Town Pop. 1,059

Living in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell: Liveability Score 44/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Brightwell-cum-Sotwell comes out at 44/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Economic health is where Brightwell-cum-Sotwell most outperforms the national norm: 84/100 against a median of 67/100 across UK towns. Furthest below the national norm is broadband, at 21/100 against a town median of 60/100.

Brightwell-cum-Sotwell places 8th of 12 in the OX10 postcode district. Its economic health score runs 9 points above the OX10 district's 75/100. Also scoring 80 or better: safety (94). The same breakdown for the wider area is on the OX10 postcode district.

44
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.

Brightwell-cum-Sotwell scores 44 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Brightwell-cum-Sotwell.
Or compare:
OX10 0AB OX10 1AS OX10 6AA OX10 7AA OX10 8AA OX10 9AA OX10

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
94
36.8 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 20 crimes
↓ 43% below national average
Other theft 4 crimes
↓ 39% below national average
Vehicle crime 4 crimes
↓ 21% below national average
Burglary 3 crimes
↓ 20% below national average
Other crime 2 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 6 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 King Henry Avenue 9 crimes
  2. 2 Greenmere 7 crimes
  3. 3 High Road 5 crimes

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

Environment
61
Air Quality NO₂ 5.99 · PM2.5 6.423 · PM10 10.538 µg/m³
74
Green Space 29
Parks Ample 5
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Adequate 5
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 2

Services

Schools
31
1 school in area · 10 within 4km
1Good
  • Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good

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

Healthcare
11
A&E departmentsJohn Radcliffe Hospital10.3 mi
Royal Berkshire Hospital13.8 mi
Stoke Mandeville Hospital19.5 mi
Hospital waitsBerkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust3.1 mi
Routine referral (median)4 wks
Treated within 18 weeks100%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99%
Nearest GP surgeryDr C P Hughes and Partners1.8 mi
GP capacity1,433 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

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
21
Full fibre (FTTP)68%
available across South Oxfordshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
40.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
40.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 50 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
84
Employment rate56.4%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed56.4%Unemployed1.4%Retired29.1%Student4.4%Other inactive8.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial53.4%Skilled & technical31.8%Routine & elementary14.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications10.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)7.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13%Level 3 (A levels)12.7%Level 4+ (degree & above)51.5%Apprenticeship2.6%Other (incl. vocational)2.1%
Home ownership82.4%
Among the least-deprived 11% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
33
Council tax South Oxfordshire · 2026-27
A £1,732
B £2,021
C £2,309
D £2,598
E £3,175
F £3,753
G £4,330
H £5,196
Energy Southern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Thames Water
Average bill regional £489/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
29
Cholsey 3 mi
Didcot Parkway 3.6 mi
Appleford 4 mi
J7 M40 8.8 mi
J8 M40 8.9 mi
J8A M40 9 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
24
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Wallingford 55 1.4 mi away ⇄
North Moreton 46 1.6 mi away ⇄
Warborough and Shillingford 45 1.7 mi away ⇄
South Moreton 39 2.2 mi away ⇄
Dorchester (South Oxfordshire) 46 2.2 mi away ⇄
Crowmarsh Gifford 29 2.3 mi away ⇄
Benson 46 2.8 mi away ⇄
Cholsey 47 2.8 mi away ⇄
Long Wittenham 45 2.9 mi away ⇄
Burcot (South Oxfordshire) 44 3.4 mi away ⇄
Aston Tirrold and Aston Upthorpe 46 3.4 mi away ⇄
Berinsfield 48 3.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Brightwell-cum-Sotwell a nice place to live?

Brightwell-cum-Sotwell has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Brightwell-cum-Sotwell is 44/100, 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 Brightwell-cum-Sotwell?

Brightwell-cum-Sotwell is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 94/100. There were 39 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell?

Among the top-rated schools in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell is Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell Church of England Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell in total.

Brightwell-cum-Sotwell in context

See the best places to live in Oxfordshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell

OX10 48 ⇄

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