Local area guide

Living in Bournemouth

A bustling seaside town with a young student vibe, Bournemouth has sandy beaches galore and is just a 20 minute drive from the New Forest.

Your guide to moving to Bournemouth

Why Bournemouth is a good place to live

With award-winning sandy beaches stretching for 7 miles along its doorstep, buzzing Bournemouth is the largest town in the county of Dorset.

There are plenty of great restaurants to enjoy at the weekends, from fine dining to cheap and cheerful options.

Or for a more relaxing vibe, the Upper, Central, and Lower Gardens run through the centre of town and date back to the Victorian era.

Bournemouth is surrounded by upmarket neighbourhoods, the infamous Sandbanks is just down the road and the nearby village of Westbourne is also a great location for shopping, with an eclectic mix of fashion boutiques, gift shops and vintage stores.

There are some beautiful countryside walks nearby, including a hike up to Hengistbury Head, and the New Forest is just 20 minutes away by car.

The schools here are excellent, with plenty of Good primary schools and four Outstanding secondaries to choose from.

What's Bournemouth famous for?

Apart from it's beautiful beaches, Bournemouth has not one, but two piers.

The iconic, 300 metre long Bournemouth Pier has family amusements and ice creams galore, while the lesser known Boscombe Pier happens to be the illustrious winner of a Pier of the Year award and is a relaxing spot for enjoying all the views from.

If you love a beach hut, Bournemouth is the place to get one, with 2,000 of them nestled along the shore. It has beach hut kudos points too, since it happens to also be the place where the very first public one opened in England back in 1909. Hut number 2359 still has a plaque outside commemorating its place in history.

Things to do in Bournemouth

From beachside strolls to seaside action with scuba diving , snorkelling , beach yoga , jet skiing and power boating courses, if you love the sea, you're going to love it here.

For the brave, Bournemouth also boasts the world's first pier-to-shore zip wire with two lines, so the whole family can fly at the same time.

After all that excitement, you might like to check out Frieda’s Afternoon Tea Bus, which takes you on a tour of the town while you enjoy an afternoon tea.

For shopping fans, Bournemouth has Victorian arcades alongside high street favourites, and the bohemian Triangle area is well worth a visit, as are the charming stores at nearby Poole Harbour.

A suburb of Bournemouth called Pokesdown is quickly establishing itself as the new ‘Vintage Quarter’ of the city - and the Bournemouth Vintage Emporium is a must.

Or, for a more relaxing afternoon, Bournemouth’s utterly lovely, award-winning Upper, Central, and Lower Gardens are the place to be.

Average asking prices in Bournemouth today

We update our average asking prices every day using data from millions of properties for sale.

Terraced

Avg. asking price

£300,000

63 properties for sale

Detached

Avg. asking price

£510,000

316 properties for sale

Semi-detached

Avg. asking price

£350,000

64 properties for sale

Flats

Avg. asking price

£220,000

684 properties for sale

Properties currently for sale in Bournemouth

Whether you're looking for a family home or a beautiful apartment, we've got you covered.

See all properties for sale in Bournemouth

Popular areas to live in Bournemouth

Search properties for sale

People looking at Bournemouth also search for

Properties for sale in similar areas

Local pubs in Bournemouth

In partnership with
useyourlocal
  • George Tapps

    Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1

    Live Sport, Beer garden, Food served all-day, Great drink deals, Free WiFi, Stag and Hen Packages available

  • Revolution

    Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1

    Bournemouth’s most exciting and stylish venue, serving up handcrafted cocktails, delicious food and an unrivalled selection of premium spirits, beer, wine and cider.

Transport in Bournemouth

Trains

Just under two hours from London on a direct train, Bournemouth also has excellent connections to the surrounding areas and beyond.

Regular services run to Manchester, Oxford, Birmingham, Southampton, Reading and Waterloo, among others.

And locally, residents can travel to Poole, Weymouth, the New Forest and more.

Buses

Bournemouth has a comprehensive bus service operated by Morebus, which makes getting around nice and easy.

Routes cover the town’s major shopping districts, as well as connecting Bournemouth to Southbourne, Lilliput, Poole Quay and Mudeford.

See a map of the bus network

Roads

The A338 and A35 both lead into Bournemouth, with the M27, M5 and M3 being the nearest motorways connecting it to the rest of the country.

Traffic can sometimes be a problem in Dorset, particularly in the summertime, as the main roads in and out of the county are A roads rather than motorways, and are often single lane.

Airport

Bournemouth Airport operates regular flights to the rest of the UK, Ireland and mainline Europe, run by airlines including Easyjet, Ryanair and Thomsonfly.

Transport connections

Bournemouth
National Rail
0.4 miles / 0.6 km
Pokesdown
National Rail
1.9 miles / 3.1 km
Branksome
National Rail
2.3 miles / 3.7 km
Tuckton Tea Gardens Ferry Landing
Ferry Port
3.4 miles / 5.5 km
Parkstone (Dorset)
National Rail
3.6 miles / 5.8 km
Christchurch
National Rail
3.8 miles / 6.1 km

Schools in Bournemouth

Bournemouth has some great schools for kids. There's a wide selection of Good Ofsted-rated primaries, while Manorside Academy and Queen's Park Academy are both rated Outstanding.

In terms of secondary schools, Bournemouth school, Winton Academy, Glenmore Academy, and Bournemouth School for Girls are all rated Outstanding, while Bishop of Winchester Academy is rated Good.

Schools in Bournemouth

Livingstone Academy Bournemouth
Ages: 4 - 19 years old
Kings Bournemouth
Ages: 14 - 25 years old
Ofsted Rating: Good (2023)
Malmesbury Park Primary School
Ages: 3 - 11 years old
Ofsted Rating: Good (2022)
Bethany Church of England Junior School
Ages: 7 - 11 years old
Ofsted Rating: Good (2022)
St Clement's and St John's Church of England Infant School
Ages: 5 - 7 years old
Ofsted Rating: Good (2023)
St Michael's Church of England Primary School
Ages: 3 - 11 years old
Ofsted Rating: Good (2019)

Sold house prices provided by Land Registry/Registers of Scotland. © Crown copyright 2025. Our website is completely free for you to use but we may receive a commission from some of the companies we link to on the site.

Zoopla Limited is an appointed representative of Uswitch Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 312850) to provide the mortgage calculator tool and incorporated with company registration number 06074771 and registered office at The Cooperage, 5 Copper Row, London SE1 2LH. Uswitch Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference number 312850.

Zoopla.co.uk is not a mortgage intermediary and makes introductions to Mojo Mortgages to provide mortgage solutions. Zoopla.co.uk and Mojo Mortgages are part of the same group of companies. Zoopla may receive an introduction fee from Mojo Mortgages on completion of successful mortgage applications. This fee is based on a percentage of your loan amount. Mojo is a trading style of Life's Great Limited which is registered in England and Wales (06246376) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is on the Financial Services Register (478215). Mojo's registered office is The Cooperage, 5 Copper Row, London, SE1 2LH. To contact Mojo by phone, please call 0333 123 0012.