Living in St Helens
In St Helens, tenants pay an average rent of €943 a month (2026) and unemployment is 3.6% (2023).
St Helens (St. Helens) is a city in the United Kingdom. The city covered 28.8 km² in December 2022. Population density was 3,740.5 people per km² in 2021. Gigabit broadband availability was 95.6%. Owner occupation accounted for 59.8% of homes in March 2021. The employment rate was 54.4% in March 2021. In 2025, annual PM2.5 was 7.22 µg/m³. Its population was 107,680 in March 2021.
Less recorded crime than 74% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and dirtier air than 85% of United Kingdom cities that publish it.
Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to St Helens?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
No city-level rent figure is published for St Helens. The available city-level cost figures remain below.
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 23.37 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in St Helens (St. Helens) (Wayback Machine capture 20240525170743)34Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 34.18 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in St Helens (St. Helens) (Wayback Machine capture 20240525170743)34Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 1,211 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in St Helens (St. Helens) (Wayback Machine capture 20240525170743)34Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 13.15 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in St Helens (St. Helens) (Wayback Machine capture 20240525170743)34Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 268.8 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in St Helens (St. Helens) (Wayback Machine capture 20240525170743)34Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Dwellings | 47,835 count | 21 Mar 2021 | ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley5Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure |
| Rent price index, mean | 942.7 EUR/month | 31 Aug 2026 | Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition21Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 942.7 EUR/month | 31 Aug 2026 | ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority17Official |
Is St Helens 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.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in St Helens?
The unemployment rate is 3.6 % (January 2023). Source: www.ons.gov.uk23
St Helens 3.6%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gigabit broadband availability | 95.58 % | Not stated | www.ofcom.org.uk35Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Employment rate | 54.35 % | 21 Mar 2021 | ONS Census 2021 towns and cities dataset Figure 9 individual BUA employment row for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley16Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure |
| Superfast broadband availability | 99.12 % | Not stated | www.ofcom.org.uk35Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 3,052 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Office for National Statistics (ONS)10Official · regional context |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6 %country median 3.4% | 31 Dec 2023 | www.ons.gov.uk23Official |
Unemployment rate fell 17.6% between 2004 and 2023, from 4.4% to 3.6%.
What does a salary buy in St Helens?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesInternetMobileLeft 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. | €2,539 |
| 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 | − €943 |
| Public transport passnot published for this city | — |
| Utilities, 85 m²€269 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in St Helens (St. Helens) (Wayback Machine capture 20240525170743) · 2024-12-31 | − €269 |
| Internet€34 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in St Helens (St. Helens) (Wayback Machine capture 20240525170743) · 2024-12-31 | − €34 |
| Mobile plan€13 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in St Helens (St. Helens) (Wayback Machine capture 20240525170743) · 2024-12-31 | − €13 |
| Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish | €1,280 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to St Helens. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in St Helens. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Family and education
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schools | 43 count | 7 Jul 2026 | DfE Get Information About Schools all establishments extract3Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure |
| Primary schools | 38 count | 3 Aug 2026 | Department for Education (GIAS)2Official |
| Schools | 53 count | 3 Aug 2026 | Department for Education (GIAS)2Official |
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; St Helens's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: legislation.gov.uk · 1996–2026.
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| GP practices | 10 count | 30 Sept 2026 | ODS GP Practices report (epraccur)7Official |
| Pharmacies | 2 count | 30 Sept 2026 | ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary)8Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in St Helens 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 guideSafety
How safe is St Helens?
Police recorded about 8,589 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.uk24
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglaries per 100,000 residents | 242.5 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2026 | PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population)20Official |
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 8,589 incidents per 100,000country median 9,646 | 27 Aug 2026 | www.ons.gov.uk24Official |
| Violent crime per 100,000 residents | 3,618 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2026 | PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population)20Official |
| Burglary per 100,000 residents | 241.5 per 100,000 | 30 Apr 2026 | data.police.uk all-crime polygon replay, filtered to Burglary1Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure |
Mobility and administration
Climate and air quality
Annual NO₂ was 11.2 µg/m³ in 2025. Annual PM10 was 12.1 µg/m³ in 2025.
