Town Pop. 4,540

Living in Bearwood: Liveability Score 63/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Bearwood is 63/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is transport: 69/100 against a national town median of 21/100. That places it last of the 3 scored places in the BH11 postcode district.

No category drops below 43/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. Its transport score runs 9 points below the BH11 district's 78/100. That is 13 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. For the surrounding area, see BH11 postcode district.

63
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.

Bearwood scores 63 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Bearwood.
Or compare:
BH11 0HG BH11 8AA BH11 9AA BH11 BH21

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
77
78 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 110 crimes
↓ 27% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 71 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 55 crimes
↑ 55% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 39 crimes
↑ 26% above national average
Vehicle crime 18 crimes
↓ 17% below national average
other 61 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 King John Close 67 crimes
  2. 2 Marquis Way 20 crimes
  3. 3 Anchor Road 19 crimes

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

Environment
69
Air Quality NO₂ 7.4 · PM2.5 5.9 · PM10 9 µg/m³
75
Green Space 54
Parks Ample 12
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses Ample 3
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 2

Services

Schools
43
4 schools in area · 30 within 4km
1Good3Ungraded
  • Bearwood Primary and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Elm AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded
  • LeAF StudioSecondary · inspected 2024
    Ungraded
  • Oak AcademySecondary · inspected 2024
    Ungraded

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
54
A&E departmentsPoole General Hospital3.3 mi
Royal Bournemouth Hospital4.7 mi
Salisbury District Hospital19.8 mi
Hospital waitsDorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust1.2 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.7%
A&E seen within 4 hrs61.2%
1 GP surgery in area 5 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,684 patients per GP
0dentists1pharmacy

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
92
Full fibre (FTTP)79.4%
available across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
96.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 100 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
58
Employment rate57.4%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed57.4%Unemployed2.3%Retired29%Student2.5%Other inactive8.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial37.4%Skilled & technical36.6%Routine & elementary25.9%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.6%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16%Level 3 (A levels)18.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)26%Apprenticeship8.3%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership82%
Among the least-deprived 35% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
46
Council tax Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole · 2026-27
A £1,624
B £1,895
C £2,165
D £2,436
E £2,977
F £3,519
G £4,060
H £4,872
Energy South 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 Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
69
Branksome 2.9 mi
Parkstone 3.2 mi
Poole 4 mi
J1 M27 18.1 mi
J1 M27 18.7 mi
J2 M27 21.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
46
Pubs & Bars None
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £310,000 42
Detached £425,000 17
Terraced £280,000 15
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£251k £326k £404k £479k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Longham 44 1.6 mi away ⇄
Merley 54 1.6 mi away ⇄
West Parley 55 2.4 mi away ⇄
Poole 67 2.7 mi away ⇄
Wimborne Minster 52 2.8 mi away ⇄
Ferndown 55 2.9 mi away ⇄
Bournemouth 67 3.6 mi away ⇄
Corfe Mullen 55 3.6 mi away ⇄
Stone (Dorset) 37 3.9 mi away ⇄
Furzehill 50 3.9 mi away ⇄
Broom Hill 0 4.1 mi away ⇄
Merritown 42 4.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Bearwood a nice place to live?

Bearwood is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Bearwood is 63/100, 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 Bearwood?

Bearwood is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 77/100. There were 354 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Bearwood?

Among the top-rated schools in Bearwood is Bearwood Primary and Nursery School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 4 rated schools in Bearwood in total.

What are house prices like in Bearwood?

The current median house price in Bearwood is £310,000, around 9% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £425,000, terraced £280,000. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 11%. There were 42 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Bearwood in context

See where Bearwood ranks among the best places to live in Dorset

Postcode districts in Bearwood

BH11 59 ⇄
BH21 50 ⇄

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