Town Pop. 35,490

Living in Boston: Liveability Score 53/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Boston is 53/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 62/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 24/100 versus a median of 88/100.

That is the highest score of the 8 places in the PE20 postcode district. Against the wider PE20 district average of 35/100, that is 18 points above. Its healthcare score runs 44 points above the PE20 district's 18/100. For the surrounding area, see PE20 postcode district.

53
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.

Boston scores 53 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Boston.
Or compare:
PE20 1AB PE20 2AA PE20 3AA PE20 PE21

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
24
142.5 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 1,632 crimes
↑ 38% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 1,053 crimes
↑ 95% above national average
Shoplifting 740 crimes
↑ 168% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 347 crimes
↑ 44% above national average
Public order 247 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 1,040 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Petticoat Lane 232 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 225 crimes
  3. 3 Supermarket 182 crimes

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

Environment
74
Air Quality NO₂ 6.7 · PM2.5 7.1 · PM10 12.3 µg/m³
71
Green Space 79
Parks Ample 17
Sports Pitches Ample 30
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Ample 7
Bowling Greens Ample 6
Playgrounds Ample 22

Services

Schools
49
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 16 in area
1Outstanding11Good1Inadequate3Ungraded
  • Wyberton Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Boston Endeavour AcademySpecial · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Boston High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Boston Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Boston West AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Hawthorn Tree SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Park AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Saint Mary's RC Primary Academy BostonPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • St Nicholas CE Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • St Thomas CofE Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good

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

Healthcare
62
A&E departmentsPilgrim Hospitalin area
Lincoln County Hospital25.9 mi
Peterborough City Hospital27 mi
Hospital waitsLincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)5 wks
Treated within 18 weeks100%
4 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,893 patients per GP
10dentists7pharmacies

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
69
Full fibre (FTTP)79.2%
available across Boston
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
88.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
88.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 911 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
37
Employment rate59.1%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed59.1%Unemployed3%Retired23.5%Student3.4%Other inactive11%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial23.9%Skilled & technical29.9%Routine & elementary46.2%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications27.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.3%Level 3 (A levels)13.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)19.4%Apprenticeship7.3%Other (incl. vocational)5.2%
Home ownership56.8%
Among the most-deprived 34% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
59
Council tax Boston · 2026-27
A £1,539
B £1,796
C £2,052
D £2,309
E £2,822
F £3,335
G £3,848
H £4,618
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
57
Boston 0.4 mi
Hubberts Bridge 3.6 mi
Swineshead 6.8 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
61
Pubs & Bars Ample 38
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 54
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 61
Retail Shopping Ample 231
Takeaways Ample 37
Fitness Ample 11

Places like Boston Pro

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £185,500 222
Detached £255,625 110
Semi-detached £158,000 57
Terraced £122,500 46
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£80k £144k £209k £273k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Fishtoft 50 2.3 mi away ⇄
Haltoft End 35 2.7 mi away ⇄
Freiston 35 3.0 mi away ⇄
Kirton End 44 3.1 mi away ⇄
Kirton (Boston) 43 3.4 mi away ⇄
Hubbert's Bridge 35 3.7 mi away ⇄
Butterwick 36 3.8 mi away ⇄
Scrane End 0 4.6 mi away ⇄
Sibsey 36 4.8 mi away ⇄
Claydike Bank 0 5.0 mi away ⇄
Leverton 34 5.1 mi away ⇄
Sutterton 37 5.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Boston a nice place to live?

Boston is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Boston is 53/100, 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 Boston?

Crime levels in Boston are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 24/100. There were 5,059 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Boston?

Among the top-rated schools in Boston are Wyberton Primary Academy, Boston Endeavour Academy and Boston High School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 16 rated schools in Boston in total.

What are house prices like in Boston?

The current median house price in Boston is £185,500, around 35% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £255,625, semi-detached £158,000, terraced £122,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 9%. There were 222 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Boston in context

See where Boston ranks among the best places to live in Lincolnshire

Postcode districts in Boston

PE20 35 ⇄
PE21 51 ⇄

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