Town Pop. 767

Living in Alston: Liveability Score 34/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Alston scores 34/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Measured against other towns, environment stands out most: 83/100 where the typical UK town scores 64/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 65/100 against a town median of 88/100.

That is 16 points below the national benchmark of 50, the bottom quarter of all UK towns and villages. Transport (4), schools (5), lifestyle (7) and healthcare (14) all fall below 30/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the CA9 postcode district.

34
OUT OF 100
Below Avg
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.

Alston scores 34 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Alston.
Or compare:
CA9 3AA CA9

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
65
186.4 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 74 crimes
↑ 190% above national average
Public order 19 crimes
↑ 282% above national average
Shoplifting 14 crimes
↑ 135% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 10 crimes
↑ 91% above national average
Other theft 6 crimes
↑ 26% above national average
other 20 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Parking Area 27 crimes
  2. 2 Hospital 17 crimes
  3. 3 Church Lane 17 crimes

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

Environment
83
Air Quality NO₂ 1.698 · PM2.5 4.35 · PM10 5.964 µg/m³
85
Green Space 78
Parks Some 1
Sports Pitches Adequate 4
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 3

Services

Schools
5
2 schools in area
1Good1Ungraded
  • Samuel King's SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Alston Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded

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

Healthcare
14
A&E departmentsHexham General Hospital17.2 mi
Cumberland Infirmary21.2 mi
University Hospital of North Durham33.4 mi
Hospital waitsNorth Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust0.1 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.3%
A&E seen within 4 hrs62.6%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Outstanding'
GP capacity553 patients per GP
1dentist1pharmacy

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
47
Full fibre (FTTP)79.2%
available across Westmorland and Furness
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
74.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
74.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 54 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
45
Employment rate54.5%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed54.5%Unemployed2.7%Retired28.3%Student1.9%Other inactive12.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial31.5%Skilled & technical43.7%Routine & elementary24.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.6%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.3%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.7%Level 3 (A levels)19.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)31.1%Apprenticeship6.4%Other (incl. vocational)2%
Home ownership70.9%
Among the most-deprived 37% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
43
Council tax Westmorland and Furness · 2026-27
A £1,672
B £1,951
C £2,229
D £2,508
E £3,065
F £3,623
G £4,180
H £5,016
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
4
Haltwhistle 10.8 mi
Lazonby and Kirkoswald 11.4 mi
Bardon Mill 11.8 mi
J41 M6 16.2 mi
J41 M6 16.5 mi
J40 M6 16.9 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
7
Pubs & Bars Adequate 4
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 4
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 2
Retail Shopping Adequate 14
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Alston in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Allendale Town 38 9.5 mi away ⇄
Haltwhistle 48 11 mi away ⇄
Lazonby 37 11 mi away ⇄
Redburn 42 12 mi away ⇄
Langwathby 28 12 mi away ⇄
Culgaith 41 12 mi away ⇄
Gilsland 41 13 mi away ⇄
Haydon Bridge 49 13 mi away ⇄
Temple Sowerby 47 14 mi away ⇄
Kirkby Thore 44 14 mi away ⇄
Long Marton 36 14 mi away ⇄
Brampton (Carlisle) 45 15 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Alston a nice place to live?

Alston has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Alston is 34/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Alston?

Alston has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 65/100. There were 143 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Alston?

Among the top-rated schools in Alston is Samuel King's School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Alston in total.

Alston in context

See the best places to live in Cumbria, ranked

Postcode districts in Alston

CA9 36 ⇄

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