Town Pop. 7,936

Living in Alnwick: Liveability Score 50/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Alnwick comes out at 50/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 54/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 35/100 against a town median of 88/100.

That is the highest score of the 7 places in the NE66 postcode district. Against the wider NE66 district average of 42/100, that is 8 points above. Its healthcare score runs 22 points above the NE66 district's 32/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: NE66 postcode district.

50
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.

Alnwick scores 50 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Alnwick.
Or compare:
NE66 1AA NE66 2AA NE66 3AA NE66 4AA NE66 5ND NE66 9EQ NE66 NE70

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
35
138.7 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 465 crimes
↑ 76% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 181 crimes
↑ 50% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 92 crimes
↑ 71% above national average
Public order 86 crimes
↑ 66% above national average
Shoplifting 82 crimes
↑ 32% above national average
other 195 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Stott Street 164 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 72 crimes
  3. 3 A1068 50 crimes

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

Environment
75
Air Quality NO₂ 2.6 · PM2.5 4.7 · PM10 7.9 µg/m³
83
Green Space 59
Parks Ample 6
Sports Pitches Ample 10
Allotments Ample 9
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 8
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 9

Services

Schools
38
5 schools in area
4Good1Requires Improvement
  • Barndale SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Paul's Catholic Primary School, AlnwickPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Swansfield Park Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • The Duchess's Community High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2021
    Requires Improvement
Healthcare
54
A&E departmentsCommunity Paramedic Service10.2 mi
Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital22.6 mi
Royal Victoria Infirmary28.8 mi
Hospital waitsNorthumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust0.4 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks82.8%
A&E seen within 4 hrs91.1%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,468 patients per GP
6dentists2pharmacies

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
82
Full fibre (FTTP)81.6%
available across Northumberland
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.1%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 277 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
54
Employment rate49.2%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed49.2%Unemployed2.8%Retired35.2%Student3.1%Other inactive9.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial38.4%Skilled & technical31.8%Routine & elementary29.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications17.3%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.3%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.8%Level 3 (A levels)15.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)34.1%Apprenticeship6.9%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership59.3%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
35
Council tax Northumberland · 2026-27
A £1,731
B £2,020
C £2,308
D £2,597
E £3,174
F £3,751
G £4,328
H £5,194
Energy North East England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Northumbrian Water
Average bill regional £435/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
34
Alnmouth 2.7 mi
Acklington 7.1 mi
Chathill 9 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
53
Pubs & Bars Ample 15
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 27
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 12
Retail Shopping Ample 138
Takeaways Ample 13
Fitness Ample 9

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £250,000 75
Detached £365,000 21
Semi-detached £215,000 15
Terraced £225,000 25
Flat / Maisonette £141,000 14
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£97k £213k £333k £449k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Shilbottle 37 2.5 mi away ⇄
Hipsburn 37 2.8 mi away ⇄
Lesbury 37 2.9 mi away ⇄
Longhoughton 32 3.7 mi away ⇄
Warkworth 38 5.5 mi away ⇄
Swarland 36 5.9 mi away ⇄
Embleton 41 6.8 mi away ⇄
Acklington 43 7.1 mi away ⇄
Amble 41 7.1 mi away ⇄
Felton (Northumberland) 34 7.5 mi away ⇄
Whittingham 34 7.6 mi away ⇄
Longframlington 39 8.1 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Alnwick a nice place to live?

Alnwick is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Alnwick is 50/100, 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 Alnwick?

Alnwick has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 35/100. There were 1,101 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Alnwick?

Among the top-rated schools in Alnwick are Barndale School, Ncea Harry Hotspur Church of England Primary School and St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Alnwick, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 5 rated schools in Alnwick in total.

What are house prices like in Alnwick?

The current median house price in Alnwick is £250,000, around 12% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £365,000, semi-detached £215,000, terraced £225,000, flat £141,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 33%. There were 75 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Alnwick in context

See where Alnwick ranks among the best places to live in Northumberland

Postcode districts in Alnwick

NE66 42 ⇄
NE70 38 ⇄

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