Town Pop. 458

Living in Barkway: Liveability Score 36/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Barkway is 36/100, built from 9 categories. Broadband falls furthest short: 16/100 where the typical UK town reaches 60/100. Barkway places 12th of 19 in the SG8 postcode district.

The SG8 district averages 47/100, putting Barkway 11 points below its own postcode area. That is 14 points below the national benchmark of 50, the bottom quarter of all UK towns and villages. Also scoring 80 or better: safety (89). Wider context for the surrounding area: SG8 postcode district.

36
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.

Barkway scores 36 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Barkway.
Or compare:
SG8 0AA SG8 1BQ SG8 5AA SG8 6AA SG8 7AA SG8 8AA SG8 9AA SG8

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
89
294.8 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 35 crimes
↑ 129% above national average
Burglary 27 crimes
↑ 1586% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 25 crimes
↑ 259% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 15 crimes
↑ 382% above national average
Other theft 13 crimes
↑ 358% above national average
other 20 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 London Road 12 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 11 crimes
  3. 3 Pedlars Lane 9 crimes

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

Environment
62
Air Quality NO₂ 5.2 · PM2.5 6.7 · PM10 11.9 µg/m³
73
Green Space 38
Parks Adequate 4
Sports Pitches Adequate 2
Allotments None
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Adequate 4
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
13
1 school in area · 4 within 4km
1Good
  • Barkway VA Church of England First SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good

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

Healthcare
3
A&E departmentsLister Hospital10.8 mi
Cambridge Biomedical Campus12.7 mi
Urgent Care Cambridge15.5 mi
Hospital waitsRoyal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust2.3 mi
Routine referral (median)7 wks
Treated within 18 weeks78.1%
Nearest GP surgeryBuntingford Medical Centre3.8 mi
GP capacity1,699 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

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
16
Full fibre (FTTP)69.8%
available across North Hertfordshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
21.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
21.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 28 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
77
Employment rate59.5%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed59.5%Unemployed1.8%Retired26.5%Student3.5%Other inactive8.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial48.2%Skilled & technical36.2%Routine & elementary15.6%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications12.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.1%Level 3 (A levels)16.6%Level 4+ (degree & above)42.1%Apprenticeship4.7%Other (incl. vocational)1.7%
Home ownership71.4%
Among the least-deprived 39% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
47
Council tax North Hertfordshire · 2026-27
A £1,633
B £1,905
C £2,177
D £2,449
E £2,993
F £3,537
G £4,082
H £4,898
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Affinity Water
Average bill regional £490/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
11
Royston 4 mi
Ashwell & Morden 5.7 mi
Meldreth 6.2 mi
J9 M11 8.4 mi
J10 M11 8.5 mi
J10 M11 8.7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
12
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness Adequate 3

Places like Barkway Pro

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Barkway in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Reed 35 1.5 mi away ⇄
Barley 36 2.1 mi away ⇄
Therfield 34 3.2 mi away ⇄
Great Chishill 33 3.3 mi away ⇄
Great Hormead 36 3.6 mi away ⇄
Royston (North Hertfordshire) 57 3.9 mi away ⇄
Langley (Uttlesford) 44 3.9 mi away ⇄
Buntingford 42 4.0 mi away ⇄
Heydon 33 4.1 mi away ⇄
Chrishall 39 4.5 mi away ⇄
Cottered 32 5.5 mi away ⇄
Elmdon 36 5.5 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Barkway a nice place to live?

Barkway has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Barkway is 36/100, 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 Barkway?

Barkway is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 89/100. There were 135 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Barkway?

Among the top-rated schools in Barkway is Barkway VA Church of England First School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Barkway in total.

Barkway in context

See the best places to live in Hertfordshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Barkway

SG8 47 ⇄

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