Town Pop. 109,060

Living in Cheltenham: Liveability Score 69/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Cheltenham comes out at 69/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, transport stands out most: 81/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. Safety falls furthest short: 48/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

No category drops below 48/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. That is 19 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Lifestyle (80) sits at 80/100 or above. Wider context for the surrounding area: GL50 postcode district.

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.

Cheltenham scores 69 but individual postcodes tell the full story

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

Or compare:

GL50 1AD GL50 2AA GL50 3AB GL50 4AA GL50 9AD GL50 GL51 GL52 GL53

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

94.5 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 3,084 crimes

↓ 15% below national average

Anti-social behaviour 2,445 crimes

↑ 47% above national average

Shoplifting 1,208 crimes

↑ 42% above national average

Public order 666 crimes

≈ similar to national average

Criminal damage and arson 639 crimes

↓ 13% below national average

other 2,263 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Shopping Area 684 crimes
2 Parking Area 390 crimes
3 Supermarket 224 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 7.5 · PM2.5 6.4 · PM10 10.1 µg/m³

Green Space 61

Parks Ample 86

Sports Pitches Ample 209

Allotments Ample 24

Golf Courses Ample 3

Tennis Courts Ample 83

Bowling Greens Adequate 2

Playgrounds Ample 76

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 39 in area

4Outstanding30Good1Requires Improvement4Ungraded

Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Gloucestershire Hospital Education ServiceAlternative provision · inspected 2022
Outstanding
Pate's Grammar SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
Outstanding
The High School LeckhamptonSecondary · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Battledown SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
Good
Belmont SchoolSpecial · inspected 2025
Good
Benhall Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Bettridge SchoolSpecial · inspected 2022
Good
Charlton Kings Infants' SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Charlton Kings Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good

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

Healthcare

A&E departmentsGloucestershire Royal Hospital4.1 mi

Lydney & District Hospital20.2 mi

Hereford County Hospital26.7 mi

Hospital waitsGloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi

Routine referral (median)9 wks

Treated within 18 weeks74.5%

A&E seen within 4 hrs64.6%

12 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'

GP capacity1,829 patients per GP

30dentists23pharmacies

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)83.4%

available across Cheltenham

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

92.6%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

93.5%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

99.5%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 3,301 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate59.5%

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

Economic activity (16+)

Employed59.5%Unemployed2.7%Retired23.1%Student5.4%Other inactive9.2%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial45.8%Skilled & technical30.8%Routine & elementary23.3%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications13.6%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)12.6%Level 3 (A levels)16.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)42.6%Apprenticeship4.5%Other (incl. vocational)2.5%

Home ownership63.9%

Among the least-deprived 31% of areas in England

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

Bills

Council tax Cheltenham · 2026-27

A £1,580

B £1,843

C £2,107

D £2,370

E £2,897

F £3,423

G £3,950

H £4,740

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 Severn Trent Water

Average bill regional £424/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Cheltenham Spa 0.6 mi

Gloucester 6.9 mi

Ashchurch for Tewkesbury 7.2 mi

J11 M5 2.8 mi

J11 M5 2.9 mi

J10 M5 3.3 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 98

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 228

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 96

Retail Shopping Ample 912

Takeaways Ample 104

Fitness Ample 94

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£325,000	995
Detached	£630,000	157
Semi-detached	£375,000	290
Terraced	£303,000	297
Flat / Maisonette	£205,000	251

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Cheltenham a nice place to live?

Yes, Cheltenham is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Cheltenham is 69/100, 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 Cheltenham?

Cheltenham has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 48/100. There were 10,305 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Cheltenham?

Among the top-rated schools in Cheltenham are Christ Church CofE Primary School, Gloucestershire Hospital Education Service and Pate's Grammar School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 39 rated schools in Cheltenham in total.

What are house prices like in Cheltenham?

The current median house price in Cheltenham is £325,000, around 14% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £630,000, semi-detached £375,000, terraced £303,000, flat £205,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 17%. There were 995 sales recorded in the past 12 months.