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Living in Luton

Luton is a city in the United Kingdom. Residents of Luton numbered 233,525 at the end of 2021. The regional median gross salary reached €3,681 per month at the end of 2024. Luton had an unemployment rate of 4.86% at the end of 2018.

Higher unemployment than 77% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and less recorded crime than 75% of United Kingdom cities that publish it.

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

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 Luton.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Luton yet. United Kingdom has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

Work and income

For Luton, the employment rate was 57.4% at the end of 2021. At the end of 2021, Luton recorded 103,005.

What is the unemployment rate in Luton?

The unemployment rate is about 4.9 % (2018).

  • Unemployment rate: 4.86 % · Eurostat3
Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Luton is 4.9%. Of 384 cities with data, 230 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United Kingdom per band9 cities: 0% to under 2%90–2230 cities: 2% to under 4%2302–4107 cities: 4% to under 6%1074–6Luton 4.9%30 cities: 6% to under 8%306–84 cities: 8% to under 10%48–103 cities: 10% to under 12%310–121 city: 16% to under 18%116–18

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate57.4 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics4Official
Median gross salary (regional)3,681 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics (ONS)6Official · regional context
Unemployment rate4.86 %country median 3.5%31 Dec 2018Eurostat3Official
Unemployment rate over time7 published observations, 2004–2018
Unemployment rate in Luton by year, %4.5%6.3%8.2%10.0%20042011201620184.9%%

Unemployment rate fell 24.8% between 2004 and 2018, from 6.5% to 4.9%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Luton. 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 Luton. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary School Count52 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official
School Count84 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official

Safety

How safe is Luton?

Police recorded about 8,315 incidents per 100,000 (2026). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: www.ons.gov.uk16

Recorded crime across major citiesLuton highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Luton highlighted14,267Manchester13,099Bristol12,409Liverpool11,462Leeds11,416Birmingham11,001Leicester9,693Sheffield9,379Cardiff8,836Coventry8,315Luton757Glasgow549Edinburghrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents8,315 incidents per 100,000country median 9,66927 Aug 2026www.ons.gov.uk16Official

Mobility and administration

Luton's nearest airport was LTN, 3 km away and offered 85 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count85 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights9Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km3 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports10Official
Nearest Major Airport IataLTN3 Aug 2026OurAirports10Official

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 4.3°C in January and 17.2°C in July.

Is the air quality good in Luton?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

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

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 7.18 µg/m³ · uk-air.defra.gov.uk11
Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Luton average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND22°2°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Luton average monthly precipitation, mm020406080685143515153526855787767JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Luton annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5257.2PM2.5µg/m³

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

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomAnnual PM2.5 in Luton is 7.2 µg/m³. Of 104 cities with data, 52 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United Kingdom per band1 city: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³14–522 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³225–652 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³526–727 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³277–8Luton 7.22 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³28–9

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean7.18 µg/m³31 Dec 2024uk-air.defra.gov.uk11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Average daytime high by monthJan 7.1 · Feb 7.6 · Mar 10.3 · Apr 13.4 · May 16.6 · Jun 19.6 · Jul 22.1 · Aug 21.7 · Sep 18.6 · Oct 14.3 · Nov 10.1 · Dec 7.4 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI12Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 1.6 · Feb 1.5 · Mar 2.8 · Apr 4.5 · May 7.3 · Jun 10.2 · Jul 12.3 · Aug 12.3 · Sep 10.1 · Oct 7.5 · Nov 4.2 · Dec 2 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI13Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 4.3 · Feb 4.6 · Mar 6.6 · Apr 9 · May 11.9 · Jun 14.9 · Jul 17.2 · Aug 17 · Sep 14.4 · Oct 10.9 · Nov 7.2 · Dec 4.7 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI14Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 67.6 · Feb 50.9 · Mar 42.7 · Apr 51.2 · May 51.2 · Jun 52.9 · Jul 52.2 · Aug 68.2 · Sep 55.4 · Oct 78.2 · Nov 76.8 · Dec 67.2 mm31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI15Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in United Kingdom

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United Kingdom cities
Wolverhampton234,025 residentsNorthampton243,520 residentsPortsmouth223,305 residentsIslington222,724 residentsSouthampton249,620 residentsBexley255,950 residents

Population and city profile

Luton recorded a median age of 34 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Luton?

The published population was 233,525 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics5

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population233,525 people31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official

International community in Luton

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 groupPeopleShare
Europe: United Kingdom145,18062.2%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)57,72024.7%
Europe: EU countries30,62513.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source8

Is Luton 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 worker46%strong on work, weak on housing · range 35–57%
Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on housing · range 49–67%
Student58%strong on education, weak on housing · range 49–67%
Family55%strong on family, weak on housing · range 46–64%
Retirement48%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 35–61%
Population233,525 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Employment rate57.4 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Median gross salary (regional)3,681 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Unemployment rate4.86 %31 Dec 2018Official source · Eurostat
PM2.5 — annual mean7.18 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · uk-air.defra.gov.uk
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents8,315 incidents per 100,00027 Aug 2026Official source · www.ons.gov.uk
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct29.8 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics4Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus103,005 workers31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics4Official
Median age34 years31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics4Official
Universities1 count3 Aug 2026Office for Students7Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Luton 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.

Is Luton part of London?

Luton is near London, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 46.0 km away by straight-line distance.

Relationship type: Nearby Independent Place. Source2

Common questions

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

How many people live in Luton?

The published population was 233,525 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Luton?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: uk-air.defra.gov.uk.

How safe is Luton?

Police recorded about 8,315 incidents per 100,000 (2026). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: www.ons.gov.uk.

What is the unemployment rate in Luton?

The unemployment rate is about 4.9 % (2018). Source: Eurostat.

What is the typical salary around Luton?

The median gross salary is 3,681 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is Luton a good place to live?

Luton 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.

Is Luton part of London?

Luton is near London, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 46.0 km away by straight-line distance.

How many people born in Europe: EU countries live in Luton?

The official country of birth distribution records 30,625 people (13.1%) 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, September 12). Luton, United Kingdom: salary, jobs, safety [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/luton/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_luton-united-kingdom-salary-jobs-safety_64079c26410b,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Luton, United Kingdom: salary, jobs, safety},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/luton/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Luton, United Kingdom: salary, jobs, safety](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/luton/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

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
  1. Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  2. download.geonames.org recorded crime data download.geonames.org · checked 2026-08-28
  3. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  4. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
  5. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
  6. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  7. Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  8. ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-06
  9. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  10. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Show 6 more sources
  1. uk-air.defra.gov.uk uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26
  2. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  3. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  4. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  5. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  6. www.ons.gov.uk ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26

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