Town Pop. 4,829

Living in Blackrod: Liveability Score 51/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Blackrod is 51/100, built from 8 categories. Measured against other towns, transport stands out most: 57/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. Among the 7 scored places sharing the BL6 postcode district, Blackrod ranks 5th.

That puts Blackrod in the top quarter of the UK towns and villages we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: BL6 postcode district.

51
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.

Blackrod scores 51 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Blackrod.
Or compare:
BL6 4AA BL6 5AA BL6 6AA BL6 7AA BL6 9BN BL6

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 9 · PM2.5 6.4 · PM10 10.4 µg/m³
72
Green Space 60
Parks Adequate 3
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Some 2

Services

Schools
48
2 schools in area · 19 within 4km
1Outstanding1Good
  • Blackrod Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Blackrod Anglican/Methodist Primary SchoolPrimary · 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
23
A&E departmentsChildren's A&E11.4 mi
Warrington Hospital12.6 mi
Fairfield Hospital12.8 mi
Hospital waitsBolton NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.1%
A&E seen within 4 hrs68.1%
Nearest GP surgeryAspull Surgery1.2 mi
GP capacity1,759 patients per GP
0dentists2pharmacies

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
79
Full fibre (FTTP)88.1%
available across Bolton
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
96.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 141 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
61
Employment rate58.5%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed58.5%Unemployed2.4%Retired28%Student2.9%Other inactive8.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial41.1%Skilled & technical34.1%Routine & elementary24.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.5%Level 3 (A levels)18.6%Level 4+ (degree & above)31.4%Apprenticeship8.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.2%
Home ownership77%
Among the least-deprived 36% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
53
Council tax Bolton · 2026-27
A £1,600
B £1,867
C £2,133
D £2,400
E £2,933
F £3,467
G £4,000
H £4,800
Energy North West England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water United Utilities
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
57
Blackrod 0.4 mi
Horwich Parkway 1.8 mi
Adlington 1.9 mi
J6 M61 1.4 mi
J6 M61 2.2 mi
J5 M61 4.1 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
42
Pubs & Bars Adequate 4
Restaurants & Cafes Some 2
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 2
Retail Shopping Adequate 14
Takeaways Some 3
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £225,000 31
Semi-detached £217,500 18
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£151k £207k £266k £323k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Aspull 50 1.4 mi away ⇄
Horwich 49 1.6 mi away ⇄
Adlington (Chorley) 58 2.1 mi away ⇄
Worthington 50 2.3 mi away ⇄
Bottom o' th' Moor 51 2.6 mi away ⇄
Wingates 51 3.0 mi away ⇄
Standish 54 3.2 mi away ⇄
Heath Charnock 58 3.3 mi away ⇄
Ince-in-Makerfield 65 3.6 mi away ⇄
Chew Moor 63 3.7 mi away ⇄
Westhoughton 60 3.9 mi away ⇄
Coppull 57 4.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Blackrod a nice place to live?

Blackrod is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Blackrod is 51/100, 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 Blackrod?

Among the top-rated schools in Blackrod are Blackrod Primary School and Blackrod Anglican/Methodist Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Blackrod in total.

What are house prices like in Blackrod?

The current median house price in Blackrod is £225,000, around 21% below the England and Wales average. By property type: semi-detached £217,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 22%. There were 31 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Blackrod in context

See the best places to live in Greater Manchester, ranked

Postcode districts in Blackrod

BL6 50 ⇄

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