Town Pop. 8,572

Living in Brightlingsea: Liveability Score 43/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Brightlingsea scores 43/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 41/100 against a national town median of 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is broadband: 29/100 versus a median of 60/100.

That makes it the 15th highest-scoring of the 19 places in the CO7 postcode district. Safety (83) sits at 80/100 or above. Healthcare (3) and schools (29) all fall below 30/100. For the surrounding area, see CO7 postcode district.

43
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.

Brightlingsea scores 43 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Brightlingsea.
Or compare:
CO7 0AA CO7 5AQ CO7 6AA CO7 7AA CO7 8AA CO7 9AA CO7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
83
55.1 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 244 crimes
↓ 14% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 42 crimes
↓ 28% below national average
Other theft 39 crimes
↓ 27% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 37 crimes
↓ 72% below national average
Public order 33 crimes
↓ 42% below national average
other 77 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 25 crimes
  2. 2 Church Road 20 crimes
  3. 3 Campernell Close 19 crimes

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

Environment
60
Air Quality NO₂ 7.2 · PM2.5 6.6 · PM10 10.3 µg/m³
73
Green Space 29
Parks Adequate 2
Sports Pitches Ample 9
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 3

Services

Schools
29
2 schools in area
2Good
  • Brightlingsea Primary School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Colne Community SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
Healthcare
3
A&E departmentsColchester General Hospital7.7 mi
Ipswich Hospital17.8 mi
Southend University Hospital22.2 mi
Hospital waitsEast Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust4.4 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks60.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs76.7%
Nearest GP surgeryGreat Bentley Surgery3.4 mi
GP capacity1,619 patients per GP
3dentists1pharmacy

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
29
Full fibre (FTTP)77.2%
available across Tendring
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
54.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
54.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 217 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
52
Employment rate53.2%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed53.2%Unemployed2.5%Retired31.9%Student2.9%Other inactive9.5%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial33.8%Skilled & technical36.5%Routine & elementary29.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications19.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.7%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.3%Level 3 (A levels)17.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)24.6%Apprenticeship7.4%Other (incl. vocational)3.2%
Home ownership73.6%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
61
Council tax Tendring · 2026-27
A £1,513
B £1,766
C £2,018
D £2,270
E £2,774
F £3,279
G £3,783
H £4,540
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
35
Alresford 3 mi
Great Bentley 3.1 mi
Wivenhoe 4.1 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
41
Pubs & Bars Ample 9
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 10
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 4
Retail Shopping Ample 45
Takeaways Adequate 5
Fitness Ample 11

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £270,000 72
Semi-detached £270,000 43
Terraced £231,500 11
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£145k £255k £369k £479k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Point Clear 24 1.5 mi away ⇄
Thorrington 45 1.8 mi away ⇄
St Osyth 24 2.5 mi away ⇄
East Mersea 0 2.9 mi away ⇄
Alresford 44 3.0 mi away ⇄
Great Bentley 49 3.3 mi away ⇄
High Park Corner 42 3.7 mi away ⇄
Seawick 22 3.8 mi away ⇄
Frating Green 44 4.1 mi away ⇄
Fingringhoe 44 4.2 mi away ⇄
Wivenhoe 52 4.3 mi away ⇄
Jaywick 46 4.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Brightlingsea a nice place to live?

Brightlingsea has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Brightlingsea is 43/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Brightlingsea?

Brightlingsea is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 83/100. There were 472 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Brightlingsea?

Among the top-rated schools in Brightlingsea are Brightlingsea Primary School and Nursery and Colne Community School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Brightlingsea in total.

What are house prices like in Brightlingsea?

The current median house price in Brightlingsea is £270,000, around 5% below the England and Wales average. By property type: semi-detached £270,000, terraced £231,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 8%. There were 72 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Brightlingsea in context

See the best places to live in Essex, ranked

Postcode districts in Brightlingsea

CO7 46 ⇄

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