Town Pop. 14,515

Living in Bacup: Liveability Score 40/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Bacup is 40/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, broadband stands out most: 89/100 where the typical UK town scores 60/100. Safety falls furthest short: 34/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

Bacup places 2nd of 3 in the OL13 postcode district. Its broadband score runs 12 points above the OL13 district's 77/100. That is 10 points below the national benchmark of 50, the middle half of all UK towns and villages. Wider context for the surrounding area: OL13 postcode district.

40
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.

Bacup scores 40 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Bacup.
Or compare:
OL13 0AA OL13 3DA OL13 8AA OL13 9AA OL13

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
34
146.1 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 777 crimes
↑ 61% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 604 crimes
↑ 174% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 187 crimes
↑ 90% above national average
Other theft 122 crimes
↑ 35% above national average
Shoplifting 94 crimes
↓ 17% below national average
other 337 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Hammerton Green 82 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 53 crimes
  3. 3 Crabtree Avenue 46 crimes

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

Environment
70
Air Quality NO₂ 6.2 · PM2.5 6 · PM10 9.4 µg/m³
75
Green Space 59
Parks Ample 8
Sports Pitches Ample 8
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens Ample 5
Playgrounds Ample 11

Services

Schools
48
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 12 in area · 18 within 4km
1Outstanding8Good1Requires Improvement2Inadequate
  • Bacup Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Bacup St Saviour's Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Bacup Thorn Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Britannia Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Northern Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Sharneyford Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, Stacksteads, BacupPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Waterfoot Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • The Valley Leadership AcademySecondary · inspected 2023
    Requires Improvement

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

Healthcare
37
A&E departmentsFairfield Hospital5.8 mi
Burnley General Hospital6.8 mi
The Royal Oldham Hospital9.6 mi
Hospital waitsLancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi
Routine referral (median)6 wks
Treated within 18 weeks94.2%
1 GP surgery in area 3 within 4km best 'Outstanding'
GP capacity1,253 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
89
Full fibre (FTTP)92.8%
available across Rossendale
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
97.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
97.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 489 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
29
Employment rate56.6%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed56.6%Unemployed3.1%Retired21.7%Student4.2%Other inactive14.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial32%Skilled & technical33.9%Routine & elementary34.1%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications20.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.3%Level 3 (A levels)18.7%Level 4+ (degree & above)26.3%Apprenticeship6.5%Other (incl. vocational)2.3%
Home ownership63.9%
Among the most-deprived 27% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
41
Council tax Rossendale · 2026-27
A £1,680
B £1,960
C £2,240
D £2,520
E £3,080
F £3,640
G £4,200
H £5,040
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
6
Walsden 4.1 mi
Todmorden 4.5 mi
Smithy Bridge 5.7 mi
J1 M66 6 mi
J4 A627(M) 6.8 mi
J10 M65 7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
22
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 3
Retail Shopping Adequate 6
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £155,000 108
Detached £310,000 25
Semi-detached £175,000 21
Terraced £135,000 61
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£98k £171k £247k £321k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Weir 39 2.1 mi away ⇄
Whitworth 44 2.7 mi away ⇄
Rawtenstall 49 3.0 mi away ⇄
Cliviger 39 4.3 mi away ⇄
Todmorden 46 4.4 mi away ⇄
Wardle (Rochdale) 51 4.4 mi away ⇄
Edenfield 47 4.5 mi away ⇄
Haslingden 53 5.0 mi away ⇄
Stubbins 48 5.2 mi away ⇄
Summit 46 5.4 mi away ⇄
Rising Bridge 47 5.5 mi away ⇄
Littleborough 50 5.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Bacup a nice place to live?

Bacup has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Bacup is 40/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Bacup?

Bacup has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 34/100. There were 2,121 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Bacup?

Among the top-rated schools in Bacup are Bacup Nursery School, Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School and Bacup St Saviour's Community Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 12 rated schools in Bacup in total.

What are house prices like in Bacup?

The current median house price in Bacup is £155,000, around 46% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £310,000, semi-detached £175,000, terraced £135,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 13%. There were 108 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Bacup in context

See the best places to live in Lancashire, ranked

Postcode districts in Bacup

OL13 39 ⇄

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