Town Pop. 591

Living in Ardleigh: Liveability Score 44/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Ardleigh comes out at 44/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, broadband stands out most: 90/100 where the typical UK town scores 60/100. Ardleigh places 11th of 19 in the CO7 postcode district.

On broadband specifically, Ardleigh sits 51 points above the CO7 district figure of 39/100. Also scoring 80 or better: safety (86). Below 30/100: healthcare (9), schools (12), lifestyle (13) and transport (20). The same breakdown for the wider area is on the CO7 postcode district.

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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.

Ardleigh scores 44 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Ardleigh.

Or compare:

CO7 0AA CO7 5AQ CO7 6AA CO7 7AA CO7 8AA CO7 9AA CO7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

274.1 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 68 crimes

↑ 246% above national average

Criminal damage and arson 19 crimes

↑ 372% above national average

Vehicle crime 17 crimes

↑ 500% above national average

Other theft 16 crimes

↑ 337% above national average

Public order 9 crimes

↑ 134% above national average

other 33 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Ernest Fancy Lane 15 crimes
2 Ingram'S Piece 12 crimes
3 Bromley Road 11 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 8.3 · PM2.5 7 · PM10 12.5 µg/m³

Green Space 34

Parks Adequate 2

Sports Pitches None

Allotments None

Golf Courses None

Tennis Courts None

Bowling Greens None

Playgrounds Adequate 3

Services

Schools

1 school in area · 5 within 4km

1Requires Improvement

Ardleigh St Mary's Church of England Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
Requires Improvement

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

Healthcare

A&E departmentsColchester General Hospital3.2 mi

Ipswich Hospital12.7 mi

Broomfield Hospital23.8 mi

Hospital waitsEast Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust2.3 mi

Routine referral (median)12 wks

Treated within 18 weeks60.2%

A&E seen within 4 hrs76.7%

Nearest GP surgeryHighwoods Surgery2.9 mi

GP capacity2,810 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

Full fibre (FTTP)77.2%

available across Tendring

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

94.6%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

94.6%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

100%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 29 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate63.7%

Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+

Economic activity (16+)

Employed63.7%Unemployed2.1%Retired22.1%Student3.1%Other inactive9.1%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial42.3%Skilled & technical38.2%Routine & elementary19.6%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications16.2%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.3%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.4%Level 3 (A levels)18.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)30.8%Apprenticeship5.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.5%

Home ownership80%

Among the least-deprived 35% of areas in England

Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD

Bills

Council tax Tendring · 2026-27

A £1,513

B £1,766

C £2,018

D £2,270

E £2,774

F £3,279

G £3,783

H £4,540

Energy Eastern England region

Typical bill regional £1,641/yr

Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026

Typical home efficiency local EPC band D

Water Anglian Water

Average bill regional £498/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Manningtree 3.3 mi

Hythe (Colchester) 3.4 mi

Colchester Town 4.1 mi

No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars None

Restaurants & Cafes Some 1

Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1

Retail Shopping Some 1

Takeaways Some 1

Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Ardleigh 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.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ardleigh a nice place to live?

Ardleigh has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Ardleigh is 44/100, 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 Ardleigh?

Ardleigh is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 86/100. There were 162 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

Ardleigh in context

See the best places to live in Essex, ranked

Postcode districts in Ardleigh

CO7 46 ⇄

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