Town Pop. 371,136

Living in Croydon: Liveability Score 68/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Croydon scores 68/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 90/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Safety falls furthest short: 41/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

Of the 3 places sharing the BR3 postcode district, Croydon scores lowest. It scores 7 points below the BR3 postcode district as a whole, which averages 75/100. That sits 18 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the BR3 postcode district.

68
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.

Croydon scores 68 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Croydon.
Or compare:
BR3 1AB BR3 3AA BR3 4AA BR3 5AA BR3 6AB BR3 9BW BR3 CR0 CR2 CR3

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
41
100.1 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 11,271 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 7,705 crimes
↑ 37% above national average
Vehicle crime 3,313 crimes
↑ 85% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 2,380 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 2,368 crimes
↓ 18% below national average
other 10,132 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Supermarket 2,161 crimes
  2. 2 Petrol Station 1,356 crimes
  3. 3 Parking Area 692 crimes

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

Environment
60
Air Quality NO₂ 13 · PM2.5 8.1 · PM10 12.6 µg/m³
64
Green Space 56
Parks Ample 188
Sports Pitches Ample 180
Allotments Ample 17
Golf Courses Ample 15
Tennis Courts Ample 108
Bowling Greens Ample 20
Playgrounds Ample 110

Services

Schools
90
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 169 in area
27Outstanding113Good9Requires Improvement20Ungraded
  • Beckmead Park AcademySpecial · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Beddington Park AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Bensham Manor SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Carew AcademySpecial · inspected 2020
    Outstanding
  • Chipstead Valley Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Fairchildes Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Granton Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Harris Academy MertonSecondary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Harris Aspire AcademyAlternative provision · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Harris Invictus Academy CroydonSecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding

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

Healthcare
90
A&E departmentsCroydon University Hospitalin area
St George's Hospital2.2 mi
St. Helier Hospital2.3 mi
Hospital waitsCroydon Health Services NHS Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks71.1%
A&E seen within 4 hrs79.4%
14 GP surgeries in area 16 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,736 patients per GP
28dentists20pharmacies

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
69
Full fibre (FTTP)56.9%
available across Croydon
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
88.3%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
88.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
97.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 6,533 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
42
Employment rate60.5%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed60.5%Unemployed4.7%Retired16.1%Student6%Other inactive12.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial43.3%Skilled & technical34%Routine & elementary22.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.3%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.3%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)12.5%Level 3 (A levels)14.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)40.4%Apprenticeship3.9%Other (incl. vocational)3%
Home ownership56.8%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
33
Council tax Croydon · 2026-27
A £1,733
B £2,022
C £2,311
D £2,600
E £3,178
F £3,756
G £4,333
H £5,200
Energy London region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Thames Water
Average bill regional £489/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
82
South Croydon 0.2 mi
Sanderstead 0.9 mi
East Croydon 1 mi
J7 M23 6.1 mi
J8 M23 6.6 mi
J7 M25 7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
76
Pubs & Bars Ample 94
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 309
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 227
Retail Shopping Ample 1142
Takeaways Ample 284
Fitness Ample 67

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £430,000 1,778
Detached £705,000 216
Semi-detached £540,000 397
Terraced £438,000 611
Flat / Maisonette £275,000 554
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£263k £447k £636k £820k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Whyteleafe 54 3.8 mi away ⇄
Warlingham 56 3.9 mi away ⇄
Sutton (Sutton) 74 4.0 mi away ⇄
Woldingham Garden Village 56 4.9 mi away ⇄
Chipstead and Woodmansterne 56 4.9 mi away ⇄
Caterham 53 5.3 mi away ⇄
Banstead 59 5.3 mi away ⇄
Netherne on-the-Hill 46 5.4 mi away ⇄
Hooley 42 5.6 mi away ⇄
Merton 77 5.7 mi away ⇄
Bromley 70 5.7 mi away ⇄
Woldingham 51 5.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Croydon a nice place to live?

Yes, Croydon is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Croydon is 68/100, 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 Croydon?

Croydon has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 41/100. There were 37,169 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Croydon?

Among the top-rated schools in Croydon are Beckmead Park Academy, Beddington Park Academy and Bensham Manor School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 169 rated schools in Croydon in total.

What are house prices like in Croydon?

The current median house price in Croydon is £430,000, around 51% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £705,000, semi-detached £540,000, terraced £438,000, flat £275,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 11%. There were 1,778 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Croydon in context

See where Croydon ranks among the best places to live in Greater London

Postcode districts in Croydon

BR3 75 ⇄
CR0 66 ⇄
CR2 68 ⇄
CR3 54 ⇄
CR4 73 ⇄
CR5 58 ⇄
CR6 53 ⇄
CR7 67 ⇄
CR8 62 ⇄
CR9 63 ⇄
CR90 61 ⇄
SE19 73 ⇄
SE25 70 ⇄
SW16 73 ⇄

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