Town Pop. 14,043

Living in Cowes: Liveability Score 58/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Cowes is 58/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is broadband: 96/100 against a national town median of 60/100. Bills falls furthest short: 26/100 where the typical UK town reaches 47/100.

Against the wider PO31 district average of 50/100, that is 8 points above. Its broadband score runs 45 points above the PO31 district's 51/100. That is 8 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 10% of all UK towns and villages. For the surrounding area, see PO31 postcode district.

58
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.

Cowes scores 58 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Cowes.
Or compare:
PO31 7AA PO31 8AA PO31

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
89
50.3 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 363 crimes
↓ 23% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 70 crimes
↓ 67% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 67 crimes
↓ 29% below national average
Public order 67 crimes
↓ 26% below national average
Other theft 49 crimes
↓ 44% below national average
other 91 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 High Street 20 crimes
  2. 2 Cockleton Lane 20 crimes
  3. 3 Mountbatten Avenue 20 crimes

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

Environment
66
Air Quality NO₂ 6.1 · PM2.5 5.6 · PM10 8.4 µg/m³
77
Green Space 42
Parks Ample 15
Sports Pitches Ample 9
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Ample 7
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Ample 7

Services

Schools
27
5 schools in area · 6 within 4km
3Good1Requires Improvement1Ungraded
  • Cowes Enterprise College, An Ormiston AcademySecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Gurnard Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Northwood Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Holy Cross Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Requires Improvement
  • Lanesend Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    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
42
A&E departmentsGosport War Memorial Minor Injuries Unit6.8 mi
Hythe Hospital7.4 mi
St Mary’s NHS Treatment Centre10.5 mi
Hospital waitsHampshire And Isle Of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks70%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.3%
1 GP surgery in area 2 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,274 patients per GP
3dentists2pharmacies

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
96
Full fibre (FTTP)87.1%
available across Isle of Wight
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
97.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
97.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 387 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
53
Employment rate55.3%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55.3%Unemployed2.9%Retired29.4%Student3.1%Other inactive9.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial40.3%Skilled & technical34%Routine & elementary25.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications13.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.3%Level 3 (A levels)18.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)35%Apprenticeship7.3%Other (incl. vocational)2.4%
Home ownership70.6%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
26
Council tax Isle of Wight · 2026-27
A £1,751
B £2,042
C £2,334
D £2,626
E £3,210
F £3,793
G £4,377
H £5,252
Energy Southern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Southern Water
Average bill regional £683/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
52
Ryde Pier Head 6.6 mi
Ryde Esplanade 6.8 mi
Ryde St John's Road 7 mi
J9 M27 8.6 mi
J9 M27 8.7 mi
J10 M27 9.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
56
Pubs & Bars Ample 19
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 33
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 8
Retail Shopping Ample 100
Takeaways Adequate 6
Fitness Ample 18

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £292,000 133
Detached £391,250 30
Semi-detached £276,250 40
Terraced £296,500 41
Flat / Maisonette £185,000 22
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£177k £329k £485k £637k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

East Cowes 49 1.2 mi away ⇄
Great Thorness 0 2.7 mi away ⇄
Newport (Isle of Wight) 49 3.7 mi away ⇄
Wootton (Isle of Wight) 36 3.8 mi away ⇄
Fishbourne (Isle of Wight) 45 4.6 mi away ⇄
Ower (Fawley) 0 4.7 mi away ⇄
Blackfield and Langley 41 5.0 mi away ⇄
Havenstreet 45 5.5 mi away ⇄
Hook Park Estate 0 6.0 mi away ⇄
Shalfleet 41 6.0 mi away ⇄
Holbury 45 6.1 mi away ⇄
Lee-on-the-Solent 64 6.1 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Cowes a nice place to live?

Cowes is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Cowes 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 Cowes?

Cowes is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 89/100. There were 707 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Cowes?

Among the top-rated schools in Cowes are Cowes Enterprise College, An Ormiston Academy, Gurnard Primary School and Northwood Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 5 rated schools in Cowes in total.

What are house prices like in Cowes?

The current median house price in Cowes is £292,000, in line with the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £391,250, semi-detached £276,250, terraced £296,500, flat £185,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 16%. There were 133 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Cowes in context

See where Cowes ranks among the best places to live in Isle of Wight

Postcode districts in Cowes

PO31 50 ⇄

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