Penge area guide
Property, prices, schools and local life in Penge — from the Streets Ahead team who work here.
What is Penge like to live in?
Living in Penge
Penge sits in the London Borough of Bromley, tucked between Anerley, Sydenham and the southern edge of Crystal Palace Park. It is a residential neighbourhood of Victorian terraces and a compact high street, and it has long offered a way into this part of South London for buyers who want period homes without the price tags of the areas immediately up the hill.
The southern reaches of Crystal Palace Park are within easy reach, so green space is part of everyday life here, and the high street keeps a mix of independent traders alongside the everyday names. People who move to Penge tend to value the combination of solid Victorian housing stock, quick trains and a genuine neighbourhood feel.
Penge falls under Bromley Council, which sets the council tax, runs bin collections and handles school admissions. A Band D home here is charged £2,140.04 for 2026-27. Our team can talk you through what a specific street means for your day-to-day before you commit to a viewing.
How do you get to central London?
Penge has two stations — Penge East and Penge West — giving you both National Rail and London Overground options towards central London, with neighbouring Anerley and Crystal Palace stations adding further routes around the edges of the area. For a frank view of which pocket of Penge suits your commute, our local team can walk you through the trade-offs street by street.
Penge in numbers
Local facts and figures from official sources
The median sold house price in Penge is £425,000, based on 207 sales across SE20 between Sep 2025 – Sep 2026 (HM Land Registry Price Paid Data). Terraced houses sell for a median of £600,000, flats and maisonettes £330,000, and semi-detached houses £690,000.
Council tax on a Band D home in Penge is £2,140.04 for 2026-27 (London Borough of Bromley, MHCLG).
Penge has a population of 30,937, of whom 42.4% own their home and 27.3% rent privately (Office for National Statistics).
There are 6 state schools in the Penge area, including 6 primary and 0 secondary schools (Ofsted / Department for Education, state-funded schools management information).
House prices
£425,000 Median sold price in SE20 (207 sales, Sep 2025 – Sep 2026)
| Semi-detached | £690,000 |
|---|---|
| Terraced | £600,000 |
| Flat / maisonette | £330,000 |
Bromley borough average: £511,670 -3.1% year on year
Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data (SE20, standard sales), Sep 2025 – Sep 2026
Source: HM Land Registry UK House Price Index (Bromley), July 2026
Private rents
£1,678 Average monthly rent in Bromley +2.7% year on year
| Detached | £2,888 |
|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £2,150 |
| Terraced | £1,907 |
| Flat / maisonette | £1,505 |
Source: Office for National Statistics, Price Index of Private Rents (Bromley), June 2026
People & housing
30,937 Residents in the Crystal Palace & Anerley and Penge & Cator wards
| Owner occupied | 42.4% |
|---|---|
| Shared ownership | 1.5% |
| Social rented | 28.7% |
| Private rented | 27.3% |
Source: Office for National Statistics (via Nomis, ward level), Census 2021
Council tax
£2,140.04 Band D in Bromley, 2026-27
| Band A | £1,426.69 |
|---|---|
| Band B | £1,664.48 |
| Band C | £1,902.26 |
| Band D | £2,140.04 |
| Band E | £2,615.60 |
| Band F | £3,091.17 |
| Band G | £3,566.73 |
| Band H | £4,280.08 |
Source: MHCLG, Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England, 2026-27
Schools
6 State-funded schools in this area’s postcodes
Primary (6)
- Harris Primary Academy Crystal Palace Last inspected Mar 2025
- Harris Primary Academy Kent House Last inspected May 2022
- James Dixon Primary School Last inspected Jun 2024
- St Anthony's Catholic Primary School Last inspected Feb 2025
- St John's Church of England Primary School
- Stewart Fleming Primary School Last inspected Apr 2023
Secondary
No state-funded secondary schools sit within this area’s postcodes.
Ofsted no longer issues single overall grades for inspections after November 2025 — follow a school’s link for its full, current report card.
Source: Ofsted / Department for Education, state-funded schools management information, 31 August 2026
Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains public sector information (ONS, MHCLG, DfE/Ofsted) licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The Penge property market
Property and schools
Across SE20, the median sold price over the most recent twelve months was £425,000 — but that single figure hides a real spread by property type. Flats and maisonettes, the most accessible way into the area, sold at a median of £332,500. Terraced houses, the dominant type, reached £560,000, and semi-detached houses came in at £690,000. Detached houses are rare enough here that there is no reliable median to quote.
If you are renting, average private rents in Bromley stood at £1,678 a month. Around 27.3% of local households rent privately (Census 2021), so tenant demand is steady. Whether you are selling or letting, the numbers move quickly, so the most useful figure is a current appraisal of your own property.
Where to live in Penge
Streets within an easy walk of either station or the high street tend to be the most sought-after, where Victorian character and a quick commute meet. Buyers comparing options often weigh Penge against neighbouring Anerley and Sydenham, which share the same Overground access. For a straight view of what a given budget buys right now, book a conversation with our team.
Schools and families
The area has 6 state primary schools, with admissions run by Bromley Council. There are no state secondaries within Penge itself, so families typically apply to secondaries in the surrounding areas — catchments and admission rules change year to year, so check each school’s current Ofsted report and Bromley’s criteria directly. If schools are shaping your search, our team can help you plan around them.
Penge property questions, answered
Good to know
What is the average house price in Penge?
The median sold price in Penge (SE20) was £425,000 over the most recent twelve months. By type: semi-detached £690,000, terraced £560,000, and flats or maisonettes £332,500. Detached houses are rare enough locally that there is no reliable median to quote. The property type matters as much as the postcode when you are setting a budget.
Which borough is Penge in?
Penge is in the London Borough of Bromley, which sets the council tax, runs bin collections and handles school admissions for the area. Council tax on a Band D home is £2,140.04 for 2026-27. The borough also shapes local planning and services, so it is worth confirming when you compare Penge with neighbouring areas such as Sydenham, which sits in Lewisham.
How do you get from Penge to central London?
Penge has two stations, Penge East and Penge West, giving both National Rail and London Overground routes towards central London, with neighbouring Anerley and Crystal Palace stations adding further options. The area sits in Travelcard Zone 4. For exact current times and routes, check National Rail or TfL, as timetables change from time to time.
What are the schools like in Penge?
Penge has 6 state primary schools, with admissions run by Bromley Council. There are no state secondaries within Penge itself, so families usually apply to secondaries in the surrounding areas. Because catchments and admission criteria change year to year, check each school’s current Ofsted report and Bromley’s published criteria directly before you apply.
Is Penge a good place to live?
Penge offers Victorian terraces, two stations with National Rail and Overground routes into central London, and easy access to the southern end of Crystal Palace Park. Around 42.4% of households own their home and 27.3% rent privately (Census 2021), making it mixed in tenure. It suits buyers who want period housing and a quick commute at a more accessible price point.
What is the rental market like in Penge?
Average private rents in Bromley were £1,678 a month, and around 27.3% of Penge households rent privately (Census 2021), so tenant demand is steady. Landlords can read our Ultimate Landlord Guide or contact our lettings team for a current appraisal.
Explore nearby areas
Close to Penge
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4-8 Westow Street, Crystal Palace, SE19 3AH
This area guide is maintained by our Crystal Palace branch team, who cover Penge sales and lettings.
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