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Family Area Report

SE26 Sydenham — Family Area Report

Sydenham · Lewisham

Council Tax Band D · 2025/26Lewisham£2,272/yrBromley£2,123/yrCroydon£2,621/yrThis postcode straddles 3 boroughs, so the exact rate depends on the street.
Family densityAverage · 22–27%25.6% of households have dependent children
73
Family Score

Ranked against every London postcode we cover.

SE26 is the London postcode area covering Sydenham in the London Borough of Lewisham. It scores 73/100 on our family-life index. It's strongest on green space (100/100) and weakest on commute (55/100). The Met recorded 0 incidents in 2026-05, and there are 9 parks within walking distance. The nearest central London hub is Canary Wharf in 35 min on the morning rush. 25.6% of households here have dependent children — average.

What borough is SE26 in?

SE26 is in the London Borough of Lewisham. Its representative postcode sits in the Sydenham ward. On our family-life index, SE26 scores 73/100 against every other London postcode we cover.

Safety78
Amenities56
Green space100
Family density26
Commute55

Safety

0 incidents in May 2026

SE26 is one of the safer London postcodes we cover, scoring 78/100 on safety. The Met logged 0 incidents here in May 2026.

    Counts cover a single calendar month (May 2026) — the latest released by data.police.uk.

    Family life

    Within 1km

    Parks
    9
    GP surgeries
    1
    Libraries
    0
    Supermarkets
    4

    Sources: NHS ODS (GPs) · FSA (supermarkets) · OpenStreetMap (parks, libraries)

    Commute

    6 central London hubs · Morning rush

    Good · 25–35 min
    Waterloo
    37 min
    via Windrush & Jubilee
    King's Cross
    50 min
    via Windrush & Hammersmith & City
    Liverpool Street
    40 min
    via Windrush & Elizabeth line
    Canary WharfFastest
    35 min
    via Windrush & Jubilee
    Paddington
    53 min
    via Windrush & Jubilee & Bakerloo
    Victoria
    47 min
    via Southeastern + 1 bus

    Door-to-door, arriving by 08:15 on a weekday. Source: TfL Journey Planner. Nearest hub: Canary Wharf in 35 min.

    How this is built.

    Scores are percentiles within our London cohort: your score is relative to other London areas, not absolute. School catchment guidance is powered by School Owl. Crime is from data.police.uk, latest available month.

    Family density is drawn from ONS Census 2021 household composition data at LSOA level. We map each postcode to its representative LSOA and rank it against the 32 London postcodes in our cohort.

    Commute times are pre-calculated via the TfL Journey Planner API for a weekday arrival at 08:15, from the centre of each postcode to Waterloo, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf, Paddington and Victoria.

      SE26 — frequently asked questions

      The things families ask us most about Sydenham, answered from the same data behind the scores above.

      What London borough is SE26 in?
      SE26 is in the London Borough of Lewisham. Its representative postcode falls in the Sydenham ward. SE26 scores 73/100 on our family-life index against every other London postcode we cover.
      Is SE26 a good area for families?
      SE26 (Sydenham, Lewisham) scores 73/100 on our family-life index, making it a solid pick among the London postcodes we cover. Safety 78/100, amenities 56/100, green space 100/100 and commute 55/100.
      What are the schools like in SE26?
      Lewisham's popular primaries cut off well inside half a mile, while secondary catchments are more generous. Published admission distances are available on School Owl; proximity does not guarantee admission.
      How safe is SE26?
      The Metropolitan Police recorded 0 crime incidents in SE26 in May 2026 (the latest month released by data.police.uk). On our cohort-relative scale, SE26 scores 78/100 for safety.
      How long is the commute from SE26 to central London?
      Using the TfL Journey Planner for a weekday 08:15 arrival, the fastest of our six central London hubs from SE26 is Canary Wharf in about 35 minutes. We benchmark commute times to Waterloo, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf, Paddington and Victoria.
      Do many families live in SE26?
      25.6% of households in SE26's representative LSOA have dependent children (ONS Census 2021), which we band as average (22–27%) versus the rest of London.

      Areas near SE26

      The closest postcodes to SE26 we cover are SE23 (Perry Vale, ~1.5km), SE20 (Penge & Cator, ~1.8km), SE21 (Dulwich Wood, ~2.7km) and SE6 (Catford South, ~2.9km). Families weighing SE26 usually shortlist one or two of these — open a full report or compare them side-by-side below.

      Nearby reports

      SE1Chaucer· 79SE3Blackheath Westcombe· 57SE4Brockley· 58SE5Camberwell Green· 78SE6Catford South· 66SE7Charlton Village & Riverside· 66

      Head-to-head

      SE26 vs SE1SE26 vs SE3SE26 vs SE4SE26 vs SE5SE26 vs SE6SE26 vs SE7

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