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The most walkable neighbourhoods in Birmingham
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
20 neighbourhoods of Birmingham ranked by walkability, each scored across the area around its own centre. The Jewellery Quarter leads with 98/100, then the Chinese Quarter (97) and Digbeth (95). 19 of the 20 score 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot, and the lowest we rank is Handsworth Wood (66).
| # | Neighbourhood | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jewellery Quarter | 98 |
| 2 | Chinese Quarter | 97 |
| 3 | Digbeth | 95 |
| 4 | Ladywood | 94 |
| 5 | Edgbaston | 92 |
| 6 | Bordesley | 91 |
| 7 | Newtown | 90 |
| 8 | Lozells | 88 |
| 9 | Aston | 87 |
| 10 | Perry Barr | 86 |
| 10 | Winson Green | 86 |
| 12 | Bournbrook | 85 |
| 12 | Springfield | 85 |
| 14 | Bearwood | 83 |
| 14 | Bordesley Green | 83 |
| 16 | Harborne | 82 |
| 17 | Moseley | 79 |
| 17 | Small Heath | 79 |
| 19 | Longbridge | 78 |
| 20 | Handsworth Wood | 66 |
"From the centre" is the distance from Birmingham's busiest point to the neighbourhood's centre. "Area scoring 70+" is the share of points across the neighbourhood where most errands can be done on foot.
The top 5 up close
Jewellery Quarter
The Jewellery Quarter scores 98/100, 1.1 km north-west of Birmingham's busiest point. It has the most shops of the five: 1,293 within a 30 minute walk, the nearest Cooksongold, about a minute away.
Chinese Quarter
The Chinese Quarter is the most central of these five, 750 m south of Birmingham's busiest point, and scores 97/100. None of the others has as many cultural venues, with 115 in a 30 minute walk; Birmingham Hippodrome is the nearest, about a minute away.
Digbeth
Digbeth scores 95/100, 1.2 km south-east of Birmingham's busiest point. 2,622 everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of its middle, the nearest grocery about 8 minutes away.
Ladywood
Ladywood scores 94/100, 1.7 km west of Birmingham's busiest point. It has the most schools of the five: 43 within a 30 minute walk, the nearest Little Wonders Pre-School, about 2 minutes away. More on Ladywood.
Edgbaston
Edgbaston lies the furthest out of these five, 1.9 km south-west of Birmingham's busiest point, and scores 92/100. 1,477 everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of its middle, the nearest grocery about 3 minutes away. It has the fewest shops of the five, 415. 94% of its area scores 70 or more. More on Edgbaston.
Centre and outskirts
The 8 neighbourhoods within 3 km of Birmingham's centre average 93, and the 12 further out average 82, so walkability falls away from the centre. The nearest to the centre, the Chinese Quarter, 750 m away, scores 97, and the farthest, Longbridge, 11.2 km out, scores 78.
Each dot is a ranked neighbourhood, numbered by rank and coloured by score, placed by its distance and direction from the centre of Birmingham.
Birmingham as a whole scores 82 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre. Other cities in the United Kingdom with ranked neighbourhoods: London.
Questions about Birmingham's neighbourhoods
What is the most walkable neighbourhood in Birmingham?
The Jewellery Quarter is the most walkable of the 20 neighbourhoods we rank in Birmingham, with a walkability score of 98 out of 100 (Walker's Paradise). It is followed by the Chinese Quarter (97) and Digbeth (95).
Which neighbourhoods of Birmingham are least walkable?
Of the 20 neighbourhoods we rank, the lowest scoring is Handsworth Wood (66). These are the best-known neighbourhoods with their own Wikipedia articles, so less walkable outer suburbs that are not ranked may score lower still.
How are Birmingham's neighbourhoods ranked?
Each neighbourhood is scored at points 100 m to 500 m apart across a circle around its centre, sized to its area, and its score is the mean of those points. Each point's score counts the groceries, restaurants, shops, schools, parks and other everyday places within a 30 minute walk, as described in the methodology. Birmingham scores 82 across the 5 km around its centre.
This page is generated from open map data with a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. Places from Overture Maps release 2026-09-23.1. Neighbourhoods and where they lie from Overture Maps and Wikidata.