Town Pop. 1,309

Living in Dobcross: Liveability Score 53/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Dobcross comes out at 53/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Lifestyle is where Dobcross most outperforms the national norm: 77/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 18/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Among the 7 scored places sharing the OL3 postcode district, Dobcross ranks 4th. Its lifestyle score runs 14 points below the OL3 district's 91/100. Broadband (92) and economic health (83) also clear 80/100. For the surrounding area, see OL3 postcode district.

53
OUT OF 100
Average
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.

Dobcross scores 53 but individual postcodes tell the full story

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

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
18
111.6 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents · year ending Dec 2025

The police force covering this area doesn't publish street-level crime data, so this is a district-level estimate based on Home Office recorded-crime totals for Oldham. It's a different source from the rest of the map and can't be broken down by location or crime type.

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

Environment
78
Air Quality NO₂ 8.428 · PM2.5 6.659 · PM10 10.284 µg/m³
72
Green Space 95
Parks Ample 9
Sports Pitches Adequate 2
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
39
3 schools in area · 17 within 4km
2Good1Requires Improvement
  • Holy Trinity CofE Dobcross Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • St Chad's Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Saddleworth SchoolSecondary · 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
45
A&E departmentsThe Royal Oldham Hospital3.6 mi
North Manchester General Hospital8.2 mi
Fairfield Hospital9.6 mi
Hospital waitsNorthern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust0.9 mi
Routine referral (median)13 wks
Treated within 18 weeks59.4%
A&E seen within 4 hrs73.6%
Nearest GP surgerySaddleworth Medical Practice0.9 mi
GP capacity2,286 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
92
Full fibre (FTTP)93.8%
available across Oldham
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
95.8%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 54 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
83
Employment rate58%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed58%Unemployed2.1%Retired29.7%Student3.8%Other inactive6.5%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial53.4%Skilled & technical31%Routine & elementary15.6%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications11.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)7.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)12.1%Level 3 (A levels)16.6%Level 4+ (degree & above)44.7%Apprenticeship6.2%Other (incl. vocational)1.8%
Home ownership78.7%
Among the least-deprived 34% of areas in England
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
59
Greenfield 1.2 mi
Mossley 3 mi
Marsden 4.9 mi
J21 M62 4.9 mi
J1 A627(M) 5.1 mi
J22 M62 5.1 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
77
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping Some 2
Takeaways None
Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £432,500 12
5-year monthly trend
All
£266k £334k £405k £474k 2022 2023 2024 2025

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

Nearby places

Delph 46 0.8 mi away ⇄
Uppermill 51 0.8 mi away ⇄
Lees 70 2.1 mi away ⇄
Denshaw 44 2.6 mi away ⇄
Mossley 56 2.7 mi away ⇄
Shaw (Oldham) 61 3.6 mi away ⇄
Oldham 68 3.8 mi away ⇄
Royton 66 4.3 mi away ⇄
Newhey 56 4.5 mi away ⇄
Stalybridge 62 4.9 mi away ⇄
Marsden 49 4.9 mi away ⇄
Ashton-under-Lyne 65 5.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Dobcross a nice place to live?

Dobcross is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Dobcross is 53/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Dobcross?

Crime levels in Dobcross are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 18/100. There were 26,849 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Dobcross?

Among the top-rated schools in Dobcross are Holy Trinity CofE Dobcross Primary School and St Chad's Church of England Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in Dobcross in total.

What are house prices like in Dobcross?

The current median house price in Dobcross is £432,500, around 52% above the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 28%.

Dobcross in context

See the best places to live in Greater Manchester, ranked

Postcode districts in Dobcross

OL3 53 ⇄

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