Town Pop. 7,362

Living in Ashley (New Forest): Liveability Score 53/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Ashley (New Forest) comes out at 53/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, transport stands out most: 46/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. That makes it the 2nd highest-scoring of the 4 places in the BH25 postcode district.

Safety (92) sits at 80/100 or above. On the national picture that lands Ashley (New Forest) in the top quarter of all the places we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: BH25 postcode district.

53
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.

Ashley (New Forest) scores 53 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Ashley (New Forest).
Or compare:
BH25 5AA BH25 6AA BH25 7AA BH25 9DH BH25 SO41

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
92
56.6 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 194 crimes
↓ 21% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 46 crimes
↓ 59% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 44 crimes
↓ 12% below national average
Public order 36 crimes
↓ 25% below national average
Vehicle crime 24 crimes
↓ 31% below national average
other 73 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Molyneux Court 18 crimes
  2. 2 Ashtree Close 18 crimes
  3. 3 Petrol Station 16 crimes

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

Environment
68
Air Quality NO₂ 5.6 · PM2.5 5.5 · PM10 8.4 µg/m³
78
Green Space 44
Parks Ample 14
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments Adequate 2
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Adequate 5

Services

Schools
37
4 schools in area · 9 within 4km
1Outstanding3Good
  • Hordle CofE (VA) Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Ashley Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Ashley Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Tiptoe Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good

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

Healthcare
19
A&E departmentsRoyal Bournemouth Hospital7.4 mi
Hythe Hospital11.3 mi
Royal South Hants Urgent Treatment Centre14 mi
Hospital waitsHampshire And Isle Of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks70%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.3%
Nearest GP surgeryCoastal Medical Partnership1.2 mi
GP capacity1,161 patients per GP
0dentists2pharmacies

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
60
Full fibre (FTTP)71.8%
available across New Forest
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
83.3%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
83.3%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 174 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
60
Employment rate49.9%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed49.9%Unemployed2.1%Retired36.7%Student2.5%Other inactive8.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial36%Skilled & technical38.2%Routine & elementary25.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications17.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.4%Level 3 (A levels)16.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)27.5%Apprenticeship8.5%Other (incl. vocational)2.9%
Home ownership79.3%
Among the least-deprived 33% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
47
Council tax New Forest · 2026-27
A £1,613
B £1,882
C £2,151
D £2,420
E £2,958
F £3,496
G £4,033
H £4,840
Energy South 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 Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
46
New Milton 1 mi
Sway 2.1 mi
Hinton Admiral 3.4 mi
J1 M27 11.1 mi
J1 M27 11.5 mi
J2 M27 13.5 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
38
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 4
Retail Shopping Some 3
Takeaways Adequate 5
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £383,750 52
Detached £451,100 26
Semi-detached £367,500 10
Terraced £256,000 14
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£250k £360k £473k £583k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

New Milton 52 1.1 mi away ⇄
Hordle 52 1.2 mi away ⇄
Bashley 53 1.2 mi away ⇄
Tiptoe 53 1.2 mi away ⇄
Wootton (New Forest) 0 1.6 mi away ⇄
Barton on Sea 54 1.8 mi away ⇄
Sway 51 2.2 mi away ⇄
Everton (New Forest) 43 2.2 mi away ⇄
Mount Pleasant 56 2.6 mi away ⇄
Milford on Sea 47 2.7 mi away ⇄
Lymington 60 3.8 mi away ⇄
Keyhaven 42 3.9 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Ashley (New Forest) a nice place to live?

Ashley (New Forest) is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Ashley (New Forest) is 53/100, 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 Ashley (New Forest)?

Ashley (New Forest) is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 92/100. There were 417 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Ashley (New Forest)?

Among the top-rated schools in Ashley (New Forest) are Hordle CofE (VA) Primary School, Ashley Infant School and Ashley Junior School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 4 rated schools in Ashley (New Forest) in total.

What are house prices like in Ashley (New Forest)?

The current median house price in Ashley (New Forest) is £383,750, around 35% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £451,100, semi-detached £367,500, terraced £256,000. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 12%. There were 52 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Ashley (New Forest) in context

See the best places to live in Hampshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Ashley (New Forest)

BH25 52 ⇄
SO41 55 ⇄

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