Town Pop. 39,091

Living in Bridgwater: Liveability Score 53/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Bridgwater scores 53/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 76/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 14/100 against a town median of 88/100.

That makes it the 2nd highest-scoring of the 8 places in the TA5 postcode district. It scores 17 points above the TA5 postcode district as a whole, which averages 36/100. Its lifestyle score runs 28 points above the TA5 district's 48/100. For the surrounding area, see TA5 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.

Bridgwater scores 53 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Bridgwater.
Or compare:
TA5 1AA TA5 2AA TA5 TA6 TA7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
14
192.2 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 3,140 crimes
↑ 141% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 1,165 crimes
↑ 96% above national average
Public order 797 crimes
↑ 214% above national average
Shoplifting 793 crimes
↑ 160% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 463 crimes
↑ 74% above national average
other 1,156 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 497 crimes
  2. 2 Shopping Area 225 crimes
  3. 3 Petrol Station 131 crimes

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

Environment
76
Air Quality NO₂ 7.6 · PM2.5 5.8 · PM10 10.1 µg/m³
75
Green Space 78
Parks Ample 17
Sports Pitches Ample 28
Allotments Ample 8
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Adequate 4
Bowling Greens Adequate 3
Playgrounds Ample 49

Services

Schools
58
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 17 in area · 18 within 4km
13Good3Requires Improvement1Ungraded
  • Eastover Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Hamp AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Hamp Nursery and Infants' SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Haygrove SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Northgate Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Polden Bower SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Somerset Bridge Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St John and St Francis Church SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, BridgwaterPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • St Mary's Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary 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
67
A&E departmentsMusgrove Park Hospital7.9 mi
Weston General Hospital11.2 mi
Yeovil Hospital19 mi
Hospital waitsRoyal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust0.1 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.7%
A&E seen within 4 hrs70.6%
5 GP surgeries in area 6 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,418 patients per GP
12dentists10pharmacies

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
93
Full fibre (FTTP)73.5%
available across Somerset
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
96.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.2%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,113 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
39
Employment rate60.8%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed60.8%Unemployed3.2%Retired20.2%Student2.8%Other inactive12.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial24.7%Skilled & technical31%Routine & elementary44.3%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications22.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.8%Level 3 (A levels)17.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)20.5%Apprenticeship7.1%Other (incl. vocational)3.3%
Home ownership55.9%
Among the most-deprived 38% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
33
Council tax Somerset · 2026-27
A £1,707
B £1,992
C £2,276
D £2,561
E £3,130
F £3,699
G £4,268
H £5,122
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 C
Water Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
42
Bridgwater 0.3 mi
Highbridge and Burnham 6.4 mi
Taunton 8.5 mi
J24 M5 1.6 mi
J24 M5 1.9 mi
J23 M5 2.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
76
Pubs & Bars Ample 39
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 46
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 39
Retail Shopping Ample 246
Takeaways Ample 48
Fitness Ample 14

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £228,500 300
Detached £334,000 64
Semi-detached £242,500 85
Terraced £212,000 117
Flat / Maisonette £132,750 34
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£105k £194k £285k £374k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Wembdon 65 1.2 mi away ⇄
Compass 0 1.9 mi away ⇄
Chedzoy 36 2.3 mi away ⇄
Dunball 35 2.6 mi away ⇄
North Petherton 35 2.6 mi away ⇄
Bawdrip 32 2.9 mi away ⇄
Puriton 36 3.1 mi away ⇄
Cannington 44 3.3 mi away ⇄
Moorland 0 3.5 mi away ⇄
Westonzoyland 33 3.6 mi away ⇄
North Newton 43 3.6 mi away ⇄
Pawlett 33 3.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Bridgwater a nice place to live?

Bridgwater is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Bridgwater 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 Bridgwater?

Crime levels in Bridgwater are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 14/100. There were 7,514 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Bridgwater?

Among the top-rated schools in Bridgwater are Eastover Primary School, Hamp Academy and Hamp Nursery and Infants' School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 17 rated schools in Bridgwater in total.

What are house prices like in Bridgwater?

The current median house price in Bridgwater is £228,500, around 20% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £334,000, semi-detached £242,500, terraced £212,000, flat £132,750. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 11%. There were 300 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Bridgwater in context

See where Bridgwater ranks among the best places to live in Somerset

Postcode districts in Bridgwater

TA5 36 ⇄
TA6 50 ⇄
TA7 35 ⇄

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