Town Pop. 4,546

Living in Darley Dale: Liveability Score 47/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Darley Dale scores 47/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. The biggest shortfall against other towns is broadband: 28/100 versus a median of 60/100. That makes it the 8th highest-scoring of the 14 places in the DE4 postcode district.

Also scoring 80 or better: safety (87). Below 30/100: transport (25), healthcare (28) and lifestyle (29). That puts Darley Dale in the middle half of the UK towns and villages we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: DE4 postcode district.

47
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.

Loading map…

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.

Darley Dale scores 47 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Darley Dale.
Or compare:
DE4 2AA DE4 3AA DE4 4AA DE4 5AA DE4 9AD DE4

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
87
83.4 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 155 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 79 crimes
↑ 14% above national average
Other theft 34 crimes
↑ 21% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 28 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Public order 23 crimes
↓ 22% below national average
other 60 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Poppy Fields Close 25 crimes
  2. 2 Columbell Way 21 crimes
  3. 3 Lime Grove 21 crimes

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

Environment
67
Air Quality NO₂ 7 · PM2.5 6.4 · PM10 10.3 µg/m³
74
Green Space 49
Parks Ample 8
Sports Pitches Adequate 3
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 6

Services

Schools
33
3 schools in area · 7 within 4km
3Good
  • Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Darley Dale Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Rowsley CofE (Controlled) Primary SchoolPrimary · 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
28
A&E departmentsKings Mill Hospital14.1 mi
Sheffield Children's Hospital A&E14.6 mi
Royal Derby Hospital16.8 mi
Hospital waitsChesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust1.3 mi
Routine referral (median)15 wks
Treated within 18 weeks54.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs74.2%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,051 patients per GP
0dentists1pharmacy

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
28
Full fibre (FTTP)59.2%
available across Derbyshire Dales
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
60.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
60.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
97.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 109 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
65
Employment rate53%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed53%Unemployed1.4%Retired34.4%Student2.9%Other inactive8.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial40%Skilled & technical33.9%Routine & elementary26.1%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.3%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.2%Level 3 (A levels)15.7%Level 4+ (degree & above)36.3%Apprenticeship5.6%Other (incl. vocational)2.2%
Home ownership73.4%
Among the least-deprived 33% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
50
Council tax Derbyshire Dales · 2026-27
A £1,630
B £1,902
C £2,173
D £2,445
E £2,988
F £3,532
G £4,075
H £4,890
Energy East Midlands 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

Transport
25
Matlock 2.4 mi
Matlock Bath 3.3 mi
Cromford 4.1 mi
J29 M1 11.3 mi
J29 M1 11.5 mi
J28 M1 11.7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
29
Pubs & Bars Adequate 3
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 8
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 4
Retail Shopping Adequate 13
Takeaways Some 3
Fitness None

Places like Darley Dale Pro

Pick the categories you want to beat. Pro members see the most similar settlements that score higher in all of them.

Find somewhere like Darley Dale, but with a higher score in …

ProSimilar settlements is a Pro featureUpgrade to Pro

House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £337,500 36
Detached £425,000 13
Terraced £238,750 12
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£175k £279k £387k £492k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Rowsley 40 2.0 mi away ⇄
Matlock 51 2.3 mi away ⇄
Winster 43 2.6 mi away ⇄
Bonsall 43 3.2 mi away ⇄
Matlock Bath 42 3.4 mi away ⇄
Tansley 52 3.7 mi away ⇄
Youlgreave 36 4.0 mi away ⇄
Cromford 52 4.3 mi away ⇄
Middleton (Derbyshire Dales) 53 4.6 mi away ⇄
Ashover 44 4.6 mi away ⇄
Bakewell 48 4.8 mi away ⇄
Holloway (Amber Valley) 45 5.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Darley Dale a nice place to live?

Darley Dale has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Darley Dale is 47/100, 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 Darley Dale?

Darley Dale is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 87/100. There were 379 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Darley Dale?

Among the top-rated schools in Darley Dale are Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School, Darley Dale Primary School and Rowsley CofE (Controlled) Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in Darley Dale in total.

What are house prices like in Darley Dale?

The current median house price in Darley Dale is £337,500, around 18% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £425,000, terraced £238,750. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 22%. There were 36 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Darley Dale in context

See the best places to live in Derbyshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Darley Dale

DE4 47 ⇄

Check your exact postcode

Get a personalised score for any UK postcode, tailored to what matters most to you.

Score my postcode