Town

Living in Banff: Liveability Score 46/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Banff scores 46/100 overall, across 8 scored categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 51/100 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.

That is the highest score of the 5 places in the AB45 postcode district. It scores 10 points above the AB45 postcode district as a whole, which averages 36/100. Its healthcare score runs 18 points above the AB45 district's 33/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: AB45 postcode district.

46
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.

Banff scores 46 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Banff.
Or compare:
AB45 1AA AB45 2AA AB45 3AA AB45

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
72
Air Quality NO₂ 2.3 · PM2.5 4 · PM10 7.3 µg/m³
85
Green Space 40
Parks Adequate 4
Sports Pitches Ample 5
Allotments None
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 4

Services

Schools
23
2 schools in area · 4 within 4km
1Good1Requires Improvement
  • Banff Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2017
    Good
  • Banff AcademySecondary · inspected 2013
    Requires Improvement

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

Healthcare
51
A&E departmentsCommunity Paramedic Service164.3 mi
Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital182.4 mi
Hexham General Hospital186.7 mi
Hospital waitsNorthumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust132.3 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks82.8%
A&E seen within 4 hrs91.1%
1 GP surgery in area
GP capacity1,373 patients per GP

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

Broadband
40
Full fibre (FTTP)43.9%
available across Aberdeenshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
68.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
68.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.3%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 140 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
46
Employment rate56.1%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55.9%Unemployed2%Retired28.2%Student1.8%Other inactive12.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial31.4%Skilled & technical34.3%Routine & elementary34.3%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications24.8%
Home ownership63.9%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
71
Council tax Aberdeenshire · 2025-26
A £1,022
B £1,192
C £1,363
D £1,533
E £2,014
F £2,491
G £3,002
H £3,756
Energy North 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
36
Keith 17.6 mi
Huntly 17.7 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
36
Pubs & Bars Adequate 4
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 6
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 6
Retail Shopping Adequate 13
Takeaways Adequate 5
Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Banff. 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

Macduff 40 1.5 mi away ⇄
Whitehills 28 2.0 mi away ⇄
Ladysbridge 36 2.2 mi away ⇄
Boyndie 0 4.1 mi away ⇄
Portsoy 34 6.1 mi away ⇄
Gardenstown 36 7.2 mi away ⇄
Aberchirder 35 7.8 mi away ⇄
Turriff 43 9.0 mi away ⇄
Cullen 36 11 mi away ⇄
Cuminestown 35 11 mi away ⇄
Portknockie 37 12 mi away ⇄
New Pitsligo 39 13 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Banff a nice place to live?

Banff has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Banff is 46/100, 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 Banff?

Among the top-rated schools in Banff is Banff Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Banff in total.

Postcode districts in Banff

AB45 36 ⇄

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