Town Pop. 1,484

Living in Bishop's Castle: Liveability Score 35/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Bishop's Castle comes out at 35/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Economic health falls furthest short: 30/100 where the typical UK town reaches 67/100. That is 15 points below the national benchmark of 50, the bottom quarter of all UK towns and villages.

Transport (4), lifestyle (12), schools (23) and healthcare (25) all fall below 30/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: SY9 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.

Bishop's Castle scores 35 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Bishop's Castle.
Or compare:
SY9 5AA SY9

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
71
64.7 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 37 crimes
↓ 25% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 13 crimes
↓ 42% below national average
Other theft 12 crimes
↑ 31% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 12 crimes
↑ 19% above national average
Public order 8 crimes
↓ 17% below national average
other 14 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Supermarket 11 crimes
  2. 2 Market Square 8 crimes
  3. 3 Kerry Lane 8 crimes

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

Environment
65
Air Quality NO₂ 2.9 · PM2.5 4.6 · PM10 7.5 µg/m³
83
Green Space 23
Parks Some 1
Sports Pitches Adequate 2
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Some 2

Services

Schools
23
2 schools in area · 3 within 4km
2Good
  • Bishops Castle Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • The Community College, Bishop's CastleSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good

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

Healthcare
25
A&E departmentsRoyal Shrewsbury Hospital16.9 mi
Princess Royal Hospital25.1 mi
Hereford County Hospital32.1 mi
Hospital waitsMidlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust7.6 mi
Routine referral (median)4 wks
Treated within 18 weeks92.8%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,062 patients per GP
1dentist1pharmacy

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
36
Full fibre (FTTP)72.7%
available across Shropshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
60%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
60%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 57 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
30
Employment rate49%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed49%Unemployed2.4%Retired33.2%Student3%Other inactive12.5%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial29.7%Skilled & technical38.6%Routine & elementary31.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications21.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.3%Level 3 (A levels)14.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)29.4%Apprenticeship5.6%Other (incl. vocational)3.1%
Home ownership58.8%
Among the most-deprived 28% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
39
Council tax Shropshire · 2026-27
A £1,685
B £1,966
C £2,247
D £2,528
E £3,090
F £3,652
G £4,213
H £5,056
Energy South Wales region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water
Average bill regional £502/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
4
Broome 6.8 mi
Craven Arms 7.6 mi
Hopton Heath 7.8 mi
J7 M54 23.5 mi
J7 M54 23.8 mi
J6 M54 25.2 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
12
Pubs & Bars Adequate 5
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 2
Retail Shopping Adequate 6
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £293,000 10
5-year monthly trend
All
£187k £245k £305k £362k 2022 2023 2024 2025

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

Nearby places

Churchstoke 46 4.5 mi away ⇄
Clun 37 5.1 mi away ⇄
Craven Arms 41 7.6 mi away ⇄
Montgomery 47 7.9 mi away ⇄
Bedstone 0 8.6 mi away ⇄
Church Stretton 46 8.8 mi away ⇄
Snailbeach 32 8.9 mi away ⇄
Bucknell (Shropshire) 34 9.4 mi away ⇄
All Stretton 46 9.5 mi away ⇄
Worthen 33 10.0 mi away ⇄
Forden 53 10 mi away ⇄
Leintwardine 32 10 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Bishop's Castle a nice place to live?

Bishop's Castle has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Bishop's Castle 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 Bishop's Castle?

Bishop's Castle has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 71/100. There were 96 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Bishop's Castle?

Among the top-rated schools in Bishop's Castle are Bishops Castle Primary School and The Community College, Bishop's Castle, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Bishop's Castle in total.

What are house prices like in Bishop's Castle?

The current median house price in Bishop's Castle is £293,000, in line with the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 10%.

Bishop's Castle in context

See the best places to live in Shropshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Bishop's Castle

SY9 36 ⇄

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