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Living in Blackburn (West Lothian): Liveability Score 56/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Blackburn (West Lothian) scores 56/100 overall, across 8 scored categories. Schools is where Blackburn (West Lothian) most outperforms the national norm: 61/100 against a median of 23/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is economic health: 21/100 versus a median of 67/100.

Among the 7 scored places sharing the EH47 postcode district, Blackburn (West Lothian) ranks 2nd. On schools specifically, Blackburn (West Lothian) sits 9 points above the EH47 district figure of 52/100. Also scoring 80 or better: broadband (90). The same breakdown for the wider area is on the EH47 postcode district.

56
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.

Blackburn (West Lothian) scores 56 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Blackburn (West Lothian).
Or compare:
EH47 0AA EH47 7AA EH47 8AA EH47 9AA EH47

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
—

Crime is scored from the last 12 months of police street-level data. Police Scotland does not publish this, and there is no Scottish equivalent of the Police UK open data service, so crime has been left out of the score for this area. This is a gap in published data, not a sign of low crime.

Environment
69
Air Quality NO₂ 5.4 · PM2.5 4.6 · PM10 7.9 µg/m³
80
Green Space 46
Parks Adequate 3
Sports Pitches Adequate 4
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 4

Services

Schools
61
6 schools in area · 20 within 4km
6Good
  • Blackburn Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2017
    Good
  • Connolly Campus SchoolOther · inspected 2020
    Good
  • Murrayfield Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2018
    Good
  • Our Lady Of Lourdes Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2014
    Good
  • Pinewood SchoolOther · inspected 2017
    Good
  • St Kentigern's AcademySecondary · inspected 2017
    Good

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

Healthcare
53
A&E departmentsCumberland Infirmary72.1 mi
Community Paramedic Service76.9 mi
Hexham General Hospital86.2 mi
Hospital waitsThe Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust63.2 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks72.5%
A&E seen within 4 hrs78.5%
1 GP surgery in area 5 within 4km
GP capacity1,582 patients per GP

A&E, dentist and pharmacy data, and CQC ratings, are currently available for England only, not Scotland.

Broadband
90
Full fibre (FTTP)77.2%
available across West Lothian
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
95.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 146 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
21
Employment rate55.9%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55.8%Unemployed2.5%Retired21.2%Student2.8%Other inactive17.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial26.8%Skilled & technical31.3%Routine & elementary41.9%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications16.4%
Home ownership50.6%
Among the most-deprived 20% of areas in Scotland
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
77
Council tax West Lothian · 2025-26
A £1,010
B £1,178
C £1,347
D £1,515
E £1,991
F £2,462
G £2,967
H £3,712
Energy South Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
51
Bathgate 1.7 mi
Addiewell 2.2 mi
West Calder 2.6 mi
J4 M8 0.9 mi
J4 M8 1.4 mi
J3A M8 1.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
31
Pubs & Bars Adequate 3
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 2
Retail Shopping Some 4
Takeaways Some 3
Fitness Adequate 3

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Blackburn (West Lothian). HM Land Registry's Price Paid dataset covers England and Wales only. Scottish sales are recorded separately by Registers of Scotland, which we don't yet include. This is a gap in the data we hold, not a sign of an inactive market.

Nearby places

Seafield 49 1.3 mi away ⇄
East Whitburn 56 1.5 mi away ⇄
Bathgate 61 1.5 mi away ⇄
Mossend 46 2.1 mi away ⇄
Addiewell 47 2.1 mi away ⇄
Stoneyburn 48 2.1 mi away ⇄
West Calder 46 2.6 mi away ⇄
Whitburn (West Lothian) 58 2.7 mi away ⇄
Polbeth 51 2.8 mi away ⇄
Longridge (West Lothian) 51 3.1 mi away ⇄
Armadale 55 3.3 mi away ⇄
Livingston 64 3.9 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Blackburn (West Lothian) a nice place to live?

Blackburn (West Lothian) is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Blackburn (West Lothian) is 56/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

What are the best schools in Blackburn (West Lothian)?

Among the top-rated schools in Blackburn (West Lothian) are Blackburn Primary School, Connolly Campus School and Murrayfield Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 6 rated schools in Blackburn (West Lothian) in total.

Postcode districts in Blackburn (West Lothian)

EH47 54 ⇄

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