Town Pop. 1,686

Living in Charminster: Liveability Score 41/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Charminster scores 41/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Broadband is where Charminster most outperforms the national norm: 94/100 against a median of 60/100 across UK towns. Furthest below the national norm is bills, at 25/100 against a town median of 47/100.

That makes it the 9th highest-scoring of the 22 places in the DT2 postcode district. The DT2 district averages 36/100, putting Charminster 5 points above its own postcode area. On broadband specifically, Charminster sits 70 points above the DT2 district figure of 24/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: DT2 postcode district.

41
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.

Charminster scores 41 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Charminster.
Or compare:
DT2 0AA DT2 7AA DT2 8AA DT2 9AA DT2

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
94
83 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 74 crimes
↑ 32% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 19 crimes
↓ 26% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 12 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Public order 10 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 7 crimes
↓ 32% below national average
other 18 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Church Lane 13 crimes
  2. 2 Bockhampton Lane 12 crimes
  3. 3 Parking Area 9 crimes

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

Environment
58
Air Quality NO₂ 6.187 · PM2.5 5.211 · PM10 8.984 µg/m³
78
Green Space 11
Parks Ample 6
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses Ample 3
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
4
1 school in area · 8 within 4km
1Ungraded
  • St Mary's Church of England First School, CharminsterPrimary
    Ungraded

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
11
A&E departmentsYeovil Hospital16 mi
Poole General Hospital20.8 mi
Royal Bournemouth Hospital27.4 mi
Hospital waitsDorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust1.2 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.7%
A&E seen within 4 hrs61.2%
Nearest GP surgeryThe Prince of Wales Surgery1.4 mi
GP capacity2,505 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
94
Full fibre (FTTP)70.9%
available across Dorset
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
94.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
94.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 42 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
68
Employment rate52.9%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed52.9%Unemployed2%Retired33.9%Student2.8%Other inactive8.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial44.1%Skilled & technical34.5%Routine & elementary21.5%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications13.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.7%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.6%Level 3 (A levels)17.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)37.4%Apprenticeship5.4%Other (incl. vocational)3%
Home ownership71.3%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
25
Council tax Dorset · 2026-27
A £1,843
B £2,151
C £2,458
D £2,765
E £3,379
F £3,994
G £4,608
H £5,530
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 C
Water Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
5
Dorchester West 1.8 mi
Dorchester South 2 mi
Maiden Newton 5.8 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
11
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £430,000 14
5-year monthly trend
All Detached
£348k £424k £502k £579k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Charlton Down 42 1.2 mi away ⇄
Dorchester (Dorset) 58 1.8 mi away ⇄
Stinsford, Lower Bockhampton and Kingston Maurward 47 2.6 mi away ⇄
Winterborne St Martin 36 3.1 mi away ⇄
Piddlehinton 37 3.6 mi away ⇄
Piddletrenthide 42 4.6 mi away ⇄
West Knighton 42 4.8 mi away ⇄
Puddletown 37 5.0 mi away ⇄
Broadmayne 41 5.0 mi away ⇄
Sydling St Nicholas 35 5.0 mi away ⇄
Cerne Abbas 42 5.2 mi away ⇄
Maiden Newton 34 5.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Charminster a nice place to live?

Charminster has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Charminster is 41/100, 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 Charminster?

Charminster is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 94/100. There were 140 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are house prices like in Charminster?

The current median house price in Charminster is £430,000, around 51% above the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 5%.

Charminster in context

See the best places to live in Dorset, ranked

Postcode districts in Charminster

DT2 36 ⇄

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