Town

Living in Avoch: Liveability Score 38/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Avoch scores 38/100 overall, across 8 scored categories. Broadband is where Avoch most outperforms the national norm: 99/100 against a median of 60/100 across UK towns. The IV9 district averages 32/100, putting Avoch 6 points above its own postcode area.

Its broadband score runs 76 points above the IV9 district's 23/100. That is 12 points below the national benchmark of 50, the bottom quarter of all UK towns and villages. Healthcare (9), lifestyle (10), transport (12) and schools (16) all fall below 30/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: IV9 postcode district.

38
OUT OF 100
Below Avg
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.

Avoch scores 38 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Avoch.
Or compare:
IV9 8AD IV9

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
—

Crime is scored from the last 12 months of police street-level data. Police Scotland does not publish this, and there is no Scottish equivalent of the Police UK open data service, so crime has been left out of the score for this area. This is a gap in published data, not a sign of low crime.

Environment
61
Air Quality NO₂ 1.712 · PM2.5 3.993 · PM10 6.808 µg/m³
85
Green Space 21
Parks None
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Adequate 3

Services

Schools
16
1 school in area · 2 within 4km
1Good
  • Avoch Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2011
    Good

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

Healthcare
9
A&E departmentsCommunity Paramedic Service178.3 mi
Cumberland Infirmary190.1 mi
Hexham General Hospital196.2 mi
Hospital waitsNorthumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust149.1 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks82.8%
A&E seen within 4 hrs91.1%
Nearest GP surgeryFortrose Medical Practice2 mi
GP capacity1,324 patients per GP

A&E, dentist and pharmacy data, and CQC ratings, are currently available for England only, not Scotland.

Broadband
99
Full fibre (FTTP)62.1%
available across Highland
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
99.3%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
99.3%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 35 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
72
Employment rate59.1%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed59.1%Unemployed1.5%Retired28.4%Student2.2%Other inactive8.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial44.7%Skilled & technical33.5%Routine & elementary21.8%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications40.1%
Home ownership70.7%
Among the least-deprived 34% of areas in Scotland
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
71
Council tax Highland · 2025-26
A £1,018
B £1,188
C £1,357
D £1,527
E £2,006
F £2,481
G £2,990
H £3,741
Energy North Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
12
Inverness Airport 5.1 mi
Inverness 6.3 mi
Invergordon 8.4 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
10
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping Some 2
Takeaways Some 3
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Avoch. HM Land Registry's Price Paid dataset covers England and Wales only. Scottish sales are recorded separately by Registers of Scotland, which we don't yet include. This is a gap in the data we hold, not a sign of an inactive market.

Nearby places

Fortrose 47 2.0 mi away ⇄
Rosemarkie 41 2.7 mi away ⇄
Munlochy 43 3.4 mi away ⇄
Ardersier 37 5.1 mi away ⇄
North Kessock 40 5.3 mi away ⇄
Cradlehall 53 6.1 mi away ⇄
Culbokie 46 6.4 mi away ⇄
Croy (Highland) 40 6.5 mi away ⇄
Newlands of Culloden 0 6.9 mi away ⇄
Inverness 66 7.0 mi away ⇄
Invergordon 46 8.8 mi away ⇄
Evanton 32 8.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Avoch a nice place to live?

Avoch has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Avoch is 38/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

What are the best schools in Avoch?

Among the top-rated schools in Avoch is Avoch Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Avoch in total.

Postcode districts in Avoch

IV9 32 ⇄

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