Town Pop. 183,022

Living in Bournemouth: Liveability Score 67/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Bournemouth comes out at 67/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 77/100 against a national town median of 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 47/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Notably, nothing falls below 46/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. That sits 17 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. Broadband (88) sits at 80/100 or above. For the surrounding area, see BH1 postcode district.

67
OUT OF 100
Good
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.

Bournemouth scores 67 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Bournemouth.
Or compare:
BH1 1AA BH1 2AD BH1 3AA BH1 4AA BH1 9AS BH1 BH10 BH11 BH13

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
47
91 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 5,073 crimes
↓ 17% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 3,858 crimes
↑ 39% above national average
Shoplifting 1,747 crimes
↑ 22% above national average
Vehicle crime 1,283 crimes
↑ 46% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 1,159 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 3,533 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Supermarket 1,076 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 867 crimes
  3. 3 Shopping Area 404 crimes

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

Environment
69
Air Quality NO₂ 8.5 · PM2.5 5.9 · PM10 9 µg/m³
74
Green Space 58
Parks Ample 101
Sports Pitches Ample 104
Allotments Ample 5
Golf Courses Ample 8
Tennis Courts Ample 73
Bowling Greens Ample 15
Playgrounds Ample 76

Services

Schools
67
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 54 in area
9Outstanding36Good1Requires Improvement8Ungraded
  • Avonbourne Boys' AcademySecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Avonwood Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Bournemouth SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Bournemouth School for GirlsSecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Linwood SchoolSpecial · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Manorside AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • St Katharine's Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Tregonwell AcademySpecial · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Winton AcademySecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Avonbourne Girls AcademySecondary · inspected 2024
    Good

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

Healthcare
77
A&E departmentsRoyal Bournemouth Hospitalin area
Poole General Hospital2.9 mi
Hythe Hospital18.7 mi
Hospital waitsUniversity Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi
Routine referral (median)10 wks
Treated within 18 weeks66%
A&E seen within 4 hrs72.5%
12 GP surgeries in area 13 within 4km best 'Outstanding'
GP capacity1,874 patients per GP
39dentists29pharmacies

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
88
Full fibre (FTTP)79.4%
available across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
93.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
94.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 4,126 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
47
Employment rate56.8%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed56.8%Unemployed3.7%Retired21.6%Student6.8%Other inactive11%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial38.6%Skilled & technical34.3%Routine & elementary27.1%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications15.6%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.6%Level 3 (A levels)19.3%Level 4+ (degree & above)33.2%Apprenticeship5.7%Other (incl. vocational)3%
Home ownership57.9%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
46
Council tax Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole · 2026-27
A £1,624
B £1,895
C £2,165
D £2,436
E £2,977
F £3,519
G £4,060
H £4,872
Energy South 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 Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
79
Bournemouth 1 mi
Pokesdown 1.7 mi
Branksome 2.7 mi
J1 M27 16.9 mi
J1 M27 17.6 mi
J2 M27 20.1 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
78
Pubs & Bars Ample 92
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 357
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 190
Retail Shopping Ample 1198
Takeaways Ample 182
Fitness Ample 54

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £312,000 1,297
Detached £460,000 471
Semi-detached £341,000 178
Terraced £285,000 108
Flat / Maisonette £207,000 540
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£198k £292k £390k £484k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Merritown 42 3.0 mi away ⇄
West Parley 55 3.1 mi away ⇄
Longham 44 3.6 mi away ⇄
Bearwood 63 3.6 mi away ⇄
Sopley 47 4.3 mi away ⇄
Poole 67 4.3 mi away ⇄
Ferndown 55 4.6 mi away ⇄
Matchams 0 4.8 mi away ⇄
Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) 63 4.9 mi away ⇄
Merley 54 5.2 mi away ⇄
West Moors 54 5.6 mi away ⇄
Wimborne Minster 52 6.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Bournemouth a nice place to live?

Yes, Bournemouth is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Bournemouth is 67/100, 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 Bournemouth?

Bournemouth has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 47/100. There were 16,653 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Bournemouth?

Among the top-rated schools in Bournemouth are Avonbourne Boys' Academy, Avonwood Primary School and Bournemouth School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 54 rated schools in Bournemouth in total.

What are house prices like in Bournemouth?

The current median house price in Bournemouth is £312,000, around 9% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £460,000, semi-detached £341,000, terraced £285,000, flat £207,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 14%. There were 1,297 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Bournemouth in context

See where Bournemouth ranks among the best places to live in Dorset

Postcode districts in Bournemouth

BH1 64 ⇄
BH10 69 ⇄
BH11 59 ⇄
BH13 53 ⇄
BH2 54 ⇄
BH3 73 ⇄
BH4 63 ⇄
BH5 69 ⇄
BH6 75 ⇄
BH7 70 ⇄
BH8 68 ⇄
BH9 73 ⇄

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