Town Pop. 5,897

Living in Cottenham: Liveability Score 43/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Cottenham is 43/100, built from 9 categories. Furthest below the national norm is healthcare, at 3/100 against a town median of 18/100. Cottenham places 8th of 11 in the CB24 postcode district.

Against the wider CB24 district average of 51/100, that is 8 points below. On the national picture that lands Cottenham in the middle half of all the places we score. For the surrounding area, see CB24 postcode district.

43
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.

Cottenham scores 43 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Cottenham.
Or compare:
CB24 1AA CB24 3AA CB24 4AA CB24 5AA CB24 6AB CB24 8AA CB24 9AB CB24

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
77
69.7 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 132 crimes
↓ 33% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 92 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Criminal damage and arson 55 crimes
↑ 37% above national average
Burglary 33 crimes
↑ 60% above national average
Other theft 18 crimes
↓ 50% below national average
other 81 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Rampton Road 38 crimes
  2. 2 B1049 25 crimes
  3. 3 Coolidge Close 18 crimes

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

Environment
56
Air Quality NO₂ 5.5 · PM2.5 7.1 · PM10 12.4 µg/m³
72
Green Space 19
Parks Ample 23
Sports Pitches Adequate 2
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 3

Services

Schools
36
3 schools in area · 7 within 4km
3Good
  • Cottenham Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Cottenham Village CollegeSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • The Centre SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Good

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
3
A&E departmentsUrgent Care Cambridge3.8 mi
Cambridge Biomedical Campus6.9 mi
RAF Lakenheath Medical Hospital18.6 mi
Hospital waitsCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust2.1 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs71.1%
Nearest GP surgeryFirs House Partnership2.7 mi
GP capacity1,251 patients per GP
2dentists1pharmacy

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
49
Full fibre (FTTP)58.3%
available across South Cambridgeshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
75.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
78.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.2%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 114 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
70
Employment rate61.3%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed61.3%Unemployed1.4%Retired25%Student4.9%Other inactive7.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial49.2%Skilled & technical31.3%Routine & elementary19.4%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications15%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)11.8%Level 3 (A levels)14.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)43%Apprenticeship5.4%Other (incl. vocational)2.7%
Home ownership73.9%
Among the least-deprived 30% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
38
Council tax South Cambridgeshire · 2026-27
A £1,691
B £1,972
C £2,254
D £2,536
E £3,100
F £3,663
G £4,227
H £5,072
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
33
Waterbeach 3.5 mi
Cambridge North 4.5 mi
Cambridge 6.4 mi
J31 M11 4.2 mi
J14 M11 4.6 mi
J13 M11 5.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
34
Pubs & Bars Adequate 5
Restaurants & Cafes Some 2
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 2
Retail Shopping Adequate 10
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness Adequate 2

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £375,000 49
Detached £560,000 23
Semi-detached £317,500 10
Terraced £302,500 14
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£277k £374k £474k £572k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Rampton (South Cambridgeshire) 41 1.5 mi away ⇄
Landbeach 35 2.3 mi away ⇄
Histon and Impington 59 2.6 mi away ⇄
Waterbeach 46 2.7 mi away ⇄
Longstanton and Northstowe 42 2.8 mi away ⇄
Oakington 41 3.0 mi away ⇄
Willingham 48 3.2 mi away ⇄
Milton (South Cambridgeshire) 51 3.4 mi away ⇄
Girton 60 4.0 mi away ⇄
Horningsea 29 4.1 mi away ⇄
Chittering 0 4.3 mi away ⇄
Over 55 4.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Cottenham a nice place to live?

Cottenham has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Cottenham is 43/100, 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 Cottenham?

Cottenham is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 77/100. There were 411 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Cottenham?

Among the top-rated schools in Cottenham are Cottenham Primary School, Cottenham Village College and The Centre School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in Cottenham in total.

What are house prices like in Cottenham?

The current median house price in Cottenham is £375,000, around 32% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £560,000, semi-detached £317,500, terraced £302,500. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 2%. There were 49 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Cottenham in context

See the best places to live in Cambridgeshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Cottenham

CB24 51 ⇄

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