Town Pop. 51,853

Living in Barrow-in-Furness: Liveability Score 61/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Barrow-in-Furness comes out at 61/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 74/100 against a national town median of 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 31/100 versus a median of 88/100.

No other settlement in the LA13 postcode district scores higher. Barrow-in-Furness leads all 3. On healthcare specifically, Barrow-in-Furness sits 10 points above the LA13 district figure of 64/100. That sits 11 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 10% of the towns and villages we score. For the surrounding area, see LA13 postcode district.

61
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.

Barrow-in-Furness scores 61 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Barrow-in-Furness.
Or compare:
LA13 0AA LA13 9AA LA13 LA14 LA15

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
31
114.7 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 2,780 crimes
↑ 61% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 611 crimes
↑ 74% above national average
Public order 604 crimes
↑ 78% above national average
Shoplifting 455 crimes
↑ 13% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 437 crimes
↓ 45% below national average
other 1,062 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Parking Area 356 crimes
  2. 2 Shopping Area 285 crimes
  3. 3 Supermarket 171 crimes

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

Environment
71
Air Quality NO₂ 4.3 · PM2.5 4.8 · PM10 7.3 µg/m³
81
Green Space 49
Parks Ample 21
Sports Pitches Ample 27
Allotments Ample 15
Golf Courses Ample 3
Tennis Courts Ample 9
Bowling Greens Ample 18
Playgrounds Ample 28

Services

Schools
73
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 30 in area · 31 within 4km
2Outstanding21Good7Ungraded
  • Hindpool Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Victoria AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Barrow Island Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Brisbane Park Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Cambridge Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Chetwynde SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Dane Ghyll Community Primary School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Furness AcademySecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Greengate Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

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

Healthcare
74
A&E departmentsRoyal Lancaster Infirmary15.6 mi
Blackpool Victoria Hospital19.8 mi
Royal Preston Hospital28.3 mi
Hospital waitsNorth Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust0.1 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.3%
A&E seen within 4 hrs62.6%
8 GP surgeries in area best 'Outstanding'
GP capacity2,055 patients per GP
7dentists11pharmacies

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
85
Full fibre (FTTP)79.2%
available across Westmorland and Furness
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
94.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
94.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,418 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
45
Employment rate55.2%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55.2%Unemployed2.7%Retired26.4%Student2.5%Other inactive13.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial33.1%Skilled & technical30.3%Routine & elementary36.6%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications18.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13%Level 3 (A levels)20.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)24.7%Apprenticeship11.1%Other (incl. vocational)2.3%
Home ownership70.5%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
43
Council tax Westmorland and Furness · 2026-27
A £1,672
B £1,951
C £2,229
D £2,508
E £3,065
F £3,623
G £4,180
H £5,016
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
69
Barrow-in-Furness 0.2 mi
Roose 1.1 mi
Dalton 3.1 mi
J34 M6 18.6 mi
J34 M6 18.8 mi
J35 M6 19 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
54
Pubs & Bars Ample 28
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 33
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 31
Retail Shopping Ample 180
Takeaways Ample 34
Fitness Ample 7

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £162,750 420
Detached £319,000 46
Semi-detached £215,500 136
Terraced £125,500 232
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£57k £156k £258k £358k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Dalton-in-Furness 59 3.1 mi away ⇄
Rampside 46 3.2 mi away ⇄
Askam in Furness 51 4.9 mi away ⇄
Lindal in Furness 48 4.9 mi away ⇄
Great Urswick 47 5.1 mi away ⇄
Swarthmoor 60 6.2 mi away ⇄
Haverigg 45 6.4 mi away ⇄
Millom 54 6.6 mi away ⇄
Ulverston 61 7.5 mi away ⇄
Kirkby-in-Furness 47 8.0 mi away ⇄
Penny Bridge and Greenodd 46 11 mi away ⇄
Flookburgh 51 11 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Barrow-in-Furness a nice place to live?

Barrow-in-Furness is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Barrow-in-Furness is 61/100, 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 Barrow-in-Furness?

Barrow-in-Furness has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 31/100. There were 5,949 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Barrow-in-Furness?

Among the top-rated schools in Barrow-in-Furness are Hindpool Nursery School and Victoria Academy, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 30 rated schools in Barrow-in-Furness in total.

What are house prices like in Barrow-in-Furness?

The current median house price in Barrow-in-Furness is £162,750, around 43% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £319,000, semi-detached £215,500, terraced £125,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 23%. There were 420 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Barrow-in-Furness in context

See where Barrow-in-Furness ranks among the best places to live in Cumbria

Postcode districts in Barrow-in-Furness

LA13 65 ⇄
LA14 59 ⇄
LA15 53 ⇄

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