Town Pop. 10,456

Living in Desborough: Liveability Score 49/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Desborough is 49/100, built from 9 categories. Broadband is where Desborough most outperforms the national norm: 90/100 against a median of 60/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 67/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Desborough places 6th of 20 in the NN14 postcode district. On broadband specifically, Desborough sits 36 points above the NN14 district figure of 54/100. That puts Desborough in the middle half of the UK towns and villages we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: NN14 postcode district.

49
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.

Desborough scores 49 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Desborough.
Or compare:
NN14 1AA NN14 2AA NN14 3AA NN14 4AA NN14 6AA NN14

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
67
88.7 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 357 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 249 crimes
↑ 57% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 66 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Vehicle crime 46 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 46 crimes
↓ 29% below national average
other 163 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Hanwood Park Avenue 67 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 56 crimes
  3. 3 Liner'S Yard 29 crimes

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

Environment
56
Air Quality NO₂ 6.9 · PM2.5 6.8 · PM10 11.4 µg/m³
72
Green Space 17
Parks Ample 7
Sports Pitches Ample 11
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 3

Services

Schools
46
3 schools in area · 6 within 4km
1Outstanding2Good
  • Havelock Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Havelock Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Loatlands Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good

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

Healthcare
14
A&E departmentsKettering General Hospital3.5 mi
Northampton General Hospital13.9 mi
Leicester Royal Infirmary17.6 mi
Hospital waitsUniversity Hospitals Coventry And Warwickshire NHS Trust3 mi
Routine referral (median)14 wks
Treated within 18 weeks59.4%
A&E seen within 4 hrs76.3%
Nearest GP surgeryRothwell and Desborough Healthcare Group1.3 mi
GP capacity2,503 patients per GP
1dentist2pharmacies

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
90
Full fibre (FTTP)88.1%
available across North Northamptonshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
97.1%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
97%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 209 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
60
Employment rate61.4%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed61.4%Unemployed1.8%Retired24.6%Student3.1%Other inactive9.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial37.1%Skilled & technical34.7%Routine & elementary28.1%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.6%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16.2%Level 3 (A levels)18.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)27.9%Apprenticeship6.4%Other (incl. vocational)2.9%
Home ownership73.4%
Among the least-deprived 40% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
52
Council tax North Northamptonshire · 2026-27
A £1,616
B £1,885
C £2,155
D £2,424
E £2,963
F £3,501
G £4,040
H £4,848
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
32
Market Harborough 4.6 mi
Kettering 5.1 mi
Corby 6.4 mi
J19 M1 15.3 mi
J19 M1 15.4 mi
J18 M1 15.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
45
Pubs & Bars Adequate 7
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 9
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 6
Retail Shopping Adequate 14
Takeaways Ample 11
Fitness Adequate 2

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £260,000 88
Detached £336,000 38
Semi-detached £232,000 31
Terraced £221,000 17
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£167k £227k £288k £348k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Rothwell (North Northamptonshire) 50 1.6 mi away ⇄
Rushton 55 2.4 mi away ⇄
Braybrooke 34 2.5 mi away ⇄
Wilbarston 37 3.0 mi away ⇄
Loddington 44 3.2 mi away ⇄
Ashley (North Northamptonshire) 37 4.6 mi away ⇄
Mawsley Village 50 4.7 mi away ⇄
Cottingham and Middleton 46 4.9 mi away ⇄
Market Harborough 56 4.9 mi away ⇄
Great Bowden 53 5.0 mi away ⇄
Broughton (North Northamptonshire) 42 5.2 mi away ⇄
Maidwell 33 5.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Desborough a nice place to live?

Desborough has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Desborough is 49/100, 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 Desborough?

Desborough has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 67/100. There were 927 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Desborough?

Among the top-rated schools in Desborough are Havelock Infant School, Havelock Junior School and Loatlands Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in Desborough in total.

What are house prices like in Desborough?

The current median house price in Desborough is £260,000, around 9% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £336,000, semi-detached £232,000, terraced £221,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 13%. There were 88 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Desborough in context

See where Desborough ranks among the best places to live in Northamptonshire

Postcode districts in Desborough

NN14 46 ⇄

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