City Pop. 47,902

Living in Canterbury: Liveability Score 50/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Canterbury is 50/100, built from 9 categories. Lifestyle is where Canterbury most outperforms the national norm: 76/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 14/100 versus a median of 88/100.

On the national picture that lands Canterbury in the middle half of all the places we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the CT1 postcode district.

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.

Canterbury scores 50 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Canterbury.

Or compare:

CT1 1AA CT1 2AA CT1 3AA CT1 9AB CT1 CT2 CT3 CT4

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

208.5 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 3,255 crimes

↑ 104% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 1,783 crimes

↑ 145% above national average

Shoplifting 1,588 crimes

↑ 326% above national average

Criminal damage and arson 818 crimes

↑ 151% above national average

Other theft 595 crimes

↑ 100% above national average

other 1,949 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Supermarket 706 crimes
2 Shopping Area 675 crimes
3 Bus/Coach Station 251 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 8 · PM2.5 6.8 · PM10 11.3 µg/m³

Green Space 54

Parks Ample 33

Sports Pitches Ample 70

Allotments Ample 6

Golf Courses Some 1

Tennis Courts Ample 29

Bowling Greens Adequate 2

Playgrounds Ample 30

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 19 in area · 21 within 4km

1Outstanding15Good1Requires Improvement2Ungraded

Blean Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Outstanding
Barton Court Grammar SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
Good
Parkside Community Foundation Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Pilgrims' Way Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
Good
St Anselm's Catholic School, CanterburySecondary · inspected 2023
Good
St Johns Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
St Nicholas' SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
Good
St Peter's Methodist Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
St Stephen's Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
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 departmentsEstuary View Medical Centre3.2 mi

WIlliam Harvey Hospital10 mi

William Harvey Hospital10 mi

Hospital waitsKent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi

Routine referral (median)5 wks

Treated within 18 weeks99.9%

A&E seen within 4 hrs99.1%

4 GP surgeries in area 5 within 4km best 'Good'

GP capacity1,808 patients per GP

12dentists8pharmacies

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)73.4%

available across Canterbury

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

73.7%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

73.3%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

96.1%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,128 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate48.7%

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

Economic activity (16+)

Employed48.7%Unemployed5.2%Retired17.4%Student18.2%Other inactive10.6%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial44.4%Skilled & technical29.9%Routine & elementary25.8%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications13.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)6.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)10.5%Level 3 (A levels)24.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)38.4%Apprenticeship3.3%Other (incl. vocational)2.5%

Home ownership48.2%

Around the England average for deprivation

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

Bills

Council tax Canterbury · 2026-27

A £1,613

B £1,881

C £2,150

D £2,419

E £2,957

F £3,494

G £4,032

H £4,838

Energy South East England region

Typical bill regional £1,641/yr

Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026

Typical home efficiency local EPC band C

Water Southern Water

Average bill regional £683/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Canterbury West 0.4 mi

Canterbury East 0.5 mi

Sturry 2.2 mi

J7 M2 6.8 mi

J7 M2 7.1 mi

J6 M2 8.3 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 56

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 146

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 62

Retail Shopping Ample 448

Takeaways Ample 75

Fitness Ample 23

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£290,000	264
Detached	£500,000	37
Semi-detached	£315,000	71
Terraced	£290,000	88
Flat / Maisonette	£202,500	68

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Canterbury a nice place to live?

Canterbury is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Canterbury is 50/100, 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 Canterbury?

Crime levels in Canterbury are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 14/100. There were 9,988 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Canterbury?

Among the top-rated schools in Canterbury are Blean Primary School, Barton Court Grammar School and Parkside Community Foundation Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 19 rated schools in Canterbury in total.

What are house prices like in Canterbury?

The current median house price in Canterbury is £290,000, in line with the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £500,000, semi-detached £315,000, terraced £290,000, flat £202,500. There were 264 sales recorded in the past 12 months.