Town

Living in Darvel: Liveability Score 38/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Darvel scores 38/100 overall, across 8 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is bills: 71/100 against a national town median of 47/100. Furthest below the national norm is broadband, at 39/100 against a town median of 60/100.

That sits 12 points below the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the bottom quarter of the towns and villages we score. Also scoring 80 or better: environment (82). Below 30/100: lifestyle (11), transport (13) and schools (15). For the surrounding area, see KA17 postcode district.

38
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.

Darvel scores 38 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Darvel.
Or compare:
KA17 0AA KA17

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
—

Crime is scored from the last 12 months of police street-level data. Police Scotland does not publish this, and there is no Scottish equivalent of the Police UK open data service, so crime has been left out of the score for this area. This is a gap in published data, not a sign of low crime.

Environment
82
Air Quality NO₂ 2.9 · PM2.5 4.3 · PM10 7.1 µg/m³
84
Green Space 77
Parks Adequate 3
Sports Pitches Adequate 2
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Some 2

Services

Schools
15
1 school in area
1Good
  • Darvel Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2017
    Good
Healthcare
34
A&E departmentsCumberland Infirmary71.6 mi
Community Paramedic Service94.8 mi
Hexham General Hospital96.5 mi
Hospital waitsNorth Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust62.2 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.3%
A&E seen within 4 hrs62.6%
1 GP surgery in area
GP capacity1,577 patients per GP

A&E, dentist and pharmacy data, and CQC ratings, are currently available for England only, not Scotland.

Broadband
39
Full fibre (FTTP)76.7%
available across East Ayrshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
84.8%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
82%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 116 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
54
Employment rate54.5%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed54.8%Unemployed2.3%Retired30.5%Student3.6%Other inactive8.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial35.7%Skilled & technical36.1%Routine & elementary28.2%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications27.2%
Home ownership75.1%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
71
Council tax East Ayrshire · 2025-26
A £1,071
B £1,249
C £1,428
D £1,606
E £2,110
F £2,610
G £3,145
H £3,935
Energy South Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
13
Kilmarnock 8.5 mi
Auchinleck 9.8 mi
Kilmaurs 9.9 mi
J8 M77 7.2 mi
J8 M77 7.2 mi
J7 M77 7.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
11
Pubs & Bars None
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Darvel. HM Land Registry's Price Paid dataset covers England and Wales only. Scottish sales are recorded separately by Registers of Scotland, which we don't yet include. This is a gap in the data we hold, not a sign of an inactive market.

Nearby places

Newmilns 34 1.9 mi away ⇄
Galston 38 4.0 mi away ⇄
Crossroads 0 6.2 mi away ⇄
Hurlford 43 6.8 mi away ⇄
Fenwick 34 7.1 mi away ⇄
Catrine 34 7.6 mi away ⇄
Mauchline 37 7.6 mi away ⇄
Kilmarnock 55 8.4 mi away ⇄
Eaglesham 38 9.0 mi away ⇄
Strathaven 50 9.6 mi away ⇄
Auchinleck 48 9.6 mi away ⇄
Jackton 56 9.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Darvel a nice place to live?

Darvel has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Darvel is 38/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

What are the best schools in Darvel?

Among the top-rated schools in Darvel is Darvel Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Darvel in total.

Postcode districts in Darvel

KA17 39 ⇄

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