Is the air quality good in St Helens?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.2 µg/m³ (2025) — 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: 7.22 µg/m³ · official estimated total annual mean background concentration14
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
St Helens 7.2
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 11.16 µg/m³country median 7.2 | 2025 | official estimated total annual mean background concentration12Official |
| NO₂ — latest reading | 6.41 µg/m³ | 14 Jul 2026 | official hourly station observations exist only where a source station has an exact target relation15Official |
| PM10 — annual mean | 12.13 µg/m³country median 11.3 | 2025 | official estimated total annual mean background concentration13Official |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 7.22 µg/m³country median 6.5 | 2025 | official estimated total annual mean background concentration14Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 7.5 · Feb 7.9 · Mar 9.9 · Apr 12.8 · May 15.9 · Jun 18.4 · Jul 20 · Aug 19.7 · Sep 17.7 · Oct 14.2 · Nov 10.5 · Dec 8 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station CROSBY22Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 2.8 · Feb 2.7 · Mar 3.9 · Apr 5.6 · May 8.3 · Jun 11.3 · Jul 13.5 · Aug 13.5 · Sep 11.2 · Oct 8.5 · Nov 5.7 · Dec 3.1 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station CROSBY22Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 5.2 · Feb 5.3 · Mar 6.9 · Apr 9.2 · May 12.1 · Jun 14.8 · Jul 16.7 · Aug 16.6 · Sep 14.4 · Oct 11.4 · Nov 8.1 · Dec 5.6 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station CROSBY22Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 69.4 · Feb 57.1 · Mar 53.3 · Apr 49.8 · May 52.5 · Jun 64.4 · Jul 65.4 · Aug 72.1 · Sep 76.6 · Oct 89.7 · Nov 82.2 · Dec 91.9 mm | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station CROSBY22Official · nearest-station reading |
Similar climate. In United Kingdom: Blackpool ±0.3 °C. Elsewhere: Cork (Ireland) ±0.8 °C, Saanich (Canada) ±1.1 °C, Brugge (Belgium) ±0.8 °C, Bremerhaven (Germany) ±1.5 °C, Neustadt in Holstein (Germany) ±1.6 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month
Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.
Population and city profile
How many people live in St Helens?
The published population was 107,680 people in March 2021. Source: Census 2021 usual resident population count for the exact Built Up Area (BUA), England excluding London or Wales.5
By nationality
National passport94.4%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 28.79 km² | Dec 2022 | ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley5Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure |
| City area | 28.79 km² | Dec 2022 | Exact 2022 Built Up Area polygon area for BUA22CD in EPSG:27700, converted from square metres to km2.4Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 5.6 % | 21 Mar 2021 | Exact BUA non-UK-born population derived as the sum of the published Europe: EU countries and Non-EU countries (including British Overseas) counts.5Official |
| Foreign residents | 6,025 people | 21 Mar 2021 | Exact BUA non-UK-born population derived as the sum of the published Europe: EU countries and Non-EU countries (including British Overseas) counts.5Official |
| GP practices per 10,000 residents | 1.67 per 10,000 people | 7 Jul 2026 | NHS ODS GP Practices report + ONSPD Live postcode coordinates6Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure |
| Schools per 10,000 residents | 3.99 per 10,000 people | 7 Jul 2026 | DfE Get Information About Schools all establishments extract3Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure |
| Population density | 3,741 people/km² | 21 Mar 2021 | www.ons.gov.uk5Official · built-up-area figure |
| Population | 107,680 people | 21 Mar 2021 | Census 2021 usual resident population count for the exact Built Up Area (BUA), England excluding London or Wales.5Official |
International community in St Helens
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 | 101,650 | 94.4% |
| Europe: EU countries | 3,395 | 3.2% |
| Non-EU countries (including British Overseas) | 2,630 | 2.4% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source5
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner-occupied homes | 59.75 % | 21 Mar 2021 | ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley5Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure |
| Residents born abroad | 5.6 % | 21 Mar 2021 | ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley5Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure |
| Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher | 25.2 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Office for National Statistics9Official |
| Workers aged 16 and over | 47,730 workers | 31 Dec 2021 | Office for National Statistics9Official |
| Median age | 41 years | 21 Mar 2021 | ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley5Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure |
| Universities | 0 count | 3 Aug 2026 | Office for Students11Official |
Alternatives for people set on St Helens
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.
