Town Pop. 5,552

Living in Bowdon: Liveability Score 67/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Bowdon scores 67/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Healthcare is where Bowdon most outperforms the national norm: 76/100 against a median of 18/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 54/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Among the 4 scored places sharing the WA14 postcode district, Bowdon ranks 3rd. No category drops below 54/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. That is 17 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. For the surrounding area, see WA14 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.

Bowdon scores 67 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Bowdon.
Or compare:
WA14 1AD WA14 2AB WA14 3AB WA14 4AB WA14 5AA WA14

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
54
76.3 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents · year ending Dec 2025

The police force covering this area doesn't publish street-level crime data, so this is a district-level estimate based on Home Office recorded-crime totals for Trafford. It's a different source from the rest of the map and can't be broken down by location or crime type.

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

Environment
69
Air Quality NO₂ 9.6 · PM2.5 6.5 · PM10 10.4 µg/m³
72
Green Space 65
Parks Ample 12
Sports Pitches Ample 19
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Ample 3
Tennis Courts Ample 23
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 5

Services

Schools
69
10 schools in area · 25 within 4km
4Outstanding5Good1Ungraded
  • Altrincham Grammar School for BoysSecondary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Altrincham Grammar School for GirlsSecondary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Bowdon CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Loreto Grammar SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Altrincham CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Bollin Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • North Cestrian SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Oldfield Brow Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Stamford Park Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic CollegeSecondary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded

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

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

Healthcare
76
A&E departmentsWythenshawe Hospital2.5 mi
Manchester University Hospitals (central site)7.7 mi
Manchester Royal Infirmary7.7 mi
Hospital waitsManchester University NHS Foundation Trust0.9 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks63.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs77.5%
Nearest GP surgeryAltrincham Medical Practice0.9 mi
GP capacity2,269 patients per GP
0dentists1pharmacy

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
78
Full fibre (FTTP)91.5%
available across Trafford
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
91.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
92%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.5%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 247 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
83
Employment rate55.1%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55.1%Unemployed2.4%Retired28%Student5%Other inactive9.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial61.9%Skilled & technical27.3%Routine & elementary10.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications10.2%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)5.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)11.1%Level 3 (A levels)12%Level 4+ (degree & above)56.2%Apprenticeship3%Other (incl. vocational)1.5%
Home ownership75.1%
Among the least-deprived 16% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
62
Council tax Trafford · 2026-27
A £1,528
B £1,783
C £2,037
D £2,292
E £2,801
F £3,311
G £3,820
H £4,584
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
64
Hale 0.7 mi
Altrincham 1.1 mi
Navigation Road 1.6 mi
J7 M56 1.2 mi
J7 M56 1.2 mi
J6 M56 2.9 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
60
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes Some 2
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 2
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways None
Fitness Ample 6

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £595,000 28
Detached £1,202,500 10
Flat / Maisonette £505,650 10
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Terraced Flat
£496k £870k £1.3m £1.6m 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Altrincham 72 1.6 mi away ⇄
Hale (Trafford) 61 2.7 mi away ⇄
Bucklow Hill 28 3.1 mi away ⇄
Sale 71 3.4 mi away ⇄
Mere (Cheshire East) 28 3.4 mi away ⇄
Partington 57 3.9 mi away ⇄
High Legh 44 3.9 mi away ⇄
Carrington 46 4.0 mi away ⇄
Mobberley 40 4.4 mi away ⇄
Wythenshawe 60 4.4 mi away ⇄
Lymm 60 4.6 mi away ⇄
Hollinfare 52 4.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Bowdon a nice place to live?

Yes, Bowdon is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Bowdon 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 Bowdon?

Bowdon has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 54/100. There were 17,814 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Bowdon?

Among the top-rated schools in Bowdon are Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls and Bowdon CofE Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 10 rated schools in Bowdon in total.

What are house prices like in Bowdon?

The current median house price in Bowdon is £595,000, around 109% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £1,202,500, flat £505,650. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 28%. There were 28 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Bowdon in context

See where Bowdon ranks among the best places to live in Greater Manchester

Postcode districts in Bowdon

WA14 66 ⇄

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