West Midlands

Not to be confused with the much larger West Midlands region, the West Midlands county is made up of the metropolitan boroughs surrounding and including the City of Birmingham. Competing with Manchester and Edinburgh for the title of the UK’s second city, the prominence of Birmingham has turned the West Midlands into a vital and vibrant urban area with excellent schools, universities and fantastic transport links to the rest of the UK. To find out more about what the West Midlands has to offer, read on!

4.62
Average Location Score

Excellent

72%

Very Good

21%

Average

6%

Disappointing

1%

Very Poor

1%

Best places to live in West Midlands

HomeViews Top Rated Development ranking takes into account the Star Rating and HomeViews Transparency Rating of every development in the area

A canal in Birmingham, West Midlands

Where is the West Midlands

The term, ‘West Midlands’ can often be a little confusing, as it refers to both a metropolitan county and one of nine official regions of England. In this case, we’ll be talking about the metropolitan county, which is located in the western-central area of England, largely around the city of Birmingham.

What areas are in the West Midlands?

The West Midlands is made up of seven metropolitan boroughs, including Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and the cities of Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton. It also includes the Meriden Gap, which is a section of the West Midlands Green Belt.

Birmingham

The second-largest city in the UK, with around 3.6 million people living in its metropolitan area, Birmingham is widely regarded as the second city in the United Kingdom because of its size and economic value.

Once a hub for manufacturing, Birmingham has evolved into an international commercial centre and convention centre. This vibrant and influential city boasts internationally renowned cultural institutions, a thriving art, music and food scene, and seven universities, making it the largest higher education centre in the country outside of London.

Coventry

The West Midlands’ second city, Coventry has built a reputation for being a centre of excellence for arts and culture and was the 2021 UK City of Culture. For business purposes, Coventry is the most centrally located city in England and boasts excellent transport links to the rest of the country. 

A centre of engineering innovation and manufacturing excellence, especially for the automotive industry, Coventry is the industrialized heart of the UK’s economy.

Meriden Gap

While the West Midlands is one of the most heavily populated and urbanised areas in the UK, the Meriden Gap, which separates Coventry from Solihull, is a greenbelt area that retains its rural character. 

An enticing stretch of green between heavily urban areas, the Meriden Gap offers all the picturesque beauty of the English countryside, within easy commuting distance of two of the most vibrant cities in the UK.

Anne Hathaway's cottage near Stratford upon Avon, West Midlands

West Midlands universities

The West Midlands offers an excellent choice of universities, split between the cities of Birmingham and Coventry.

Birmingham alone hosts seven out of the ten universities in the county, including Birmingham City University, Aston University, University of Birmingham, University College Birmingham and Newman University. 

It also has campuses for BPP University and the University of Law as well as the West Midlands regional base for the Open University, making it the largest centre for higher education in the UK outside of London.

Coventry hosts Coventry University and the prestigious University of Warwick, while the University of Wolverhampton is split between Telford and Walsall campuses in Wolverhampton.

Top schools in the West Midlands

The West Midlands has some of the best schools in the country, including:

King Edward VI School

The school where Shakespeare learned his trade, the King Edward VI School was voted West Midlands Independent School of the Decade by the Sunday Times and is ranked as the 12th best school in the UK.

King Edward School in Birmingham (KES)

Offering the international baccalaureate to its sixth form students, and with consistently excellent overall exam scores, KES Won the Sunday Times’ West Midlands Independent School of the Decade.

King Edward VI High School for Girls

The partner school of the equally well regarded King Edward VI High School for Boys, this school has won the West Midlands Independent Secondary School of the Year twice in the last three years.

Population of the West Midlands

The West Midlands is one of the most heavily populated areas in the UK. It is the third most populated area in the country, just behind Greater London and Greater Manchester, with 2,440,986 people currently living there.

The population of the West Midlands is largely centred around the areas of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, the Black Country and Solihull.

Reviews in West Midlands

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Great flat

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Nov 2023

Lots of car parking, underground so cars safe and protected. Lots of local transport and food places.

Please review your development:

Very clean, newly renovated, great kitchen and bathroom. Bedroom good size. Furniture provided and new. Good layout of the rooms. Shower in bathroom is very nice and nice design. Washing mashing, dryer and dish washer provided with the apartment.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Maybe video tours of the flats would be helpful. D

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

I had a problem with my tap and they sorted it the next day

5
Facilities
4
Design
5
Location
5
Value
5
Management
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A great place to work from home

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Nov 2023

It’s practically in the town center which makes getting anywhere easy. You’re within a 10 minute walk from the train station which is ideal if working away from home. You’re also within very close walking distance of a large park

Please review your development:

The building has a car park and accessible gym, the gym is small but great for easy access on work breaks etc. The management are extremely approachable and are quick to sort out any issues, they’ve been helpful numerous times over the years with parcel and billing queries.

The rooms are spacious and the free internet provided is consistently fast, never had any issues with it, which is perfect when working from home.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I had doubts about the internet quality but it’s actually fantastic, both for work and gaming.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Effort is put in place right away. In my case a new part was ordered and fitted within a couple of days.

4
Facilities
5
Design
4
Location
4
Value
5
Management
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Affordable Quality.

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Nov 2023

Great access to facilities and city centre. There are bars and restaurants about5- 10 mins from Could be noisy due to traffic

Please review your development:

I really love the apartment it’s really pretty and spacious. Also equipped with great facilities and maintenance culture is top notch. I love the furniture quality and the interior designs. Overall I will definitely recommend the locks apartments to friends

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I thought I was going to be here for 6 months but almost 1 yr 6 mints in and I’m loving it

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

I once had issues with my heater and Steve was prompt to rectify it

5
Facilities
5
Design
5
Location
5
Value
5
Management
User submitted image of  The Locks, WV1
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The furniture that comes with the place is well designed and looks great.

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Nov 2023

Very good area, probably the best area in Wolverhampton. Walking distance to all of the shops you need. No antisocial behaviour. Good parking. Good bin collection

Please review your development:

Design is very nice. The furniture that comes with the place is well designed and looks great.
There is a gym to be used, it’s not the best but it has basic equipment.
Good underground parking spaces.
No other rooms to be used other than your own apartment.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

It’s a very good place to live. Decent value for money.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Most issues are responded to promptly and adequately.

3
Facilities
5
Design
5
Location
4
Value
4
Management
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