Neighbourhood · Lewisham

Upper Sydenham: house prices and how the area is changing

Official figures for the Upper Sydenham neighbourhood of Lewisham, England (ONS area Lewisham 028). Headline figures assembled 13 October 2026. Postcodes SE23, SE26. Figures that read a point use the neighbourhood's centre, near SE26 4BW.

A middle-income neighbourhood, with signals pointing away from gentrification

Upper Sydenham is a middle-income neighbourhood. But area signals point away from gentrification against Lewisham (2 of 20 signals falling, 1 rising). Houses here typically resell for £720,000 and flats for £360,000 (median resale prices, 2023-2025). Recorded crime is lower than across Lewisham (0.6 times the borough's rate), schools nearby are improving in line with the council's and the nearest station, Forest Hill, is about a 10-minute walk from the neighbourhood's centre.

The neighbourhood in brief, from the figures on this page. Summary updated 13 October 2026; source dates are shown below.

Typical house price

£720,000

Median resale price of houses in the neighbourhood, 2023-2025; +25% against 2017-2019.

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data

Typical flat price

£360,000

Median resale price of flats in the neighbourhood, 2023-2025; +7% against 2017-2019.

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data

Affluence today

Middle income

How well off the neighbourhood is now, from household income, home prices and deprivation.

Source: ONS, HM Land Registry, MHCLG Indices of Deprivation

Signs of gentrification

Moving the other way

Weighted balance -0.11; 1 of 20 signals up, 2 down, against the borough.

Source: Official statistics on prices, incomes, benefits, businesses, schools and more (a full report shows every signal)

Deprivation

Decile 4 of 10

English Indices of Deprivation 2025: 1 is the most deprived tenth of neighbourhoods, 10 the least. At the neighbourhood's centre; its 4 small areas range from decile 3 to 5.

Source: MHCLG English Indices of Deprivation 2025

Average household income

£77,500

ONS estimate for the neighbourhood (modelled, with a margin of error).

Source: Office for National Statistics

Recorded crime

0.6 times the borough's rate

Crimes recorded by the police over 12 months (not anti-social behaviour) per resident, against the borough. Crime per resident can overstate the risk in busy centres where many people work or visit.

Source: Police.uk

Schools getting better

In line with the council's

Nearby state schools' latest Ofsted inspections and results, against the council's schools.

Source: Ofsted, Department for Education

Where Upper Sydenham sits in Lewisham

Typical house price: 14th highest of the 35 neighbourhoods in Lewisham with enough house sales for one
Typical flat price: 17th lowest of the 35 neighbourhoods in Lewisham with enough flat sales for one
Average household income: 10th highest of 37 neighbourhoods in Lewisham

Ranked among the council's neighbourhoods by the figures on each one's own page, checked 13 October 2026: typical prices are HM Land Registry resale medians over the latest three-year window, household income the ONS's modelled estimate, with a margin of error, so neighbourhoods a place or two apart may not really differ.

Prices over time in Upper Sydenham

Median resale price of houses each year here and across Lewisham, 1995 to 2026 (HM Land Registry Price Paid Data: standard sales, new builds left out). Years with fewer than 10 sales here are left out. 2026 is the year so far (dashed).

Median resale price of flats each year here and across Lewisham, 1995 to 2026 (HM Land Registry Price Paid Data: standard sales, new builds left out). Years with fewer than 10 sales here are left out. 2026 is the year so far (dashed).

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data, held locally and checked 13 October 2026. Medians each year, not a valuation of any home.

How the area is changing, signal by signal

1 of 20 counted signals point towards rising affluence against Lewisham, 2 the other way and 17 in line. A reading of official statistics against the borough, not a prediction; a full report shows every signal's figures and weight. Where this reading sits among every neighbourhood in England and Wales: the gentrification league table.

Rising against the borough

Recorded crime

Falling behind the borough

Income deprivation ranking
Benefit claims (DWP)

Stations and schools nearby

Nearest station

Forest Hill Railway station, about a 10-minute walk from the neighbourhood's centre (730 m in a straight line). About 21 trains an hour leave between 07:00 and 19:00 on a weekday: London Overground and Southern to Crystal Palace (about 8 min) and West Croydon (about 17 min).

Station locations: NaPTAN (Department for Transport). Trains: Network Rail's timetable for Tuesday 6 October 2026, with the timetabled minutes of direct trains; timetabled, not live running. Distances from the neighbourhood's centre in a straight line, walked at 4.8 km/h; the real route is longer.

Nearest state schools

Nearest state primary school Kelvin Grove Primary School 270 m from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: Good (Jun 2023).
Nearest state secondary school Sydenham School 120 m from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: Report card: Strong standard in 5 areas, Expected standard in 2 (May 2026).

Schools: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (11 October 2026); inspections: Ofsted's management information as at 31 August 2026, in Ofsted's own words. Straight-line distances; not a catchment or admissions assessment.

Questions about Upper Sydenham

What is the typical house price in Upper Sydenham?

£720,000. Median resale price of houses in the neighbourhood, 2023-2025; +25% against 2017-2019.

How does Upper Sydenham compare with the rest of Lewisham?

Typical house price: 14th highest of the 35 neighbourhoods in Lewisham with enough house sales for one. Typical flat price: 17th lowest of the 35 neighbourhoods in Lewisham with enough flat sales for one. Average household income: 10th highest of 37 neighbourhoods in Lewisham.

Is Upper Sydenham an affluent area?

Middle income. How well off the neighbourhood is now, from household income, home prices and deprivation.

Is Upper Sydenham gentrifying?

Moving the other way. Weighted balance -0.11; 1 of 20 signals up, 2 down, against the borough.

What is the nearest station to Upper Sydenham?

Forest Hill. Railway station, about a 10-minute walk from the neighbourhood's centre (730 m in a straight line). About 21 trains an hour leave between 07:00 and 19:00 on a weekday: London Overground and Southern to Crystal Palace (about 8 min) and West Croydon (about 17 min).

Which state schools are nearest to Upper Sydenham?

Nearest state primary school. Kelvin Grove Primary School. 270 m from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: Good (Jun 2023). Nearest state secondary school. Sydenham School. 120 m from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: Report card: Strong standard in 5 areas, Expected standard in 2 (May 2026).

Each answer repeats a figure shown above, with its source there.

Thinking of buying in Upper Sydenham?

A full report covers flood risk, schools, crime, your commute, energy, planning and how the area is changing, for the exact home.

Prepare a full report for a home here See a sample report

Nearby neighbourhoods in Lewisham

Postcode districts

Neighbourhood names: House of Commons Library, MSOA Names, Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains public sector information (MHCLG, Police.uk, Ofsted, Department for Education) licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Station locations from NaPTAN (Department for Transport), Open Government Licence v3.0. Trains: contains information of Network Rail Infrastructure Limited licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures describe the area, not any home, and are not a valuation or a prediction.