A popular area to call home, most
are attracted by the lifestyle
offered by the region

Live in the South Solent region

At the heart of the South Solent region is the city of Southampton.

More than half a million people live in the area with 236,700 living in and around Southampton alone. A popular area to call home, most are attracted by the lifestyle offered by the region.

From the city vibe of Southampton, with its busy port, great shopping and one of the best contemporary art collections outside of London, to the more rural feel of Romsey with its independent shops, country pubs and verdant landscape, the region has so much to offer.

Winchester is a designated heritage city with a history stretching back to the Iron Age. Voted the best place to live in the UK by the Channel 4 programme Location, Location, Location research has proved Winchester offers a higher than average life expectancy, low crime levels as well as the largest farmers market in the UK.

House prices have retained their value well in the area and range from waterfront living in Southampton to a rural idyll in Test Valley and beyond. The average house price in Southampton is £163,450 (Source: HM Land Registry), while in Winchester that rises to £310,000.

The New Forest, a National Park that includes heathland, unenclosed pasture for the famous New Forest ponies and forest is on your doorstep. A favourite with visitors, it is ideal for walkers and cyclists. The average house price in the New Forest is £273,820.

Separated from the mainland by the Solent, the Isle of Wight is England's largest island. Home to 138,000 people, the island is a popular holiday destination but also a centre for world class business.

Slightly more than half the island is designated as the Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and due to its southerly position it has a sunny climate.

As well as music festivals, the island celebrates glorious garlic at a summer festival in August.

Local food production is a growing issue on the island and a recent Food Sector Survey by Natural Enterprise found 43 per cent of farmers and producers were planning to expand. Processors are also looking to grow with 80 per cent having expansion plans.

House prices in the Isle of Wight range from £249,272 for a detatched home in Newport to £265,714 in Ventnor and £245,199 in Cowes. (Source: Isle of Wight Council).

Cultural life is at the heart of the region with innovative drama, West End musicals and headline acts playing at theatres and venues in Southampton, Winchester, Basingstoke, Eastleigh, Andover and Romsey.