Town Pop. 635

Living in Bildeston: Liveability Score 35/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Bildeston is 35/100, built from 9 categories. Broadband falls furthest short: 12/100 where the typical UK town reaches 60/100. That makes it the 7th highest-scoring of the 11 places in the IP7 postcode district.

It scores 8 points below the IP7 postcode district as a whole, which averages 43/100. That sits 15 points below the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the bottom quarter of the towns and villages we score. Safety (95) sits at 80/100 or above. Wider context for the surrounding area: IP7 postcode district.

35
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.

Bildeston scores 35 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Bildeston.
Or compare:
IP7 5AA IP7 6AA IP7 7AA IP7 9BW IP7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
95
85 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 30 crimes
↑ 42% above national average
Burglary 6 crimes
↑ 169% above national average
Other theft 5 crimes
↑ 27% above national average
Vehicle crime 4 crimes
↑ 31% above national average
Other crime 3 crimes
↑ 135% above national average
other 6 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Newberry Road 8 crimes
  2. 2 Fen Lane 6 crimes
  3. 3 Paddocks Way 5 crimes

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

Environment
58
Air Quality NO₂ 6.2 · PM2.5 6.9 · PM10 12 µg/m³
72
Green Space 24
Parks None
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Some 2

Services

Schools
5
1 school in area
1Good
  • Bildeston Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
Healthcare
10
A&E departmentsIpswich Hospital12.5 mi
Colchester General Hospital13.4 mi
RAF Lakenheath Medical Hospital24.9 mi
Hospital waitsEast Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust2.7 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks60.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs76.7%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity3,362 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
12
Full fibre (FTTP)72.1%
available across Babergh
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
16.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
16.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.1%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 28 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
51
Employment rate55%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55%Unemployed2.1%Retired29.5%Student2.6%Other inactive10.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial39.2%Skilled & technical35.8%Routine & elementary25%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.8%Level 3 (A levels)17.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)30.3%Apprenticeship6.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.4%
Home ownership70.5%
Among the most-deprived 38% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
51
Council tax Babergh · 2026-27
A £1,561
B £1,822
C £2,082
D £2,342
E £2,862
F £3,383
G £3,903
H £4,684
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 Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
15
Stowmarket 6.9 mi
Needham Market 7 mi
Sudbury 8.9 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
7
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways None
Fitness Adequate 2

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Bildeston 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

Chelsworth 34 1.2 mi away ⇄
Hitcham 35 1.5 mi away ⇄
Nedging Tye 38 1.6 mi away ⇄
Monks Eleigh 35 2.1 mi away ⇄
Great Bricett 29 2.4 mi away ⇄
Brettenham 39 3.2 mi away ⇄
Battisford Tye 29 3.5 mi away ⇄
Elmsett 38 4.2 mi away ⇄
Hadleigh 53 4.7 mi away ⇄
Lavenham 44 4.9 mi away ⇄
Barking 35 5.0 mi away ⇄
Little Waldingfield 42 5.1 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Bildeston a nice place to live?

Bildeston has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Bildeston is 35/100, 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 Bildeston?

Bildeston is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 95/100. There were 54 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Bildeston?

Among the top-rated schools in Bildeston is Bildeston Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Bildeston in total.

Bildeston in context

See the best places to live in Suffolk, ranked

Postcode districts in Bildeston

IP7 43 ⇄

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