City Pop. 82,293

Living in Chester: Liveability Score 67/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Chester scores 67/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 76/100 against a national town median of 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 59/100 versus a median of 88/100.

No other settlement in the CH1 postcode district scores higher. Chester leads all 5. Notably, nothing falls below 42/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. It scores 8 points above the CH1 postcode district as a whole, which averages 59/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the CH1 postcode district.

67
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.

Chester scores 67 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Chester.
Or compare:
CH1 1AB CH1 2AB CH1 3AA CH1 4AA CH1 5AA CH1 6AA CH1 9AE CH1 CH2 CH3 CH4

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
59
87.2 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 3,285 crimes
↑ 20% above national average
Public order 833 crimes
↑ 55% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 638 crimes
↓ 49% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 505 crimes
↓ 10% below national average
Shoplifting 498 crimes
↓ 22% below national average
other 1,419 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Hospital 475 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 321 crimes
  3. 3 Sports/Recreation Area 160 crimes

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

Environment
75
Air Quality NO₂ 8.1 · PM2.5 6 · PM10 9.7 µg/m³
74
Green Space 78
Parks Ample 61
Sports Pitches Ample 75
Allotments Ample 7
Golf Courses Ample 3
Tennis Courts Ample 19
Bowling Greens Ample 11
Playgrounds Ample 81

Services

Schools
57
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 36 in area
5Outstanding22Good4Requires Improvement5Ungraded
  • Acresfield AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Ancora House SchoolAlternative provision · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Boughton Heath AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Guilden Sutton CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Mill View Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Belgrave Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Cherry Grove Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Chester Blue Coat Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Chester International SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Christleton High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good

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

Healthcare
76
A&E departmentsCountess of Chester Hospitalin area
Royal Liverpool University Hospital12.8 mi
Warrington Hospital15.7 mi
Hospital waitsCountess Of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)10 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs61%
14 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,701 patients per GP
18dentists17pharmacies

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
71
Full fibre (FTTP)87.8%
available across Cheshire West and Chester
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
86.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
88.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 2,026 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
59
Employment rate56.9%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed56.9%Unemployed3.2%Retired23.4%Student5.8%Other inactive10.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial43.5%Skilled & technical29.8%Routine & elementary26.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications15.2%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)12.6%Level 3 (A levels)17.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)39.3%Apprenticeship5%Other (incl. vocational)2.4%
Home ownership64%
Among the least-deprived 37% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
42
Council tax Cheshire West and Chester · 2026-27
A £1,678
B £1,958
C £2,237
D £2,517
E £3,076
F £3,636
G £4,195
H £5,034
Energy Merseyside & North Wales 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

Transport
75
Chester 0.6 mi
Bache 1.1 mi
Capenhurst 5.1 mi
J12 M53 2.1 mi
J12 M53 2.2 mi
J11 M53 3.5 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
72
Pubs & Bars Ample 110
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 169
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 69
Retail Shopping Ample 560
Takeaways Ample 85
Fitness Ample 19

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £260,000 700
Detached £425,000 121
Semi-detached £290,000 241
Terraced £247,500 200
Flat / Maisonette £156,000 138
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£141k £256k £375k £490k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Moston 63 2.2 mi away ⇄
Littleton (Cheshire West and Chester) 60 2.4 mi away ⇄
Guilden Sutton 53 2.8 mi away ⇄
Mollington (Cheshire West and Chester) 49 2.8 mi away ⇄
Christleton and Waverton 54 2.9 mi away ⇄
Mickle Trafford 52 3.3 mi away ⇄
Saughall 48 3.4 mi away ⇄
Broughton (Flintshire) 56 3.8 mi away ⇄
Dodleston 33 4.3 mi away ⇄
Great Barrow 40 4.4 mi away ⇄
Tarvin 46 5.3 mi away ⇄
Garden City 46 5.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Chester a nice place to live?

Yes, Chester is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Chester is 67/100, 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 Chester?

Chester has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 59/100. There were 7,178 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Chester?

Among the top-rated schools in Chester are Acresfield Academy, Ancora House School and Boughton Heath Academy, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 36 rated schools in Chester in total.

What are house prices like in Chester?

The current median house price in Chester is £260,000, around 9% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £425,000, semi-detached £290,000, terraced £247,500, flat £156,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 10%. There were 700 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Chester in context

See where Chester ranks among the best places to live in Cheshire

Postcode districts in Chester

CH1 59 ⇄
CH2 64 ⇄
CH3 60 ⇄
CH4 61 ⇄
CH70 53 ⇄
CH88 62 ⇄
CH99 61 ⇄

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