Town Pop. 570

Living in Barley: Liveability Score 36/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Barley comes out at 36/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is economic health: 85/100 against a national town median of 67/100. Broadband falls furthest short: 14/100 where the typical UK town reaches 60/100.

Barley places 12th of 19 in the SG8 postcode district. It scores 11 points below the SG8 postcode district as a whole, which averages 47/100. Its economic health score runs 9 points above the SG8 district's 76/100. 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.

Loading map…

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.

Barley scores 36 but individual postcodes tell the full story

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

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
91
91.2 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 17 crimes
↓ 11% below national average
Burglary 12 crimes
↑ 503% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 7 crimes
↓ 19% below national average
Other theft 4 crimes
↑ 13% above national average
Vehicle crime 4 crimes
↑ 46% above national average
other 8 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Church Lane 7 crimes
  2. 2 London Road 6 crimes
  3. 3 Bankside 4 crimes

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

Environment
62
Air Quality NO₂ 5.203 · PM2.5 6.616 · PM10 11.214 µg/m³
74
Green Space 34
Parks Some 1
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
11
1 school in area · 2 within 4km
1Good
  • Barley (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 departmentsCambridge Biomedical Campus10.6 mi
Lister Hospital12.5 mi
Urgent Care Cambridge13.4 mi
Hospital waitsRoyal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)7 wks
Treated within 18 weeks78.1%
Nearest GP surgeryRoysia Surgery3.4 mi
GP capacity1,807 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
14
Full fibre (FTTP)69.8%
available across North Hertfordshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
24.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
24.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
96.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 33 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
85
Employment rate54.8%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed54.8%Unemployed1.8%Retired30.9%Student3.4%Other inactive9.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial50.4%Skilled & technical34.7%Routine & elementary15%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications13.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14%Level 3 (A levels)15.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)42.7%Apprenticeship4.7%Other (incl. vocational)1.7%
Home ownership77%
Among the least-deprived 32% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
42
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 D
Water Affinity Water
Average bill regional £490/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
10
Royston 3.3 mi
Meldreth 4.6 mi
Shepreth 6 mi
J10 M11 6.4 mi
J10 M11 6.6 mi
J9 M11 6.8 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
10
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness Ample 5

Places like Barley Pro

Pick the categories you want to beat. Pro members see the most similar settlements that score higher in all of them.

Find somewhere like Barley, but with a higher score in …

ProSimilar settlements is a Pro featureUpgrade to Pro

House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Barley 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

Great Chishill 33 1.5 mi away ⇄
Barkway 36 2.1 mi away ⇄
Heydon 33 2.2 mi away ⇄
Reed 35 2.8 mi away ⇄
Chrishall 39 2.9 mi away ⇄
Royston (North Hertfordshire) 57 3.1 mi away ⇄
Langley (Uttlesford) 44 3.6 mi away ⇄
Melbourn 48 3.9 mi away ⇄
Elmdon 36 4.0 mi away ⇄
Therfield 34 4.0 mi away ⇄
Fowlmere 45 4.7 mi away ⇄
Kneesworth 36 4.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Barley a nice place to live?

Barley has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Barley 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 Barley?

Barley is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 91/100. There were 52 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Barley?

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

Barley in context

See the best places to live in Hertfordshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Barley

SG8 47 ⇄

Check your exact postcode

Get a personalised score for any UK postcode, tailored to what matters most to you.

Score my postcode