Town Pop. 45,924

Living in Ashton-under-Lyne: Liveability Score 65/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Ashton-under-Lyne scores 65/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is transport: 89/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Safety falls furthest short: 27/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

That places it last of the 6 scored places in the M34 postcode district. That is 15 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Healthcare (85), lifestyle (84) and schools (82) sit at 80/100 or above. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the M34 postcode district.

OUT OF 100

Good

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-under-Lyne scores 65 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Ashton-under-Lyne.

Or compare:

M34 0AR M34 2AA M34 3AA M34 5AA M34 6AA M34 7AB M34 OL6 OL7 SK15

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

99.3 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 Tameside. 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

Air Quality NO₂ 14.1 · PM2.5 7.8 · PM10 11.8 µg/m³

Green Space 92

Parks Ample 43

Sports Pitches Ample 41

Allotments Some 1

Golf Courses Ample 4

Tennis Courts Ample 9

Bowling Greens Ample 10

Playgrounds Ample 9

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 31 in area · 69 within 4km

2Outstanding24Good2Requires Improvement3Ungraded

Laurus RyecroftSecondary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
St Damian's RC Science CollegeSecondary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Aldwyn Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Arlies Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Ashton West End Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Audenshaw SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
Good
Canon Burrows CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Canon Johnson CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Holden Clough Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Holy Trinity CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good

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

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

Healthcare

A&E departmentsThe Royal Oldham Hospital3 mi

Manchester University Hospitals (central site)4.3 mi

Manchester Royal Infirmary4.3 mi

Hospital waitsTameside And Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi

Routine referral (median)8 wks

Treated within 18 weeks76.7%

A&E seen within 4 hrs67.2%

8 GP surgeries in area 22 within 4km best 'Good'

GP capacity1,855 patients per GP

8dentists12pharmacies

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)91%

available across Tameside

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

96.9%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

96.9%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

99.5%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,129 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate53.9%

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

Economic activity (16+)

Employed53.9%Unemployed3.9%Retired19.8%Student4.8%Other inactive17.6%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial28.1%Skilled & technical34.2%Routine & elementary37.7%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications24.6%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.6%Level 3 (A levels)16%Level 4+ (degree & above)23.1%Apprenticeship6.5%Other (incl. vocational)3.2%

Home ownership53.4%

Among the most-deprived 23% of areas in England

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

Bills

Council tax Tameside · 2026-27

A £1,631

B £1,903

C £2,175

D £2,447

E £2,991

F £3,535

G £4,078

H £4,894

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

Ashton-under-Lyne 0.2 mi

Stalybridge 1.4 mi

Guide Bridge 1.6 mi

J23 M60 1.1 mi

J23 M60 1.9 mi

J22 M60 2.5 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 22

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 25

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 17

Retail Shopping Ample 48

Takeaways Ample 18

Fitness Ample 8

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£199,000	207
Detached	£320,000	22
Semi-detached	£230,000	73
Terraced	£165,000	101
Flat / Maisonette	£110,000	11

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Ashton-under-Lyne a nice place to live?

Yes, Ashton-under-Lyne is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Ashton-under-Lyne is 65/100, placing it among one of the better-scoring areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Ashton-under-Lyne?

Crime levels in Ashton-under-Lyne are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 27/100. There were 22,851 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Ashton-under-Lyne?

Among the top-rated schools in Ashton-under-Lyne are Laurus Ryecroft and St Damian's RC Science College, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 31 rated schools in Ashton-under-Lyne in total.

What are house prices like in Ashton-under-Lyne?

The current median house price in Ashton-under-Lyne is £199,000, around 30% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £320,000, semi-detached £230,000, terraced £165,000, flat £110,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 22%. There were 207 sales recorded in the past 12 months.