Preston as a St Helens alternative in the same region
34 km away, better on 2 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Median gross pay, region and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Foreign residents: 23.7% Preston vs 5.6% St Helens+324%
- Median gross pay, region: €2,878 Preston vs €3,052 St Helensno percentage
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 9,866 (2024) Preston vs 8,589 (2026) St Helensno percentage
- Unemployment: 4.0% Preston vs 3.6% St Helens+11%
- Annual PM2.5: 6.1 µg/m³ Preston vs 7.2 µg/m³ St Helens−15%
- Residents: 94,490 Preston vs 107,680 St Helens−12%
Gillingham as a St Helens alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 321 km, better on 3 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Foreign residents: 14.3% Gillingham vs 5.6% St Helens+156%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 37 (2025) Gillingham vs 8,589 (2026) St Helensno percentage
- Median gross pay, region: €3,171 Gillingham vs €3,052 St Helens+4%
- Annual PM2.5: 7.0 µg/m³ Gillingham vs 7.2 µg/m³ St Helens−3%
Cities near St Helens
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
Alternative cities in United Kingdom
Other cities in United Kingdom to compare with St Helens, nearest in population first.
How does St Helens compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays St Helens's.
St Helens in rankings
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in St Helens?
The published population was 107,680 people in March 2021. Source: Census 2021 usual resident population count for the exact Built Up Area (BUA), England excluding London or Wales..
Is the air quality good in St Helens?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.2 µg/m³ (2025) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: official estimated total annual mean background concentration.
How safe is St Helens?
Police recorded about 8,589 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 St Helens?
The unemployment rate is 3.6 % (January 2023). Source: www.ons.gov.uk.
What is the typical salary around St Helens?
The median gross salary is 3,052 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).
How many foreign residents live in St Helens?
6,025 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Exact BUA non-UK-born population derived as the sum of the published Europe: EU countries and Non-EU countries (including British Overseas) counts..
Is St Helens a good place to live?
St Helens 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 St Helens?
Rainhill, Billinge, Whiston, Prescot, Garswood are near St Helens. 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 St Helens?
The official country of birth distribution records 101,650 people (94.4%) 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). St Helens, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 5ed4f5c336e360fcc3481eb53add587e]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/st-helens/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_st-helens-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary-jobs_3b4354ad5fbf,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {St Helens, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {5ed4f5c336e360fcc3481eb53add587e},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/st-helens/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[St Helens, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/st-helens/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 5ed4f5c336e360fcc3481eb53add587e; 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
- data.police.uk all-crime polygon replay, filtered to Burglary data.police.uk · checked 2026-07-07
- Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
- DfE Get Information About Schools all establishments extract get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-07
- Exact 2022 Built Up Area polygon area for BUA22CD in EPSG:27700, converted from square metres to km2. services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-07-15
- Exact BUA non-UK-born population derived as the sum of the published Europe: EU countries and Non-EU countries (including British Overseas) counts. ons.gov.uk · checked 2021-03-21
- NHS ODS GP Practices report + ONSPD Live postcode coordinates digital.nhs.uk · checked 2026-07-07
- 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
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
Show 25 more sources
- Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
- official estimated total annual mean background concentration uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
- official estimated total annual mean background concentration uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
- official estimated total annual mean background concentration uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
- official hourly station observations exist only where a source station has an exact target relation uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
- ONS Census 2021 towns and cities dataset Figure 9 individual BUA employment row for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-05
- 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
- WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station CROSBY WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
- www.ons.gov.uk ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26
- www.ons.gov.uk ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26
- 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
- Numbeo - Cost of Living in St Helens (St. Helens) (Wayback Machine capture 20240525170743) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31
- www.ofcom.org.uk ofcom.org.uk · checked 2026-07-15
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