Town Pop. 706

Living in Birchanger: Liveability Score 54/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Birchanger is 54/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is transport: 50/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Safety falls furthest short: 56/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

Among the 5 scored places sharing the CM23 postcode district, Birchanger ranks 3rd. It scores 9 points below the CM23 postcode district as a whole, which averages 63/100. On the national picture that lands Birchanger in the top quarter of all the places we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the CM23 postcode district.

54
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.

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.

Birchanger scores 54 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Birchanger.
Or compare:
CM23 0AA CM23 1AA CM23 2AA CM23 3AA CM23 4AA CM23 5AA CM23 9BA CM23

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
56
322.9 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 94 crimes
↑ 300% above national average
Vehicle crime 23 crimes
↑ 579% above national average
Other theft 22 crimes
↑ 403% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 22 crimes
↑ 359% above national average
Drugs 14 crimes
↑ 500% above national average
other 53 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Petrol Station 60 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 23 crimes
  3. 3 Birchanger Lane 14 crimes

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

Environment
67
Air Quality NO₂ 8.942 · PM2.5 7.213 · PM10 12.727 µg/m³
69
Green Space 63
Parks Ample 11
Sports Pitches Adequate 3
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 3

Services

Schools
50
2 schools in area · 22 within 4km
1Good1Ungraded
  • Birchanger Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Birchwood High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2025
    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
37
A&E departmentsPrincess Alexandra Hospital8.8 mi
Broomfield Hospital13.3 mi
Lister Hospital17.2 mi
Hospital waitsThe Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust1.4 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.1%
A&E seen within 4 hrs78.7%
Nearest GP surgeryHelix Medical Centre1.4 mi
GP capacity2,253 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
72
Full fibre (FTTP)68.3%
available across Uttlesford
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
90.2%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
90.2%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.3%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 15 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
68
Employment rate68.8%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed68.8%Unemployed3.5%Retired16.1%Student3.1%Other inactive8.5%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial47.4%Skilled & technical33.4%Routine & elementary19.2%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications11.3%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.1%Level 3 (A levels)19.7%Level 4+ (degree & above)34.8%Apprenticeship5.6%Other (incl. vocational)2.2%
Home ownership67.7%
Among the least-deprived 27% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
57
Council tax Uttlesford · 2026-27
A £1,556
B £1,815
C £2,075
D £2,334
E £2,853
F £3,371
G £3,890
H £4,668
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
50
Stansted Mountfitchet 1.3 mi
Bishop's Stortford 1.6 mi
Gates 1-19 2.7 mi
J8 M11 0.6 mi
J8A M11 1 mi
J8 M11 1.2 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
46
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness Adequate 4

Places like Birchanger 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 Birchanger, 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 Birchanger 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

Stansted Mountfitchet 55 1.3 mi away ⇄
Bishop's Stortford 65 1.7 mi away ⇄
Burton End 46 2.0 mi away ⇄
Takeley Street 40 2.3 mi away ⇄
Elsenham 52 2.7 mi away ⇄
Manuden 38 2.8 mi away ⇄
Ugley Green 52 2.9 mi away ⇄
Little Hallingbury 52 3.2 mi away ⇄
Takeley and Little Canfield 37 3.5 mi away ⇄
Spellbrook 45 3.6 mi away ⇄
Bury Green 36 3.8 mi away ⇄
Henham 44 4.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Birchanger a nice place to live?

Birchanger is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Birchanger is 54/100, 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 Birchanger?

Birchanger has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 56/100. There were 228 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Birchanger?

Among the top-rated schools in Birchanger is Birchanger Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Birchanger in total.

Birchanger in context

See the best places to live in Essex, ranked

Postcode districts in Birchanger

CM23 63 ⇄

Check your exact postcode

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

Score my postcode