Best Areas to Live in Solihull: A 2026 Neighbourhood Guide

Solihull sits on the south-eastern edge of Birmingham and is consistently named among the most desirable places to live in the West Midlands. It has its own town centre built around Touchwood, a reputation for good schools and green space, and a quieter pace of life than the city next door. Birmingham Airport, the NEC and the M42 are all on its doorstep.

Solihull is a large borough, though, and its neighbourhoods differ a great deal. The suburbs that border Birmingham feel like city suburbs, the town centre feels like a prosperous market town, and the villages to the south feel like Warwickshire countryside. Prices, housing, commutes and character all change within a couple of miles, so picking the right corner matters.

This guide walks through nine of the most popular areas to live in Solihull, covering the feel of each, the housing, schooling in broad terms, transport, a qualitative sense of prices and who it suits. We have kept prices descriptive because the market moves quickly. If you are weighing Solihull against the city itself, our guide to the best areas to live in Birmingham is the companion read.

Solihull town centre is the heart of the borough, with a polished feel that sets it apart from most Midlands town centres. Touchwood anchors the shopping, the High Street mixes independents and national names, and Tudor Grange Park and Brueton Park are both within walking distance. It is busy without being hectic, with enough restaurants and bars for a night out without heading into Birmingham.

Housing is a mix of period semis and detached houses on the leafy roads around the parks, modern apartments near the station, and larger homes towards Widney Manor. Prices here sit at the upper end of the Solihull market, though apartments bring the postcode within reach for couples and downsizers.

Schooling is a major reason families pay the premium: Solihull School, an independent, sits just off the centre, and Tudor Grange Academy and well-regarded primaries serve the surrounding streets. Solihull station has frequent trains to Birmingham Moor Street and Snow Hill and direct services to London Marylebone, Junction 5 of the M42 is minutes away, and the airport is a short drive.

Who it suits: professionals, families and downsizers who want shops, parks and the station on foot, and anyone commuting by rail to Birmingham or London.

Olton is the Solihull suburb closest to Birmingham along the Warwick Road, and it has a settled, established feel. It is older than much of the borough, with Olton Reservoir on its western edge and shops and cafes along the main road, and it feels like a classic commuter suburb rather than a village.

The housing is Edwardian and 1930s semis off the Warwick Road, larger detached homes near the reservoir, and apartments close to the station. Olton is generally better value than the town centre or the villages to the south, making it a popular first step into the borough for families priced out of Harborne or Moseley.

Local primaries have a solid reputation, with Solihull's secondaries within reach. Transport is Olton's strongest card: Olton station has regular trains into Moor Street in around fifteen minutes, the Warwick Road runs straight into the city, and the airport and Junction 5 of the M42 are close.

Who it suits: first-time Solihull buyers and young families who want a period house and a short rail commute without paying village prices.

Shirley is the largest and most varied of Solihull's suburbs, running along the Stratford Road. It has a long high street with supermarkets, a retail park and a busy mix of shops, and it feels more practical and everyday than the smarter end of the borough. Shirley Park gives it green space, and it is the gateway to the newer developments at Dickens Heath and Cheswick Green.

Housing is mostly 1930s semis and bungalows on quiet side roads, with newer estates on the southern fringe and apartments near the main road. Shirley offers some of the best value in the borough for a three-bedroom family home.

There is a good spread of primaries and well-regarded secondaries, including the Tudor Grange academies. Shirley and Whitlocks End stations are on the line into Moor Street, the Stratford Road is a direct drive into Birmingham, and Junction 4 of the M42 is at the southern end.

Who it suits: families who want space and value in a Solihull postcode, and commuters happy with the train from Shirley or Whitlocks End.

Knowle is the village many people picture when they think of Solihull at its best. The High Street has a medieval church, timber-framed buildings, independent shops and good pubs, and a strong community feel. It is unmistakably a village, yet the town centre is only a few minutes away by car.

The housing is period cottages around the High Street, large detached family homes on the roads leading out, and a few modern developments on the edges. Knowle is one of the most expensive parts of Solihull, and the larger houses carry a real premium; smaller cottages are the more accessible way in.

Arden Academy is a well-known secondary in the village and a major driver of family demand, and the primaries have a strong reputation. Knowle has no station, but Dorridge is close by with trains to Birmingham and London, and Junction 5 of the M42 is a short drive.

Who it suits: families who prioritise schools and a village community, and anyone with the budget for one of the borough's prettiest addresses.

Dorridge sits just south of Knowle and shares its village feel, but it is quieter and more residential. It grew up around its railway station and remains the commuter village of the borough, with a small centre of shops and cafes by the station and leafy roads of substantial houses spreading out from there.

Housing is dominated by large detached houses on generous plots, Victorian and Edwardian near the station and later further out, with some smaller houses and apartments. Prices in Dorridge are among the highest in Solihull.

