Brighton and Hove
§ This page gives an overview of the Brighton and Hove local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. This is one of 361 LAD profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ Brighton and Hove is a vibrant coastal city on the East Sussex coast, famed for its seafront, Brighton Pier, and Royal Pavilion. The city centre has a lively cultural and arts scene, with The Lanes offering narrow streets of independent shops and cafes. Hove adds elegant Regency terraces and a promenade. The South Downs rise to the north, offering views and countryside walks, while the coastline provides beaches, cliffs, and a busy marina.
Brighton and Hove Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Brighton and Hove local authority district, based on the latest geographic data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It provides a clear view of the district’s extent and helps you understand how the area fits within the wider regional and national landscape.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The administrative boundary of Brighton and Hove can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Brighton and Hove.
Key Facts about Brighton and Hove
What region are Brighton and Hove in? Brighton and Hove are in the South East of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Brighton and Hove in? Brighton and Hove is in the county of East Sussex.
Is Brighton and Hove a city? Yes, Brighton and Hove is a city. Brighton and Hove holds official city status as one of the 76 designated cities in the UK.
Who governs Brighton and Hove? The local government for this district is: Brighton and Hove City Council (Unitary Authority).
▶ Official website of Brighton and Hove City Council 🔗 brighton-hove.gov.uk
Which police force covers Brighton and Hove? Policing in Brighton and Hove is provided by Sussex Police 🔗 sussex.police.uk, which serves 13 local authority districts: Adur ⁞ Arun ⁞ Brighton and Hove ⁞ Chichester ⁞ Crawley ⁞ Eastbourne ⁞ Hastings ⁞ Horsham ⁞ Lewes ⁞ Mid Sussex ⁞ Rother ⁞ Wealden ⁞ Worthing.
Brighton and Hove in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Brighton and Hove is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) South East
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Surrey, East and West Sussex
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Brighton and Hove
The International Territorial Levels are used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes to classify administrative areas. We have this listable page for easy browsing of ITL names and codes: International Territorial Levels.
Constituencies in Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove is divided into 3 parliamentary constituencies, listed below in alphabetical order.
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove is divided into 23 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Brunswick & Adelaide
- Central Hove
- Coldean & Stanmer
- Goldsmid
- Hangleton & Knoll
- Hanover & Elm Grove
- Hollingdean & Fiveways
- Kemptown
- Moulsecoomb & Bevendean
- North Portslade
- Patcham & Hollingbury
- Preston Park
- Queen's Park
- Regency
- Rottingdean & West Saltdean
- Round Hill
- South Portslade
- West Hill & North Laine
- Westbourne & Poets' Corner
- Westdene & Hove Park
- Whitehawk & Marina
- Wish
- Woodingdean
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
Parishes in Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove is part-parished: 1 civil parishes (listed A-Z below) alongside 9 unparished areas.
- Rottingdean
A civil parish is the lowest tier of local government in England, used for villages, small towns, and suburbs. They have their own local authority, either a parish council or a parish meeting, which provides local services like managing parks, allotments, and streetlights, and represents the community's views to larger councils.
We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in Brighton and Hove
Below is a list of post towns in Brighton and Hove, grouped by postcode area:
- BN ▸ Brighton (BN1 / BN2 / BN41 / BN42 / BN45 / BN50 / BN51 / BN88) ⁞ Hove (BN3 / BN52)
The UK postal hierarchy begins with broad postcode areas (such as “CB” or “M”), which are divided into smaller postcode districts (such as “CB8” or “M1”) to support accurate mail routing. Each postal address is anchored by a designated post town, the official locality name used in the UK postcode system, which operates independently from Local Authority Districts —the administrative boundaries used for council tax and local government services. Because they serve different purposes, a property’s postal address and its local authority district do not always align exactly.
Built-up Areas in Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove covers 3 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Brighton and Hove *
- East Saltdean *
- Southwick (Adur) *
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of Brighton and Hove.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove is served by a number of National Rail stations, providing rail connections to nearby towns, cities, and destinations across Great Britain. The railway stations listed below are located within the Brighton and Hove Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Govia Thameslink Railway (Southern) ▸ Brighton (BN1 3XP) ⁞ Hove (BN3 3RU) ⁞ Falmer (BN1 9PU) ⁞ Preston Park (BN1 6SG) ⁞ Portslade (BN3 5SG) ⁞ Moulsecoomb (BN2 4GP) ⁞ London Road (Brighton) (BN1 4QS) ⁞ Aldrington (BN3 5AE)
This is a district-level view only. For a complete list of all National Rail stations across Great Britain, see the UK National Rail Stations Directory.
Brighton and Hove compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Brighton and Hove compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Brighton and Hove has 23 electoral wards.
Brighton and Hove has a population of 283,870 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Brighton and Hove
This chart shows the population trend for Brighton and Hove from 2015 to 2024. It provides a quick overview of whether the local authority is growing, stable, or declining over time, and helps set context for the migration patterns shown below.
Population change is influenced by natural change (births minus deaths) and migration. The net migration chart below focuses on migration, separating internal migration (moves within the UK) from international migration (moves to and from abroad). Positive values indicate net inflows, while negative values indicate net outflows. The rate labels (per 1,000 residents) help compare migration intensity across years, even when the population size changes.
More local statistics and data for Brighton and Hove can be found on the ONS statistics for Brighton and Hove.