City Pop. 412,452

Living in Bristol: Liveability Score 65/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Bristol scores 65/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Measured against other towns, lifestyle stands out most: 87/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 22/100 against a town median of 88/100.

That is 15 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Transport (81), broadband (81) and healthcare (80) also clear 80/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the BS1 postcode district.

65
OUT OF 100
Good
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.

Bristol scores 65 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Bristol.
Or compare:
BS1 1AD BS1 2AA BS1 3AD BS1 4AA BS1 5AA BS1 6AA BS1 9DA BS1 BS10 BS11 BS13

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
22
145 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 21,230 crimes
↑ 55% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 8,670 crimes
↑ 38% above national average
Public order 5,748 crimes
↑ 114% above national average
Shoplifting 5,471 crimes
↑ 71% above national average
Other theft 4,300 crimes
↑ 68% above national average
other 14,374 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 2,003 crimes
  2. 2 Shopping Area 1,910 crimes
  3. 3 Parking Area 1,754 crimes

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

Environment
72
Air Quality NO₂ 10.8 · PM2.5 6.5 · PM10 10.3 µg/m³
71
Green Space 76
Parks Ample 234
Sports Pitches Ample 265
Allotments Ample 84
Golf Courses Ample 8
Tennis Courts Ample 90
Bowling Greens Ample 25
Playgrounds Ample 164

Services

Schools
79
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 160 in area
8Outstanding111Good12Requires Improvement5Inadequate24Ungraded
  • Ashton Gate Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Beacon Rise Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Bishop Road Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Bristol Hospital Education ServiceAlternative provision · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Christ Church Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Elmlea Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Redcliffe Childrens Centre and Maintained Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • St Pauls Nursery School & Children's CentreNursery · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Air Balloon Hill Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Ashley Down Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Healthcare
80
A&E departmentsBristol Royal Infirmaryin area
Southmead Hospitalin area
St Michael's Hospitalin area
Hospital waitsRoyal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust0.7 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.7%
A&E seen within 4 hrs70.6%
19 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity3,696 patients per GP
46dentists38pharmacies

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
81
Full fibre (FTTP)81.4%
available across Bristol, City of
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
94.2%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
94.2%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
97.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 9,209 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
53
Employment rate61.9%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed61.9%Unemployed3.5%Retired15.2%Student8.7%Other inactive10.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial45.4%Skilled & technical28.7%Routine & elementary25.9%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications14.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)7.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)10.9%Level 3 (A levels)18.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)42.8%Apprenticeship4%Other (incl. vocational)2.2%
Home ownership55.3%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
27
Council tax Bristol · 2026-27
A £1,809
B £2,111
C £2,412
D £2,714
E £3,317
F £3,920
G £4,523
H £5,428
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 D
Water Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
81
Bristol Temple Meads 0.8 mi
Montpelier 0.8 mi
Redland 0.8 mi
J3 M32 0.8 mi
J3 M32 1.3 mi
J2 M32 1.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
87
Pubs & Bars Ample 396
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 834
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 388
Retail Shopping Ample 2485
Takeaways Ample 470
Fitness Ample 169

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £362,250 2,739
Detached £600,000 141
Semi-detached £385,000 575
Terraced £390,000 1,188
Flat / Maisonette £270,000 835
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£235k £390k £551k £706k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Leigh Woods 55 1.8 mi away ⇄
Abbots Leigh 60 3.0 mi away ⇄
Long Ashton 51 3.4 mi away ⇄
Filton 64 3.9 mi away ⇄
Whitchurch (Bath and North East Somerset) 62 3.9 mi away ⇄
Kingswood and Fishponds 66 4.0 mi away ⇄
Stoke Gifford 74 4.1 mi away ⇄
Failand 49 4.2 mi away ⇄
Pill 54 4.3 mi away ⇄
Dundry 51 4.5 mi away ⇄
Barrow Gurney 0 4.6 mi away ⇄
Hambrook (South Gloucestershire) 49 4.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Bristol a nice place to live?

Yes, Bristol is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Bristol is 65/100, placing it among one of the better-scoring areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Bristol?

Crime levels in Bristol are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 22/100. There were 59,793 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Bristol?

Among the top-rated schools in Bristol are Ashton Gate Primary School, Beacon Rise Primary School and Bishop Road Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 160 rated schools in Bristol in total.

What are house prices like in Bristol?

The current median house price in Bristol is £362,250, around 27% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £600,000, semi-detached £385,000, terraced £390,000, flat £270,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 16%. There were 2,739 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Postcode districts in Bristol

BS1 63 ⇄
BS10 56 ⇄
BS11 48 ⇄
BS13 57 ⇄
BS14 59 ⇄
BS15 66 ⇄
BS16 64 ⇄
BS2 64 ⇄
BS3 69 ⇄
BS4 65 ⇄
BS41 51 ⇄
BS5 64 ⇄
BS6 75 ⇄
BS7 70 ⇄
BS8 71 ⇄
BS9 67 ⇄
BS98 63 ⇄
BS99 57 ⇄

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