GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Birmingham vs Solihull: which is the better place to live?
Is Birmingham or Solihull a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Birmingham and Solihull across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Solihull wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 77.7/100 versus 77.3/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Birmingham | Solihull | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 77.3/100 | 77.7/100 | Solihull |
| Better value | 63.7 | 62.5 | Birmingham |
| For families | 89.2 | 89.6 | Solihull |
| For commuters | 65 | 67.7 | Solihull |
| For healthcare access | 83.6 | 83.6 | Level |
| Avg house price | £235,682 | £330,248 | Birmingham (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,363 | £2,197 | Solihull (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 87.9% | 88.6% | Solihull |
| Crime per 1,000 | 98.6 | 98.6 | Level |
| Gigabit broadband | 94.8% | 94.6% | Birmingham |
| Gera GP Access score | 83.6 | 83.6 | Level |
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Solihull wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 77.7/100 vs 77.3/100.
| Verdict | Birmingham | Solihull | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 77.3 | 77.7 | Solihull (+0.4) |
| Better value | 63.7 | 62.5 | Birmingham (+1.2) |
| For families | 89.2 | 89.6 | Solihull (+0.4) |
| For commuters | 65 | 67.7 | Solihull (+2.7) |
| For healthcare access | 83.6 | 83.6 | Level |
| Measure | Birmingham | Solihull |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £235,682 | £330,248 |
| Band D council tax | £2,363 | £2,197 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 87.9% | 88.6% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 98.6 | 98.6 |
| Gigabit broadband | 94.8% | 94.6% |
| Gera GP Access score | 83.6 | 83.6 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Birmingham or Solihull a better place to live overall?
- Solihull scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 77.7/100 versus 77.3/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.4 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Birmingham or Solihull?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Birmingham is better value. Average house prices are £235,682 in Birmingham and £330,248 in Solihull; Band D council tax is £2,363 versus £2,197 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Birmingham or Solihull better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Solihull comes out ahead for families. Birmingham has 87.9% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 98.6 per 1,000; Solihull has 88.6% and 98.6 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Birmingham or Solihull?
- For connectivity, Birmingham has 94.8% gigabit-capable premises and Solihull has 94.6% (Ofcom, June 2026). Solihull leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Birmingham or Solihull?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Birmingham scores 83.6 (Birmingham and Solihull ICB) and Solihull scores 83.6 (Birmingham and Solihull ICB). The two are level for GP access (NHS England, June 2026).
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Contains public sector information published by GeraRent and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Gera Liveability Index — joined UK government open data (June 2026, published 2026-06-19).