Town Pop. 42,026

Living in Braintree: Liveability Score 61/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Braintree is 61/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is transport: 65/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 57/100 against a town median of 88/100.

No other settlement in the CM6 postcode district scores higher. Braintree leads all 12. Notably, nothing falls below 52/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. Against the wider CM6 district average of 46/100, that is 15 points above. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the CM6 postcode district.

61
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.

Braintree scores 61 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Braintree.
Or compare:
CM6 1AB CM6 2AA CM6 3AA CM6 4AA CM6 9BB CM6 CM7 CM77

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
57
91.6 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 1,736 crimes
↑ 24% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 353 crimes
↓ 45% below national average
Shoplifting 335 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Public order 299 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 256 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 871 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Charter Way 132 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 113 crimes
  3. 3 Supermarket 108 crimes

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

Environment
62
Air Quality NO₂ 8.3 · PM2.5 7.1 · PM10 11.9 µg/m³
70
Green Space 42
Parks Ample 51
Sports Pitches Ample 25
Allotments Ample 9
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Adequate 6
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Ample 30

Services

Schools
56
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 16 in area · 18 within 4km
1Outstanding12Good2Requires Improvement1Ungraded
  • St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Alec Hunter AcademySecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Beckers Green Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Bocking Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Cressing Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Great Bradfords Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • John Bunyan Primary School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • John Ray Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2019
    Good
  • John Ray Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good

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
57
A&E departmentsBroomfield Hospital7 mi
Colchester General Hospital13.6 mi
Princess Alexandra Hospital20 mi
Hospital waitsMid And South Essex NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)17 wks
Treated within 18 weeks50.6%
A&E seen within 4 hrs68%
4 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,598 patients per GP
6dentists7pharmacies

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
86
Full fibre (FTTP)91.3%
available across Braintree
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
96.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 875 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
52
Employment rate61.2%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed61.2%Unemployed3.2%Retired21.4%Student3.2%Other inactive11.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial34.4%Skilled & technical34.3%Routine & elementary31.3%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications19.3%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)13.3%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16.9%Level 3 (A levels)18.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)23.4%Apprenticeship6%Other (incl. vocational)3%
Home ownership64.4%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
61
Council tax Braintree · 2026-27
A £1,520
B £1,773
C £2,027
D £2,280
E £2,787
F £3,293
G £3,800
H £4,560
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
65
Braintree 0.4 mi
Braintree Freeport 0.9 mi
Cressing 2.2 mi
J8 M11 15.2 mi
J8A M11 15.4 mi
J8 M11 15.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
54
Pubs & Bars Ample 17
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 30
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 15
Retail Shopping Ample 143
Takeaways Ample 18
Fitness Ample 9

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £300,000 318
Detached £457,000 60
Semi-detached £325,000 103
Terraced £282,500 96
Flat / Maisonette £171,000 59
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£148k £260k £376k £489k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Black Notley 57 1.8 mi away ⇄
Great Notley 60 1.9 mi away ⇄
Panfield 43 2.1 mi away ⇄
Tye Green (Braintree) 43 2.1 mi away ⇄
High Garrett 49 2.2 mi away ⇄
Rayne 54 2.2 mi away ⇄
Bradwell (Braintree) 38 2.8 mi away ⇄
Young's End 0 3.3 mi away ⇄
Silver End 47 3.7 mi away ⇄
Great Leighs 41 4.2 mi away ⇄
Gosfield 49 4.3 mi away ⇄
Shalford (Braintree) 41 4.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Braintree a nice place to live?

Braintree is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Braintree is 61/100, 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 Braintree?

Braintree has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 57/100. There were 3,850 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Braintree?

Among the top-rated schools in Braintree are St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Alec Hunter Academy and Beckers Green Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 16 rated schools in Braintree in total.

What are house prices like in Braintree?

The current median house price in Braintree is £300,000, around 5% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £457,000, semi-detached £325,000, terraced £282,500, flat £171,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 7%. There were 318 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Braintree in context

See where Braintree ranks among the best places to live in Essex

Postcode districts in Braintree

CM6 46 ⇄
CM7 59 ⇄
CM77 51 ⇄

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