Town Pop. 1,850

Living in Fowey: Liveability Score 45/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Fowey is 45/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, environment stands out most: 80/100 where the typical UK town scores 64/100. Furthest below the national norm is broadband, at 27/100 against a town median of 60/100.

Also scoring 80 or better: safety (86). That puts Fowey in the middle half of the UK towns and villages we score. For the surrounding area, see PL23 postcode district.

45
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.

Fowey scores 45 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Fowey.
Or compare:
PL23 1AA PL23

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
86
78.4 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 67 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Criminal damage and arson 23 crimes
↑ 82% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 22 crimes
↓ 22% below national average
Other theft 17 crimes
↑ 48% above national average
Burglary 5 crimes
↓ 23% below national average
other 11 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Windmill 13 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 13 crimes
  3. 3 Polmear Hill 8 crimes

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

Environment
80
Air Quality NO₂ 3.405 · PM2.5 4.893 · PM10 8.975 µg/m³
81
Green Space 78
Parks None
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Adequate 3
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
7
3 schools in area
1Requires Improvement2Ungraded
  • Fowey Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Requires Improvement
  • Fowey River AcademySecondary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded
  • Polruan Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded

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

Healthcare
31
A&E departmentsBodmin Hospital9.6 mi
Liskeard Community Hospital11.3 mi
The Duchy Hospital19.8 mi
Hospital waitsRoyal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)8 wks
Treated within 18 weeks73.7%
A&E seen within 4 hrs79.6%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,776 patients per GP
1dentist1pharmacy

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
27
Full fibre (FTTP)62.7%
available across Cornwall
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
42.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
44%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
96.1%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 85 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
60
Employment rate47.4%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed47.4%Unemployed1.8%Retired38.2%Student3.2%Other inactive9.4%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial39.4%Skilled & technical38.3%Routine & elementary22.3%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications13.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.7%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.1%Level 3 (A levels)17.3%Level 4+ (degree & above)36.7%Apprenticeship6.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%
Home ownership73%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
30
Council tax Cornwall · 2026-27
A £1,727
B £2,015
C £2,303
D £2,591
E £3,167
F £3,743
G £4,318
H £5,182
Energy South 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 South West Water
Average bill regional £600/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
31
Par 3 mi
Lostwithiel 5 mi
Luxulyan 6 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
32
Pubs & Bars Adequate 7
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 18
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 4
Retail Shopping Ample 41
Takeaways Some 2
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 £450,000 19
5-year monthly trend
All Detached
£309k £468k £631k £790k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Polruan 31 0.7 mi away ⇄
Polkerris 0 1.6 mi away ⇄
Tywardreath 50 2.8 mi away ⇄
Par 0 2.8 mi away ⇄
Tywardreath Highway 46 3.5 mi away ⇄
Lerryn 31 3.5 mi away ⇄
St Blazey 52 3.6 mi away ⇄
Carlyon Bay 45 4.6 mi away ⇄
Tregrehan Mills 0 4.8 mi away ⇄
Lostwithiel 45 5.0 mi away ⇄
Polperro 34 5.3 mi away ⇄
Pelynt 36 5.5 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Fowey a nice place to live?

Fowey has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Fowey is 45/100, 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 Fowey?

Fowey is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 86/100. There were 145 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are house prices like in Fowey?

The current median house price in Fowey is £450,000, around 58% above the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 17%.

Fowey in context

See the best places to live in Cornwall, ranked

Postcode districts in Fowey

PL23 43 ⇄

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