemployment rate is about 5.2 % (2018).

Unemployment rate: 5.24 % · Eurostat⁶

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Leicester is 5.2%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

652

263

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1216–18

Leicester 5.2%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment rate	54 %	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹⁰Official
Median gross salary	3,316 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS)¹Official
Median gross salary (regional)	3,308 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Office for National Statistics (ONS)¹³Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	5.24 %country median 3.4%	31 Dec 2018	Eurostat⁶Official

Unemployment rate over time11 published observations, 1991–2018

4.5%

7.9%

11.3%

14.7%

5.2%199120012008201120162018

Unemployment rate fell 61.9% between 1991 and 2018, from 13.8% to 5.2%.

What does a salary buy in Leicester?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€1,501of €2,733 take-home

Rent
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€2,733
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority · 2026-08-31	− €1,195
Internet€24 · official · BT Full Fibre 150 · 2026-09-30	− €24
Mobile plan€13 · official · Three 100GB one-month data pack · 2026-09-30	− €13
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities	—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish	€1,501

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Leicester Salary needed to live in Leicester

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Leicester. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim

Open official service

Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Leicester. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Primary schools	153 count	3 Aug 2026	Department for Education (GIAS)⁴Official
Schools	229 count	3 Aug 2026	Department for Education (GIAS)⁴Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 16, and public school is free.

A country-wide rule for United Kingdom; Leicester's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: legislation.gov.uk · 1996–2026.

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
GP practices	167 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS GP Practices report (epraccur)⁸Official
Pharmacies	141 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary)⁹Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Leicester under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Leicester?

Police recorded about 11,001 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 11,001 offences per 100,000 · Office for National Statistics¹²

Recorded crime across major citiesLeicester highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Manchester14,267

Bristol13,099

Liverpool12,409

Leeds11,462

Birmingham11,416

Leicester11,001

Sheffield9,693

Cardiff9,379

Belfast9,156

Coventry8,836

Glasgow757

Edinburgh549

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Burglaries per 100,000 residents	429 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2026	PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population)¹⁸Official
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	11,001 offences per 100,000country median 9,646	31 Dec 2024	Office for National Statistics¹²Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents	4,027 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2026	PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population)¹⁸Official

Mobility and administration

Leicester's nearest airport was EMA, 25 km away and offered 57 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	57 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹⁶Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	25 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁷Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	EMA	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁷Official

Climate and air quality

The annual PM2.5 concentration measured 11 µg/m³ at the end of 2019.

Is the air quality good in Leicester?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 11 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency⁵

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.511WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomOf 941 cities with data, 487 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

211

487

200

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	11 µg/m³	31 Dec 2019	European Environment Agency⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 13.06 · Feb 16.46 · Mar 19.11 · Apr 23.74 · May 25.99 · Jun 28.74 · Jul 32.62 · Aug 30.62 · Sep 27.99 · Oct 26.28 · Nov 18.34 · Dec 14.06 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁷Official · coordinate grid
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan -7.44 · Feb -9.16 · Mar -5.99 · Apr -3.97 · May -0.76 · Jun 3.19 · Jul 6.57 · Aug 5.16 · Sep 3.19 · Oct -3.47 · Nov -5.19 · Dec -7.6 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁷Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by month	Jan 3.57 · Feb 3.74 · Mar 5.5 · Apr 8.35 · May 11.54 · Jun 14.66 · Jul 16.54 · Aug 16.14 · Sep 13.64 · Oct 10.35 · Nov 6.53 · Dec 4.18 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁷Official · coordinate grid

Population and city profile

Median age stood at 34 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Leicester?

