City Pop. 73,765

Living in Carlisle: Liveability Score 58/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Carlisle is 58/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is transport: 69/100 against a national town median of 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 31/100 versus a median of 88/100.

That is 8 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 10% of all UK towns and villages. Also scoring 80 or better: broadband (90). The same breakdown for the wider area is on the CA1 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.

Carlisle scores 58 but individual postcodes tell the full story

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

Or compare:

CA1 1AA CA1 2AA CA1 3AA CA1 9AQ CA1 CA2 CA3 CA6

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

118.9 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 3,779 crimes

↑ 54% above national average

Public order 964 crimes

↑ 102% above national average

Criminal damage and arson 834 crimes

↑ 66% above national average

Shoplifting 794 crimes

↑ 38% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 622 crimes

↓ 45% below national average

other 1,779 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Supermarket 299 crimes
2 Shopping Area 290 crimes
3 The Crescent 240 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 4.9 · PM2.5 4.8 · PM10 7.7 µg/m³

Green Space 54

Parks Ample 103

Sports Pitches Ample 65

Allotments Ample 50

Golf Courses Some 1

Tennis Courts Ample 11

Bowling Greens Ample 8

Playgrounds Ample 58

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 30 in area

1Outstanding23Good6Ungraded

James Rennie SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Belle Vue Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
Good
Brook Street Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Caldew Lea SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Cummersdale SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Gillford CentreAlternative provision · inspected 2023
Good
Houghton CofE SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Inglewood Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Inglewood Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Kingmoor Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
Good

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

Healthcare

A&E departmentsCumberland Infirmaryin area

Hexham General Hospital31.9 mi

Community Paramedic Service48 mi

Hospital waitsNorth Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust0.1 mi

Routine referral (median)12 wks

Treated within 18 weeks64.3%

A&E seen within 4 hrs62.6%

6 GP surgeries in area best 'Outstanding'

GP capacity3,846 patients per GP

19dentists14pharmacies

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)73.1%

available across Cumberland

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

95.8%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

96.1%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

99.7%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,787 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate57.9%

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

Economic activity (16+)

Employed57.9%Unemployed2.9%Retired23.7%Student3.7%Other inactive11.8%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial28.9%Skilled & technical30.9%Routine & elementary40.1%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications21.6%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.7%Level 3 (A levels)17.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)25.4%Apprenticeship7.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%

Home ownership63.2%

Around the England average for deprivation

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

Bills

Council tax Cumberland · 2026-27

A £1,674

B £1,953

C £2,232

D £2,511

E £3,069

F £3,627

G £4,185

H £5,022

Energy North 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 United Utilities

Average bill regional £456/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Carlisle 0.3 mi

Dalston 3.9 mi

Wetheral 4.3 mi

J43 M6 2.1 mi

J44 M6 2.5 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 55

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 84

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 42

Retail Shopping Ample 347

Takeaways Ample 80

Fitness Ample 9

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£160,000	655
Detached	£282,500	108
Semi-detached	£175,000	253
Terraced	£130,000	240
Flat / Maisonette	£105,000	54

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Carlisle a nice place to live?

Carlisle is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Carlisle is 58/100, 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 Carlisle?

Carlisle has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 31/100. There were 8,772 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Carlisle?

Among the top-rated schools in Carlisle are James Rennie School, Belle Vue Primary School and Brook Street Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 30 rated schools in Carlisle in total.

What are house prices like in Carlisle?

The current median house price in Carlisle is £160,000, around 44% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £282,500, semi-detached £175,000, terraced £130,000, flat £105,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 17%. There were 655 sales recorded in the past 12 months.