Town

Living in Ayr: Liveability Score 60/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Ayr comes out at 60/100 on the 8 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 74/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is economic health, at 46/100 against a town median of 67/100.

No other settlement in the KA6 postcode district scores higher. Ayr leads all 9. Notably, nothing falls below 46/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. It scores 25 points above the KA6 postcode district as a whole, which averages 35/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: KA6 postcode district.

60
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.

Ayr scores 60 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Ayr.
Or compare:
KA6 5AA KA6 6AA KA6 7AA KA6 KA7 KA8

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
67
Air Quality NO₂ 3.8 · PM2.5 4.3 · PM10 7.1 µg/m³
83
Green Space 30
Parks Ample 25
Sports Pitches Ample 40
Allotments None
Golf Courses Ample 5
Tennis Courts Ample 16
Bowling Greens Ample 16
Playgrounds Ample 58

Services

Schools
55
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 16 in area
5Outstanding10Good1Requires Improvement
  • Alloway Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Forehill Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2020
    Outstanding
  • Kyle AcademySecondary · inspected 2013
    Outstanding
  • Southcraig CampusOther · inspected 2011
    Outstanding
  • St John's Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2018
    Outstanding
  • Ayr AcademySecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Belmont AcademySecondary · inspected 2019
    Good
  • Dalmilling Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Grammar Primary SchoolSecondary · inspected 2013
    Good
  • Heathfield Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2010
    Good
Healthcare
74
A&E departmentsCumberland Infirmary73.5 mi
Hexham General Hospital102.8 mi
Community Paramedic Service104.8 mi
Hospital waitsNorth Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust62.5 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.3%
A&E seen within 4 hrs62.6%
9 GP surgeries in area
GP capacity1,513 patients per GP

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

Broadband
72
Full fibre (FTTP)68.6%
available across South Ayrshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
90.1%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
90.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.5%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,285 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
46
Employment rate51.5%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed51.4%Unemployed2.9%Retired30.7%Student3.3%Other inactive11.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial39.2%Skilled & technical31.9%Routine & elementary28.9%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications31.2%
Home ownership66.4%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
71
Council tax South Ayrshire · 2025-26
A £1,046
B £1,220
C £1,395
D £1,569
E £2,061
F £2,550
G £3,073
H £3,844
Energy South Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
50
Ayr 0.4 mi
Newton-on-Ayr 1.5 mi
Prestwick Town 3.4 mi
J8 M77 15.2 mi
J8 M77 15.3 mi
J7 M77 16.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
60
Pubs & Bars Ample 40
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 66
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 45
Retail Shopping Ample 336
Takeaways Ample 53
Fitness Ample 13

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Ayr. 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

Prestwick 59 3.5 mi away ⇄
Dalrymple 28 4.0 mi away ⇄
Coylton 28 4.2 mi away ⇄
Annbank 43 4.2 mi away ⇄
Monkton (South Ayrshire) 47 4.6 mi away ⇄
Mossblown 42 4.7 mi away ⇄
Drongan 36 6.4 mi away ⇄
Tarbolton 34 6.8 mi away ⇄
Troon (South Ayrshire) 49 6.8 mi away ⇄
Loans 47 6.9 mi away ⇄
Symington (South Ayrshire) 28 7.2 mi away ⇄
Maybole 45 7.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Ayr a nice place to live?

Ayr is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Ayr is 60/100, placing it among an 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 Ayr?

Among the top-rated schools in Ayr are Alloway Primary School, Forehill Primary School and Kyle Academy, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 16 rated schools in Ayr in total.

Postcode districts in Ayr

KA6 35 ⇄
KA7 60 ⇄
KA8 60 ⇄

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