The village shares its schooling with Knowle, including Arden Academy. Dorridge station is the reason many people live here: fast services to Birmingham Moor Street and Snow Hill and direct trains to London Marylebone make a London commute realistic. Junction 5 of the M42 is a short drive.

Who it suits: rail commuters, including those heading to London a few days a week, and established families who want a big house and garden in a quiet village.

Dickens Heath is the newest village in the borough, built from the late 1990s onwards south of Shirley. It was designed as a modern village with a centre of its own, with a square, a library, shops, bars and restaurants, and a canal along its edge. It feels planned, neat and sociable, and attracts a younger crowd than the older villages.

The housing is almost entirely modern: townhouses, apartments around the centre, and detached family homes on the outer streets, with parking and smaller gardens than Knowle or Dorridge. Dickens Heath is better value than the older villages for a modern family home.

There is a primary school in the village and secondary options in Shirley and the wider borough. Whitlocks End station is close by with trains into Moor Street, and Junction 4 of the M42 is a few minutes by car for the motorway and the airport.

Who it suits: young professionals and young families who want a modern home, a walkable village centre and easy access to Birmingham and the motorway.

Monkspath lies on the southern edge of Solihull town, between the centre and the M42, and is one of the borough's most popular modern family areas. It was largely built in the 1980s and 1990s, with wide roads, cul-de-sacs and a local centre, and it feels like a safe, well-ordered family suburb.

Housing is modern detached and semi-detached family homes, larger executive houses in the newer pockets, and some townhouses and apartments, most with driveways and garages. Monkspath sits in the middle to upper part of the Solihull market, below Knowle and Dorridge but above Shirley and Olton.

Schooling is a strength, with well-regarded primaries and Tudor Grange Academy within reach. Junction 4 of the M42 is right there for the airport, the NEC and Blythe Valley business park, and Widney Manor station is the nearest for trains into Birmingham.

Who it suits: families who want a modern house with a garage and garden, and professionals who drive to the airport or along the M42 corridor.

Balsall Common is a large village in the countryside between Solihull and Coventry. It is spread out, surrounded by fields and lanes, and has its own shops, pubs, sports clubs and a strong local identity. For many residents the attraction is that distance from the built-up borough.

The housing is substantial detached houses on large plots, 1960s and 1970s family homes behind the main road, and newer developments on the village edge. Balsall Common is generally more affordable than Knowle and Dorridge for a similar size of house.

The village has well-regarded primaries and its own secondary, Heart of England School. Most journeys are by car: the A452 runs north to the airport and the NEC and south to Kenilworth, Berkswell station on the village edge has trains to Birmingham and Coventry, and Junction 6 of the M42 is within easy reach.

Who it suits: families who want a proper village with countryside around it, commuters split between Birmingham and Coventry, and anyone who wants a larger house without the premium of Knowle.

Hampton-in-Arden is a small, picturesque village east of Solihull, close to the airport and the NEC but feeling a world away from both. It has a historic church, timber-framed houses, a village pub and a quiet conservation-area character, and very little new building is allowed.

Housing is period cottages in the village core, large detached homes on the lanes leading out, and the occasional converted barn. Supply is limited, which keeps prices in Hampton-in-Arden firmly at the top of the Solihull market.

There is a primary school in the village, with secondary schooling in Solihull and nearby villages. Hampton-in-Arden station has trains to Birmingham and Coventry, the airport and the NEC are minutes away, and Junction 6 of the M42 gives fast motorway links.

Who it suits: established buyers who want a historic village, privacy and quick access to the airport and motorways.

If a short rail commute into Birmingham is the priority, start with Olton, Shirley and the town centre. If London is part of your working week, Dorridge and the town centre have the direct Chiltern services that make it manageable.

If you are moving for schools and want a village community, Knowle and Dorridge are the obvious choices, with Balsall Common as the more spacious alternative. If you want a modern house with parking and a garden, Monkspath is the established family suburb by the motorway and Dickens Heath the newer village with a livelier centre.

If you want a historic setting and budget is not the main constraint, Hampton-in-Arden is hard to beat. And if you want to stay close to Birmingham's own suburbs, Olton and Shirley keep you minutes from the city boundary with a Solihull address.

We move families into and around Solihull every week, from apartments by Solihull station to large houses on the lanes around Knowle. Each part of the borough has its own quirks on move day, from the narrow village streets of Hampton-in-Arden to the parking courts of Dickens Heath, and our crews plan around them.

For a full home move, our house removals service covers packing, loading, transport and reassembly. For a flat, a single room or a few large items, our man and van service is usually the more cost-effective option.

Whichever area of Solihull you choose, the best next step is to get a free quote. Tell us where you are coming from, where you are heading and roughly what needs moving, and we will give you a clear, fixed price with no surprises on the day.