Town Pop. 40,493

Living in Bury St Edmunds: Liveability Score 63/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Bury St Edmunds comes out at 63/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 77/100 against a national town median of 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 58/100 versus a median of 88/100.

That is the highest score of the 7 places in the IP29 postcode district. No category drops below 50/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. It scores 17 points above the IP29 postcode district as a whole, which averages 46/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: IP29 postcode district.

OUT OF 100

Average

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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.

Bury St Edmunds scores 63 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Bury St Edmunds.

Or compare:

IP29 4AA IP29 5AA IP29 IP30 IP31 IP32

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

90.2 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 1,603 crimes

↑ 19% above national average

Shoplifting 368 crimes

↑ 17% above national average

Criminal damage and arson 319 crimes

↑ 16% above national average

Public order 317 crimes

↑ 20% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 254 crimes

↓ 59% below national average

other 790 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Parking Area 288 crimes
2 Supermarket 145 crimes
3 Hospital 105 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 8.6 · PM2.5 7.3 · PM10 12.9 µg/m³

Green Space 81

Parks Ample 86

Sports Pitches Ample 49

Allotments Ample 6

Golf Courses Adequate 2

Tennis Courts Ample 18

Bowling Greens Ample 6

Playgrounds Ample 30

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 19 in area · 20 within 4km

1Outstanding13Good1Requires Improvement1Inadequate3Ungraded

Priory SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Abbots Green Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Bury St Edmunds County High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
Good
First Base Bury St EdmundsAlternative provision · inspected 2023
Good
Guildhall Feoffment Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
Good
Hardwick Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
King Edward VI CEVC SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
Good
Riverwalk SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
Good
Sebert Wood Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
St Benedict's Catholic SchoolSecondary · 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

A&E departmentsRAF Lakenheath Medical Hospital10.6 mi

Ipswich Hospital21.8 mi

Urgent Care Cambridge22.9 mi

Hospital waitsWest Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi

Routine referral (median)11 wks

Treated within 18 weeks66%

A&E seen within 4 hrs78.1%

5 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'

GP capacity1,336 patients per GP

9dentists10pharmacies

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

Full fibre (FTTP)72.9%

available across West Suffolk

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

96.8%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

97.3%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

99.6%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,015 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate58.3%

Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+

Economic activity (16+)

Employed58.3%Unemployed2.4%Retired26.6%Student3.3%Other inactive9.4%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial40.5%Skilled & technical30.8%Routine & elementary28.7%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications17.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.6%Level 3 (A levels)15.6%Level 4+ (degree & above)33.4%Apprenticeship5.8%Other (incl. vocational)3.2%

Home ownership60.6%

Among the least-deprived 36% of areas in England

Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD

Bills

Council tax West Suffolk · 2026-27

A £1,567

B £1,829

C £2,090

D £2,351

E £2,873

F £3,396

G £3,918

H £4,702

Energy Eastern England region

Typical bill regional £1,641/yr

Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026

Typical home efficiency local EPC band C

Water Anglian Water

Average bill regional £498/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Bury St Edmunds 0.5 mi

Thurston 3.9 mi

Elmswell 8.3 mi

J9A M11 24.9 mi

J9A M11 25.5 mi

J9 M11 26 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 31

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 89

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 30

Retail Shopping Ample 410

Takeaways Ample 47

Fitness Ample 25

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£285,000	380
Detached	£425,000	92
Semi-detached	£284,500	102
Terraced	£265,000	134
Flat / Maisonette	£170,000	52

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Bury St Edmunds a nice place to live?

Bury St Edmunds is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Bury St Edmunds is 63/100, 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 Bury St Edmunds?

Bury St Edmunds has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 58/100. There were 3,651 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Bury St Edmunds?

Among the top-rated schools in Bury St Edmunds are Priory School, Abbots Green Primary Academy and Bury St Edmunds County High School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 19 rated schools in Bury St Edmunds in total.

What are house prices like in Bury St Edmunds?

The current median house price in Bury St Edmunds is £285,000, in line with the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £425,000, semi-detached £284,500, terraced £265,000, flat £170,000. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 5%. There were 380 sales recorded in the past 12 months.