City Pop. 13,625

Living in Ely: Liveability Score 52/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Ely is 52/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 60/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Safety falls furthest short: 46/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

No other settlement in the CB6 postcode district scores higher. Ely leads all 13. Against the wider CB6 district average of 45/100, that is 7 points above. On lifestyle specifically, Ely sits 19 points above the CB6 district figure of 41/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: CB6 postcode district.

52
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.

Ely scores 52 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Ely.
Or compare:
CB6 1AA CB6 2AA CB6 3AA CB6 CB7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
46
101.3 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 458 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 296 crimes
↑ 43% above national average
Shoplifting 178 crimes
↑ 68% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 97 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 83 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 268 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Parking Area 264 crimes
  2. 2 Market Street 76 crimes
  3. 3 Newnham Street 64 crimes

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

Environment
66
Air Quality NO₂ 5.9 · PM2.5 7.1 · PM10 12.4 µg/m³
72
Green Space 52
Parks Ample 51
Sports Pitches Ample 11
Allotments Ample 4
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Ample 7
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Ample 25

Services

Schools
36
7 schools in area · 9 within 4km
5Good2Ungraded
  • Ely St Mary's CofE Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Highfield Ely AcademySpecial · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Isle of Ely Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Lantern Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Spring Meadow Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Ely CollegeSecondary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded
  • Ely St John's Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Ungraded

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

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

Healthcare
41
A&E departmentsRAF Lakenheath Medical Hospital10.9 mi
Urgent Care Cambridge12.7 mi
Cambridge Biomedical Campus15.6 mi
Hospital waitsCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs71.1%
2 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,034 patients per GP
6dentists4pharmacies

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
85
Full fibre (FTTP)78.3%
available across East Cambridgeshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
94.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.2%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.5%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 402 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
72
Employment rate61.5%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed61.5%Unemployed2.7%Retired24.3%Student3.8%Other inactive7.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial49.2%Skilled & technical28.1%Routine & elementary22.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications14.3%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.8%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)12.9%Level 3 (A levels)13.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)42.9%Apprenticeship4.9%Other (incl. vocational)2.4%
Home ownership63.9%
Among the least-deprived 22% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
43
Council tax East Cambridgeshire · 2026-27
A £1,657
B £1,933
C £2,209
D £2,485
E £3,037
F £3,589
G £4,142
H £4,970
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
47
Ely 0.9 mi
Littleport 4.7 mi
Soham 5.4 mi
J31 M11 14.2 mi
J14 M11 14.5 mi
J13 M11 15.5 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
60
Pubs & Bars Ample 14
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 37
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 12
Retail Shopping Ample 133
Takeaways Ample 17
Fitness Ample 5

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £358,000 148
Detached £497,500 54
Semi-detached £375,000 33
Terraced £322,500 48
Flat / Maisonette £210,000 13
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£180k £291k £405k £516k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Little Downham 42 2.2 mi away ⇄
Witchford 34 2.4 mi away ⇄
Little Thetford 43 2.8 mi away ⇄
Coveney 41 3.3 mi away ⇄
Prickwillow 29 3.5 mi away ⇄
Littleport 41 4.0 mi away ⇄
Stretham 40 4.2 mi away ⇄
Pymoor 41 4.4 mi away ⇄
Witcham 41 4.8 mi away ⇄
Wilburton 36 5.1 mi away ⇄
Wicken 39 5.2 mi away ⇄
Soham 47 5.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Ely a nice place to live?

Ely is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Ely is 52/100, 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 Ely?

Ely has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 46/100. There were 1,380 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Ely?

Among the top-rated schools in Ely are Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School, Highfield Ely Academy and Isle of Ely Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 7 rated schools in Ely in total.

What are house prices like in Ely?

The current median house price in Ely is £358,000, around 26% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £497,500, semi-detached £375,000, terraced £322,500, flat £210,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 10%. There were 148 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Ely in context

See where Ely ranks among the best places to live in Cambridgeshire

Postcode districts in Ely

CB6 45 ⇄
CB7 44 ⇄

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