City Pop. 1,055,129

Living in Birmingham: Liveability Score 70/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Birmingham comes out at 70/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 91/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Safety falls furthest short: 23/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

It scores 5 points above the B1 postcode district as a whole, which averages 65/100. That sits 20 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. Also scoring 80 or better: lifestyle (92), schools (88), transport (88) and broadband (85). For the surrounding area, see B1 postcode district.

70
OUT OF 100
Good
Score for:

Settlement area

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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.

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
23
137.1 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Violence and sexual offences 60,020 crimes
↑ 71% above national average
Shoplifting 13,209 crimes
↑ 60% above national average
Vehicle crime 12,039 crimes
↑ 138% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 11,093 crimes
↑ 54% above national average
Other theft 8,615 crimes
↑ 32% above national average
other 39,688 crimes
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  1. 1 Parking Area 6,952 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 6,573 crimes
  3. 3 Petrol Station 4,266 crimes

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

Environment
73
Air Quality NO₂ 14.5 · PM2.5 7.9 · PM10 12.5 µg/m³
63
Green Space 95
Parks Ample 406
Sports Pitches Ample 377
Allotments Ample 103
Golf Courses Ample 21
Tennis Courts Ample 101
Bowling Greens Ample 97
Playgrounds Ample 310

Services

Schools
88
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 494 in area
46Outstanding344Good21Requires Improvement10Inadequate73Ungraded
  • Adderley Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Bloomsbury Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Brearley Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Castle Vale Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Colmore Infant and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Dorrington AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Birmingham EastSecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, BirminghamSecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Forest Oak SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Outstanding

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

Healthcare
91
A&E departmentsGreet Urgent Care Centrein area
Midland Metropolitan University Hospital0.1 mi
Solihull Hospital2.1 mi
Hospital waitsUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks69.4%
A&E seen within 4 hrs64.2%
40 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,875 patients per GP
49dentists72pharmacies

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)83.7%
available across Birmingham
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
95.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.9%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.1%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 18,004 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
23
Employment rate50.2%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Employed50.2%Unemployed5.9%Retired15.8%Student9.2%Other inactive18.9%
Professional & managerial33.1%Skilled & technical31.9%Routine & elementary35.1%
No qualifications24.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)12.8%Level 3 (A levels)16.7%Level 4+ (degree & above)28.7%Apprenticeship3.8%Other (incl. vocational)2.9%
Home ownership52.7%
Among the most-deprived 24% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
57
Council tax Birmingham · 2026-27
A £1,575
B £1,838
C £2,100
D £2,363
E £2,888
F £3,413
G £3,938
H £4,726
Energy West Midlands region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Severn Trent Water
Average bill regional £424/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
88
Bordesley 0.3 mi
Small Heath 0.9 mi
Birmingham Moor Street 0.9 mi
J6 M6 2.9 mi
J6 M6 3.3 mi
J5 M6 4.8 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
92
Pubs & Bars Ample 469
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 1023
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 801
Retail Shopping Ample 4543
Takeaways Ample 1088
Fitness Ample 154

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £230,000 3,881
Detached £385,000 309
Semi-detached £255,500 1,434
Terraced £215,750 1,544
Flat / Maisonette £136,500 594
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£126k £221k £320k £415k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Frequently asked questions

Is Birmingham a nice place to live?

Yes, Birmingham is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Birmingham is 70/100, placing it among one of the better-scoring areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Birmingham?

Crime levels in Birmingham are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 23/100. There were 144,664 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Birmingham?

Among the top-rated schools in Birmingham are Adderley Nursery School, Bloomsbury Nursery School and Brearley Nursery School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 494 rated schools in Birmingham in total.

What are house prices like in Birmingham?

The current median house price in Birmingham is £230,000, around 19% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £385,000, semi-detached £255,500, terraced £215,750, flat £136,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 16%. There were 3,881 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

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