Where to Live in York as a Student

By Student Cribs | July 3, 2023 | Reading Time: 8 minutes

York is a beautiful and historic city, home to two Universities and thousands of Students. Choosing where to live is never an easy task, especially in a diverse city like York with many different factors to consider, but we’ve compiled a list of the most popular student housing locations and their individual pros and cons to help you make your decision!

Hull Road (south) – Hull Road is one of the closest areas to the University of York so if perfect for those looking to stay living close to campus after moving out of halls. There are a small cluster of shops on Hull Road, however, town is only a 25 minute walk away (or 15 minutes by bus!). It is an extremely popular area with students but this unfortunately does make the rent prices very high for York.

Price: ★★

Quality of houses: ★★★

Travel Times: ★★★★

Things to do: ★★

Clifton (Haxby Road) – The Haxby Road area is the eastern part of the Clifton ward and is filled with shops, pubs and lots of other facilities, making it a great place to live. York Hospital and York City Football Club are also very close by. This area is hugely popular with York St John’s students as it is very close to the St John campus and has slightly cheaper than average rent prices.

Price: ★★★

Quality of houses: ★★★★★

Travel Times: ★★★

Things to do: ★★

Lawrence Street – For those who love to be close to busy city life, Lawrence Street is located directly next to the City Centre. It is ideal for students based at the University of York’s Heslington West campus which is a short 15 minute walk away. Lawrence Street boasts come of the lowest rent prices in the area and therefore is hugely popular with students and also young professionals.

Price: ★★

Quality of houses: ★★

Travel Times: ★★★★

Things to do: ★★★★★

Osbaldwick – Originally a separate village, Osbaldwick is a peaceful residential area that is extremely sought after amongst students. This unfortunately makes the rent prices quite high here but as it is only 15-20 minutes away from the East and West Heslington campuses and only 15 minutes from York St John’s University campus you can see why it is so popular all round!

Price: ★★

Quality of houses: ★★★

Travel Times: ★★

Things to do: ★★

Fishergate – Fishergate is the area in between Fulford and the city centre, right next to River Ouse. It is only a 10 minute walk from the York St John campus and even closer to town and for the University of York students, campus is only 10 minutes away by bus. Fishergate’s very reasonable rent prices for high quality houses makes it an extremely popular location for students.

Price: ★★★★

Quality of houses: ★★★★★

Travel Times: ★★★★

Things to do: ★★★★

South Bank – South Bank is a popular area with post grads and mature students as it is a slightly quieter area with usually bigger houses (however, this does also make it popular with families). Enclosed by the River Ouse and the western train tracks, the South Bank area is just a 20 minute walk south of the city centre and Bishopthorpe Road, close by, boasts an array of shops and popular amenities.

Price: ★★★

Quality of houses: ★★★

Travel Times: ★★

Things to do: ★★

Fulford – One of the greenest residential areas of the city, Fulford also boasts very affordable house prices and the strongest transport connections to the University of York. Students make up the key demographic of this area but there are also other social groups such as families and successful professionals. With local shops on your corner and only a 25 minute walk (or 10 minute bus) to the city centre and a 15 minute cycle to the York St John University campus, it’s easy to see why Fulford is so popular amongst all types of students, not just those from the University of York.

Price: ★★★★★

Quality of houses: ★★★★★

Travel Times: ★★★

Things to do: ★★

Tang Hall (North) & Heworth – This area boasts a wonderful mix of students from both Universities as well as a community of families.  As it is a little further away from town (20-25 mins by bus) it has a peaceful and relaxed feel and because it is one of the most desirable locations in York, house prices are slightly above average rent.

Price: ★★

Quality of houses: ★★★★★

Travel Times: ★★★★

Things to do: ★★★★

Heslington – Heslington is a small village within the city of York, situated between the two University of York campuses, Heslington East (15 minute walk) and Heslington West (5-10 minute walk). Halifax College is located within the village, as well as many student houses. Town is 20 minutes away by bus but the village is also home to two of the most popular student pubs, Charles XII and The Deramore Arms. The rent is slightly higher than average because of Heslington’s popularity but it is a perfect location for those who want a village-community feel.

Price: ★★★

Quality of houses: ★★★

Travel Times: ★★★

Things to do: ★★★

Tang Hall & Merosegate – Close to both the East and West University of York campusus, Tang Hall & Merosegate is one of the most popular student areas of the University of York – ideal for those who struggle getting out of bed for 9am lectures. Town is 20 minutes away by bus but the area does have many stores and shops to suit your needs and what’s more, rent is below average despite it being a very well-known student area.

Price: ★★★★

Quality of houses: ★★★

Travel Times: ★★★★★

Things to do: ★★

Heslington Road – Located between the city centre and University of York’s Heslington West campus, Heslington Road is hugely popular with the University of York students despite its high rent prices. It is on the 4 and 44 bus routes so has excellent connections to other areas of York and as well as being only a 15 minute walk to town, there are a multitude of cafes, shops and stores very nearby.

Price: ★★

Quality of houses: ★★

Travel Times: ★★★★

Things to do: ★★★★

The Groves – The Groves is the area in between Haxby Road to the west and Huntington Road to the east, containing the campus of York St John University. For this reason it is obviously hugely popular with York St John students who could live as close as a 5 minute walk from campus. The bottom of The Groves also reaches the city centre and so the shops and facilities of the town are very close by. Due to the very good location, rent prices are slightly higher than average here.

Price: ★★

Quality of houses: ★★

Travel Times: ★★★★

Things to do: ★★★★

Where ever you choose to live in York, there will always be plenty for you to do and nothing is ever too far away. York is a brilliantly vibrant and historic city so just make sure you make the most of it. Look out for more of our blog posts on York to discover our top 10 things to do and our city secrets!

Still House Hunting in York?
Check out our last Student Cribs before they’re all gone!