Town

Living in Bowhill: Liveability Score 48/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Bowhill comes out at 48/100 on the 7 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 44/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is economic health: 35/100 versus a median of 67/100.

Bowhill places 4th of 6 in the KY5 postcode district. Its healthcare score runs 11 points below the KY5 district's 55/100. Also scoring 80 or better: broadband (82). For the surrounding area, see KY5 postcode district.

48
OUT OF 100
Below Avg
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.

Bowhill scores 48 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Bowhill.
Or compare:
KY5 0AA KY5 5AG KY5 8AA KY5 9AA KY5

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
72
Air Quality NO₂ 4.5 · PM2.5 4.3 · PM10 7.6 µg/m³
82
Green Space 53
Parks Ample 8
Sports Pitches Adequate 2
Allotments None
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 4

Services

Schools
33
3 schools in area · 9 within 4km
2Good1Requires Improvement
  • Denend Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2011
    Good
  • St Ninian's R C Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2013
    Good
  • Cardenden Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Requires Improvement

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

Healthcare
44
A&E departmentsCommunity Paramedic Service78.3 mi
Cumberland Infirmary87.2 mi
Hexham General Hospital93.3 mi
Hospital waitsThe Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust55.4 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 capacity1,324 patients per GP

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

Broadband
82
Full fibre (FTTP)69.2%
available across Fife
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.1%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
96.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 48 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
35
Employment rate58.2%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed58.3%Unemployed3.1%Retired23.2%Student2.5%Other inactive12.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial30.5%Skilled & technical34.2%Routine & elementary35.2%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications19%
Home ownership58.3%
Among the most-deprived 36% of areas in Scotland
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
62
Council tax

Council tax data not yet available for this area.

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
39
Cardenden 0.5 mi
Lochgelly 2.1 mi
Cowdenbeath 3.9 mi
J4 M90 5.2 mi
J4 M90 5.2 mi
J5 M90 5.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
31
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 3
Retail Shopping Adequate 13
Takeaways Adequate 6
Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Bowhill. 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

Cardenden 47 0.7 mi away ⇄
Kinglassie 34 2.0 mi away ⇄
Lochgelly 60 2.2 mi away ⇄
Ballingry and Lochore 49 2.4 mi away ⇄
Cowdenbeath 55 4.0 mi away ⇄
Leslie 55 4.1 mi away ⇄
Kirkcaldy 63 4.1 mi away ⇄
Glenrothes 59 4.6 mi away ⇄
Kelty 49 4.6 mi away ⇄
Thornton (Fife) 43 4.7 mi away ⇄
Kinnesswood 36 5.0 mi away ⇄
Coaltown of Balgonie 49 5.9 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Bowhill a nice place to live?

Bowhill has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Bowhill is 48/100, placing it among a below-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 Bowhill?

Among the top-rated schools in Bowhill are Denend Primary School and St Ninian's R C Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in Bowhill in total.

Postcode districts in Bowhill

KY5 51 ⇄

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