Town Pop. 27,136

Living in Atherton: Liveability Score 66/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Atherton scores 66/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 79/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 31/100 against a town median of 88/100.

Among the 9 scored places sharing the BL5 postcode district, Atherton ranks 2nd. It scores 6 points above the BL5 postcode district as a whole, which averages 60/100. Its healthcare score runs 13 points above the BL5 district's 66/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: BL5 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.

Atherton scores 66 but individual postcodes tell the full story

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

Or compare:

BL5 1AA BL5 2AA BL5 3AA BL5 M29 M46 WN7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

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

Air Quality NO₂ 10.1 · PM2.5 6.8 · PM10 10.9 µg/m³

Green Space 81

Parks Ample 21

Sports Pitches Ample 11

Allotments Adequate 3

Golf Courses Some 1

Tennis Courts None

Bowling Greens Ample 5

Playgrounds Ample 20

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 20 in area · 45 within 4km

1Outstanding17Good2Ungraded

Rowan Tree Primary SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Atherton High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
Good
Atherton St George's CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Chowbent Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
Good
Fred Longworth High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
Good
Heathfield Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Leigh St John's CofE PrimaryPrimary · inspected 2025
Good
Meadowbank Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Parklee Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
Good
Sacred Heart RC Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
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 departmentsWarrington Hospital8.9 mi

Fairfield Hospital9.3 mi

North Manchester General Hospital9.7 mi

Hospital waitsMersey And West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust1.6 mi

Routine referral (median)10 wks

Treated within 18 weeks66.3%

A&E seen within 4 hrs74.6%

4 GP surgeries in area 19 within 4km best 'Outstanding'

GP capacity1,749 patients per GP

2dentists4pharmacies

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)85.1%

available across Wigan

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

96%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

96%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

100%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 625 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate56.9%

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

Economic activity (16+)

Employed56.9%Unemployed3.4%Retired23.4%Student3.3%Other inactive13%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial31.8%Skilled & technical35.1%Routine & elementary33.2%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications21.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.4%Level 3 (A levels)17.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)24.3%Apprenticeship7.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.7%

Home ownership64%

Among the most-deprived 39% of areas in England

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

Bills

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

Hag Fold 0.4 mi

Atherton 0.5 mi

Daisy Hill 1.3 mi

J5 M61 1.8 mi

J4 M61 1.9 mi

J5 M61 2.1 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 24

Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 8

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 12

Retail Shopping Ample 50

Takeaways Adequate 10

Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£195,000	185
Detached	£350,000	35
Semi-detached	£212,500	82
Terraced	£169,000	50
Flat / Maisonette	£122,500	18

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Atherton a nice place to live?

Yes, Atherton is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Atherton is 66/100, 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 Atherton?

Atherton 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 Atherton?

Among the top-rated schools in Atherton are Rowan Tree Primary School, Atherton High School and Atherton St George's CofE Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 20 rated schools in Atherton in total.

What are house prices like in Atherton?

The current median house price in Atherton is £195,000, around 32% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £350,000, semi-detached £212,500, terraced £169,000, flat £122,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 26%. There were 185 sales recorded in the past 12 months.