The published population was 406,580 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics¹¹

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport61.3%
Foreign residents38.7%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Foreign-resident share	38.72 %	31 Dec 2021	Census 2021 (ONS): Towns and cities (characteristics of built-up areas), tables 4c/4d³Official
Foreign residents	157,425 people	31 Dec 2021	Census 2021 (ONS): Towns and cities (characteristics of built-up areas), tables 4c/4d³Official
Population	406,580 people	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹¹Official

International community in Leicester

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Usual residents living in the individual ONS Built-up Area on Census Day 21 March 2021 · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Europe: United Kingdom	249,155	61.3%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)	123,580	30.4%
Europe: EU countries	33,845	8.3%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source³

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher	27.1 %	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹⁰Official
Workers aged 16 and over	173,780 workers	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹⁰Official
Median age	34 years	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹⁰Official
Universities	2 count	3 Aug 2026	Office for Students¹⁴Official

Alternatives for people set on Leicester

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Coventry as a Leicester alternative in the same region

36 km away, better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Median gross pay, city: €4,015 Coventry vs €3,316 Leicester+21%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 8,836 Coventry vs 11,001 Leicester−20%
Foreign residents: 28.2% Coventry vs 38.7% Leicester−27%
Annual PM2.5: 10.0 µg/m³ Coventry vs 11.0 µg/m³ Leicester−9%
Unemployment: 5.0% Coventry vs 5.2% Leicester−5%
Residents: 344,285 Coventry vs 406,580 Leicester−15%
Median gross pay, region: €3,346 Coventry vs €3,308 Leicestersame level

Full comparison More about Coventry

Plymouth as a Leicester alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 327 km, better on 4 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Recorded crime, per 100k: 9,314 Plymouth vs 11,001 Leicester−15%
Median gross pay, region: €2,915 Plymouth vs €3,308 Leicester−12%
Unemployment: 4.6% Plymouth vs 5.2% Leicester−11%
Annual PM2.5: 9.0 µg/m³ Plymouth vs 11.0 µg/m³ Leicester−18%
Median gross pay, city: €3,548 Plymouth vs €3,316 Leicester+7%
Residents: 266,955 Plymouth vs 406,580 Leicester−34%

Full comparison More about Plymouth

Cities near Leicester

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Alternative cities in United Kingdom

Other cities in United Kingdom to compare with Leicester, nearest in population first.

All United Kingdom cities

Croydon407,821 residents Bristol425,215 residents Cardiff383,919 residents Belfast352,390 residents Manchester470,405 residents Coventry344,285 residents

How does Leicester compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Leicester's.

Open the full comparison

Leicester in rankings

#2 of 21 in Most international cities in United Kingdom #9 of 30 in Largest cities in United Kingdom #17 of 30 in Cities with the highest foreign-population share #29 of 30 in Highest salary cities in United Kingdom

Put Leicester's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Leicester?

The published population was 406,580 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Leicester?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 11 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency.

How safe is Leicester?

Police recorded about 11,001 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Office for National Statistics.

What is the typical salary in Leicester?

The median gross salary is about 3,316 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS).

What is the unemployment rate in Leicester?

The unemployment rate is about 5.2 % (2018). Source: Eurostat.

What is the typical salary around Leicester?

The median gross salary is 3,308 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is Leicester a good place to live?

Leicester may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Leicester?

Belgrave, Braunstone, Aylestone, Humberstone, Evington are near Leicester. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Europe: United Kingdom live in Leicester?

The official country of birth distribution records 249,155 people (61.3%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Leicester, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version b3a5655d94b8e92238894392d128bbd2]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/leicester/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_leicester-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary-jobs_d1294320fd48,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Leicester, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {b3a5655d94b8e92238894392d128bbd2},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/leicester/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Leicester, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/leicester/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version b3a5655d94b8e92238894392d128bbd2; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS) nomisweb.co.uk · checked 2026-09-18
BT Full Fibre 150 bt.com · checked 2026-09-15
Census 2021 (ONS): Towns and cities (characteristics of built-up areas), tables 4c/4d ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-17
Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
ODS GP Practices report (epraccur) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07

Show 20 more sources

Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-23
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-18
Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-18
Three 100GB one-month data pack three.co.uk · checked 2026-09-15
Travel to Work Areas (December 2011) full extent boundaries in the United Kingdom services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-19
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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