Town Pop. 10,127

Living in Barnoldswick: Liveability Score 59/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Barnoldswick is 59/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 67/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is economic health: 48/100 versus a median of 67/100.

That is the highest score of the 3 places in the BB18 postcode district. Against the wider BB18 district average of 53/100, that is 6 points above. Its healthcare score runs 13 points above the BB18 district's 54/100. For the surrounding area, see BB18 postcode district.

59
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.

Barnoldswick scores 59 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Barnoldswick.
Or compare:
BB18 5AA BB18 6AA BB18 9AN BB18

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
72
68.6 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 241 crimes
↓ 29% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 213 crimes
↑ 38% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 71 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 42 crimes
↓ 34% below national average
Public order 37 crimes
↓ 43% below national average
other 91 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Station Road 49 crimes
  2. 2 Railway Street 24 crimes
  3. 3 Ellis Street 21 crimes

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

Environment
62
Air Quality NO₂ 5.7 · PM2.5 5.6 · PM10 8.2 µg/m³
78
Green Space 26
Parks Ample 16
Sports Pitches Ample 11
Allotments Ample 8
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 7

Services

Schools
50
6 schools in area · 9 within 4km
5Good1Requires Improvement
  • Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Coates Lane Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Gisburn Road Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Salterforth Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • St Joseph's Catholic primary School, a Voluntary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • West Craven High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Requires Improvement

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

Healthcare
67
A&E departmentsBurnley General Hospital6.8 mi
Airedale General Hospital8.6 mi
Bradford Royal Infirmary17 mi
Hospital waitsEast Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust0.1 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks70%
A&E seen within 4 hrs81.3%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,482 patients per GP
4dentists2pharmacies

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
96
Full fibre (FTTP)91.5%
available across Pendle
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
98.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
98.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 304 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
48
Employment rate58%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed58%Unemployed2.4%Retired26.2%Student3.1%Other inactive10.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial30.9%Skilled & technical33.2%Routine & elementary35.9%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications20.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.6%Level 3 (A levels)19.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)24.5%Apprenticeship7.8%Other (incl. vocational)2.9%
Home ownership69.9%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
33
Council tax Pendle · 2026-27
A £1,760
B £2,053
C £2,347
D £2,640
E £3,227
F £3,813
G £4,400
H £5,280
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
34
Colne 4.4 mi
Gargrave 5.3 mi
Nelson 5.9 mi
J14 M65 4.4 mi
J13 M65 5.1 mi
J13 M65 5.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
53
Pubs & Bars Adequate 8
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 8
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 6
Retail Shopping Ample 77
Takeaways Ample 15
Fitness Adequate 2

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £150,000 91
Semi-detached £206,625 16
Terraced £147,000 65
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£126k £213k £304k £392k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Earby 48 1.8 mi away ⇄
Sough 53 1.9 mi away ⇄
Thornton-in-Craven 38 1.9 mi away ⇄
Foulridge 52 3.0 mi away ⇄
Gisburn 35 3.4 mi away ⇄
Colne 51 4.3 mi away ⇄
Barrowford 60 4.8 mi away ⇄
Trawden 55 5.4 mi away ⇄
Gargrave 36 5.6 mi away ⇄
Nelson (Pendle) 61 5.7 mi away ⇄
Carleton-in-Craven 44 6.0 mi away ⇄
Hellifield 46 6.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Barnoldswick a nice place to live?

Barnoldswick is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Barnoldswick is 59/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Barnoldswick?

Barnoldswick has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 72/100. There were 695 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Barnoldswick?

Among the top-rated schools in Barnoldswick are Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary School, Coates Lane Primary School and Gisburn Road Community Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 6 rated schools in Barnoldswick in total.

What are house prices like in Barnoldswick?

The current median house price in Barnoldswick is £150,000, around 47% below the England and Wales average. By property type: semi-detached £206,625, terraced £147,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 14%. There were 91 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Barnoldswick in context

See where Barnoldswick ranks among the best places to live in Lancashire

Postcode districts in Barnoldswick

BB18 53 ⇄

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