Town Pop. 31,351

Living in Accrington: Liveability Score 55/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Accrington is 55/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 72/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 18/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Accrington places 4th of 8 in the BB5 postcode district. That puts Accrington in the top quarter of the UK towns and villages we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: BB5 postcode district.

55
OUT OF 100
Average
Score for:

Settlement area

The built-up area boundary and the postcodes its score is averaged from, each shaded by its own score. Clustered pins are other settlements. Tap one to view or compare it, or zoom in to reveal more.

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Each postcode is coloured by its own overall score on the default weighting. Scores are filled in as postcodes get searched on the site, so a blue dot just means that postcode hasn't been scored yet.

Accrington scores 55 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Accrington.
Or compare:
BB5 0AA BB5 1AA BB5 2AB BB5 3AA BB5 4AA BB5 5AA BB5 6AD BB5 9FZ BB5

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
18
204.9 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 2,247 crimes
↑ 115% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 1,754 crimes
↑ 268% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 423 crimes
↑ 99% above national average
Vehicle crime 415 crimes
↑ 175% above national average
Public order 320 crimes
↑ 57% above national average
other 1,264 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Parking Area 253 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 248 crimes
  3. 3 Petrol Station 176 crimes

Source: data.police.uk · England & Wales only

Environment
76
Air Quality NO₂ 8.6 · PM2.5 6.6 · PM10 10.3 µg/m³
72
Green Space 83
Parks Ample 20
Sports Pitches Ample 32
Allotments Ample 9
Golf Courses Ample 3
Tennis Courts Adequate 4
Bowling Greens Ample 8
Playgrounds Ample 11

Services

Schools
69
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 29 in area · 35 within 4km
20Good1Requires Improvement2Inadequate6Ungraded
  • Accrington Huncoat Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Accrington Hyndburn Park Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Accrington St John with St Augustine Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Accrington St Mary Magdalen's Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Accrington Woodnook Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Baxenden St John's Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Fairfield Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Green Haworth Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Lee Royd Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2024
    Good

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
72
A&E departmentsBurnley General Hospital5.2 mi
Fairfield Hospital9.4 mi
Royal Preston Hospital13.3 mi
Hospital waitsLancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)6 wks
Treated within 18 weeks94.2%
5 GP surgeries in area 8 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,332 patients per GP
8dentists11pharmacies

Score reflects proximity to CQC-rated GP surgeries and hospitals, not facility count. Dentists and pharmacies are shown for context but don't affect the score.

Broadband
67
Full fibre (FTTP)94.1%
available across Hyndburn
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
94.1%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
94.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 681 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
26
Employment rate54.1%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed54.1%Unemployed3.7%Retired19.6%Student5.2%Other inactive17.4%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial28.4%Skilled & technical33.9%Routine & elementary37.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications23.6%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.8%Level 3 (A levels)17.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)24.1%Apprenticeship6.7%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership59.4%
Among the most-deprived 24% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
47
Council tax Hyndburn · 2026-27
A £1,644
B £1,918
C £2,192
D £2,466
E £3,014
F £3,562
G £4,110
H £4,932
Energy North West England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water United Utilities
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
70
Accrington 0.3 mi
Church and Oswaldtwistle 1.2 mi
Huncoat 1.5 mi
J7 M65 1.5 mi
J7 M65 1.7 mi
J8 M65 2.2 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
43
Pubs & Bars Ample 12
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 6
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 10
Retail Shopping Ample 29
Takeaways Adequate 6
Fitness Adequate 2

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House Prices

Current median sale prices · last 12 months · England & Wales only

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £133,000 189
Detached £295,000 29
Semi-detached £190,000 43
Terraced £110,000 116
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£82k £148k £215k £281k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data (OGL v3.0)

Nearby places

Church 60 1.0 mi away ⇄
Huncoat 46 1.5 mi away ⇄
Oswaldtwistle 58 1.7 mi away ⇄
Clayton-le-Moors 55 1.8 mi away ⇄
Rising Bridge 47 2.4 mi away ⇄
Rishton 60 2.5 mi away ⇄
Altham 47 2.6 mi away ⇄
Great Harwood 54 2.9 mi away ⇄
Hapton 49 2.9 mi away ⇄
Simonstone 46 3.2 mi away ⇄
Padiham 50 3.8 mi away ⇄
Read 51 3.9 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Accrington a nice place to live?

Accrington is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Accrington is 55/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Accrington?

Crime levels in Accrington are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 18/100. There were 6,423 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Accrington?

Among the top-rated schools in Accrington are Accrington Huncoat Primary School, Accrington Hyndburn Park Primary School and Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 29 rated schools in Accrington in total.

What are house prices like in Accrington?

The current median house price in Accrington is £133,000, around 53% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £295,000, semi-detached £190,000, terraced £110,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 17%. There were 189 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Accrington in context

See where Accrington ranks among the best places to live in Lancashire

Postcode districts in Accrington

BB5 55 ⇄

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