Town Pop. 452

Living in Denshaw: Liveability Score 44/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Denshaw comes out at 44/100 on the 8 categories we can score here. Broadband is where Denshaw most outperforms the national norm: 94/100 against a median of 60/100 across UK towns. Of the 7 places sharing the OL3 postcode district, Denshaw scores lowest.

Against the wider OL3 district average of 53/100, that is 9 points below. On broadband specifically, Denshaw sits 40 points above the OL3 district figure of 54/100. Economic health (83) also clears 80/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the OL3 postcode district.

44
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.

Denshaw scores 44 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Denshaw.
Or compare:
OL3 5AA OL3 6AA OL3 7AA OL3

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
65
Air Quality NO₂ 7.5 · PM2.5 6.4 · PM10 9.8 µg/m³
73
Green Space 45
Parks None
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
18
1 school in area · 11 within 4km
1Requires Improvement
  • Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Requires Improvement

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

Healthcare
11
A&E departmentsThe Royal Oldham Hospital3.9 mi
Fairfield Hospital8.6 mi
North Manchester General Hospital8.8 mi
Hospital waitsNorthern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust2.5 mi
Routine referral (median)13 wks
Treated within 18 weeks59.4%
A&E seen within 4 hrs73.6%
Nearest GP surgeryDr Kiren Kaur2.5 mi
GP capacity1,755 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

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
94
Full fibre (FTTP)93.8%
available across Oldham
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
98.8%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
98.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.2%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 19 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
83
Employment rate61.9%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed61.9%Unemployed1.3%Retired26.5%Student4.6%Other inactive5.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial50.3%Skilled & technical36%Routine & elementary13.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications9.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)7.8%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)12.9%Level 3 (A levels)16.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)44%Apprenticeship7.5%Other (incl. vocational)1.8%
Home ownership81.8%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
34
Council tax Oldham · 2026-27
A £1,735
B £2,024
C £2,313
D £2,602
E £3,180
F £3,758
G £4,337
H £5,204
Energy North West England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water United Utilities
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
35
Greenfield 3.7 mi
Smithy Bridge 4.2 mi
Littleborough 4.3 mi
J21 M62 2.7 mi
J22 M62 2.8 mi
J22 M62 3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
42
Pubs & Bars Adequate 3
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Denshaw in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Delph 46 1.8 mi away ⇄
Shaw (Oldham) 61 2.3 mi away ⇄
Newhey 56 2.4 mi away ⇄
Dobcross 53 2.6 mi away ⇄
Milnrow 58 3.2 mi away ⇄
Uppermill 51 3.4 mi away ⇄
Lees 70 3.6 mi away ⇄
Royton 66 3.7 mi away ⇄
Littleborough 50 4.4 mi away ⇄
Oldham 68 4.5 mi away ⇄
Marsden 49 4.7 mi away ⇄
Mossley 56 5.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Denshaw a nice place to live?

Denshaw has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Denshaw is 44/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

Denshaw in context

See the best places to live in Greater Manchester, ranked

Postcode districts in Denshaw

OL3 53 ⇄

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