Town Pop. 738

Living in Altham: Liveability Score 47/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Altham is 47/100, built from 9 categories. Transport is where Altham most outperforms the national norm: 54/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is broadband: 9/100 versus a median of 60/100.

Among the 8 scored places sharing the BB5 postcode district, Altham ranks 6th. It scores 8 points below the BB5 postcode district as a whole, which averages 55/100. Its transport score runs 13 points below the BB5 district's 67/100. For the surrounding area, see BB5 postcode district.

47
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.

Loading map…

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.

Altham scores 47 but individual postcodes tell the full story

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

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
58
229 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Anti-social behaviour 53 crimes
↑ 372% above national average
Violence and sexual offences 45 crimes
↑ 83% above national average
Vehicle crime 19 crimes
↑ 435% above national average
Burglary 17 crimes
↑ 557% above national average
Other theft 13 crimes
↑ 184% above national average
other 22 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Whinney Hill Road 21 crimes
  2. 2 Burnley Road 17 crimes
  3. 3 Henfield Close 17 crimes

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

Environment
68
Air Quality NO₂ 9 · PM2.5 7.3 · PM10 10.8 µg/m³
70
Green Space 62
Parks Adequate 2
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds None

Services

Schools
44
1 school in area · 23 within 4km
1Good
  • Altham St James Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good

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

Healthcare
40
A&E departmentsBurnley General Hospital4.6 mi
Fairfield Hospital13.3 mi
Royal Preston Hospital14.3 mi
Hospital waitsLancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust1.6 mi
Routine referral (median)6 wks
Treated within 18 weeks94.2%
Nearest GP surgeryPadiham Group Practice1.6 mi
GP capacity2,087 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

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
9
Full fibre (FTTP)94.1%
available across Hyndburn
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
14.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
14.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
86.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 10 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
63
Employment rate71.4%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed71.4%Unemployed2.3%Retired15.1%Student5%Other inactive6.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial41.1%Skilled & technical36.1%Routine & elementary22.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications12.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.9%Level 3 (A levels)23.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)31.7%Apprenticeship7.3%Other (incl. vocational)0.8%
Home ownership83.2%
Among the least-deprived 35% 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
54
Huncoat 1.2 mi
Hapton 1.3 mi
Rose Grove 2.7 mi
J8 M65 0.8 mi
J8 M65 1.1 mi
J9 M65 1.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
28
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness None

Places like Altham Pro

Pick the categories you want to beat. Pro members see the most similar settlements that score higher in all of them.

Find somewhere like Altham, but with a higher score in …

ProSimilar settlements is a Pro featureUpgrade to Pro

House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Altham 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

Simonstone 46 0.6 mi away ⇄
Huncoat 46 1.2 mi away ⇄
Read 51 1.4 mi away ⇄
Padiham 50 1.6 mi away ⇄
Hapton 49 1.7 mi away ⇄
Clayton-le-Moors 55 1.8 mi away ⇄
Great Harwood 54 2.3 mi away ⇄
Accrington 55 2.6 mi away ⇄
Church 60 2.6 mi away ⇄
Sabden 48 3.0 mi away ⇄
Rishton 60 3.2 mi away ⇄
Higham (Pendle) 54 3.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Altham a nice place to live?

Altham has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Altham is 47/100, 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 Altham?

Altham has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 58/100. There were 169 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Altham?

Among the top-rated schools in Altham is Altham St James Church of England Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Altham in total.

Altham in context

See the best places to live in Lancashire, ranked

Postcode districts in Altham

BB5 55 ⇄

Check your exact postcode

Get a personalised score for any UK postcode, tailored to what matters most to you.

Score my postcode