Town Pop. 26,198

Living in Ashton-in-Makerfield: Liveability Score 59/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Ashton-in-Makerfield scores 59/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Measured against other towns, transport stands out most: 66/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 31/100 versus a median of 88/100.

That makes it the 2nd highest-scoring of the 3 places in the WA12 postcode district. On transport specifically, Ashton-in-Makerfield sits 8 points below the WA12 district figure of 74/100. That sits 9 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 10% of the towns and villages we score. For the surrounding area, see WA12 postcode district.

59
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.

Ashton-in-Makerfield scores 59 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Ashton-in-Makerfield.
Or compare:
WA12 0AA WA12 2AE WA12 8AA WA12 9AA WA12 WN4

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
31
95.3 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents · year ending Dec 2025

The police force covering this area doesn't publish street-level crime data, so this is a district-level estimate based on Home Office recorded-crime totals for Wigan. It's a different source from the rest of the map and can't be broken down by location or crime type.

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

Environment
59
Air Quality NO₂ 11.3 · PM2.5 6.9 · PM10 12 µg/m³
68
Green Space 36
Parks Ample 22
Sports Pitches Ample 18
Allotments Adequate 3
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens Ample 9
Playgrounds Ample 9

Services

Schools
63
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 13 in area · 29 within 4km
2Outstanding10Good1Requires Improvement
  • Garswood Primary and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Nicol Mere SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Bryn St Peter's CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Cansfield High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Landgate School, BrynSpecial · inspected 2025
    Good
  • R L Hughes Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-MakerfieldSecondary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • St Oswald's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Thomas CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St Wilfrids Catholic 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
61
A&E departmentsWarrington Hospital5.9 mi
Children's A&E9.3 mi
Aintree University Hospital10.6 mi
Hospital waitsMersey And West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust1.8 mi
Routine referral (median)10 wks
Treated within 18 weeks66.3%
A&E seen within 4 hrs74.6%
3 GP surgeries in area 12 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity3,607 patients per GP
2dentists3pharmacies

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
96
Full fibre (FTTP)85.1%
available across Wigan
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
98.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
98.9%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 519 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
51
Employment rate55.6%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55.6%Unemployed2.6%Retired28.1%Student3.4%Other inactive10.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial34%Skilled & technical33.6%Routine & elementary32.4%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications19.6%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.7%Level 3 (A levels)18.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)26.3%Apprenticeship7.7%Other (incl. vocational)2.7%
Home ownership75.3%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
66
Council tax Wigan · 2026-27
A £1,435
B £1,675
C £1,914
D £2,153
E £2,631
F £3,110
G £3,588
H £4,306
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
66
Bryn 0.5 mi
Garswood 1.2 mi
Pemberton 2.8 mi
J24 M6 0.5 mi
J25 M6 0.9 mi
J23 M6 1.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
54
Pubs & Bars Ample 17
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 17
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 19
Retail Shopping Ample 175
Takeaways Ample 32
Fitness Ample 5

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £200,000 162
Detached £322,500 30
Semi-detached £198,000 100
Terraced £160,000 29
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£126k £202k £281k £357k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Land Gate 59 1.2 mi away ⇄
Bamfurlong (Wigan) 57 1.8 mi away ⇄
Haydock 57 1.8 mi away ⇄
Platt Bridge and Abram 57 2.5 mi away ⇄
Billinge 60 2.8 mi away ⇄
Newton-le-Willows 61 2.8 mi away ⇄
Golborne 59 3.0 mi away ⇄
Wigan 65 3.4 mi away ⇄
Bickershaw 56 3.6 mi away ⇄
Ince-in-Makerfield 65 3.6 mi away ⇄
Orrell 55 4.1 mi away ⇄
Burtonwood 53 4.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Ashton-in-Makerfield a nice place to live?

Ashton-in-Makerfield is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Ashton-in-Makerfield is 59/100, 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 Ashton-in-Makerfield?

Ashton-in-Makerfield has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 31/100. There were 31,818 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield?

Among the top-rated schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield are Garswood Primary and Nursery School and Nicol Mere School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 13 rated schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield in total.

What are house prices like in Ashton-in-Makerfield?

The current median house price in Ashton-in-Makerfield is £200,000, around 30% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £322,500, semi-detached £198,000, terraced £160,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 15%. There were 162 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Ashton-in-Makerfield in context

See the best places to live in Greater Manchester, ranked

Postcode districts in Ashton-in-Makerfield

WA12 59 ⇄
WN4 59 ⇄

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