Town

Living in Glenrothes: Liveability Score 59/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Glenrothes comes out at 59/100 on the 7 categories we can score here. Healthcare is where Glenrothes most outperforms the national norm: 63/100 against a median of 18/100 across UK towns. Furthest below the national norm is economic health, at 42/100 against a town median of 67/100.

Among the 6 scored places sharing the KY5 postcode district, Glenrothes ranks 2nd. No category drops below 42/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. The KY5 district averages 51/100, putting Glenrothes 8 points above its own postcode area. For the surrounding area, see KY5 postcode district.

59
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.

Glenrothes scores 59 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Glenrothes.
Or compare:
KY5 0AA KY5 5AG KY5 8AA KY5 9AA KY5 KY6 KY7

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
81
Air Quality NO₂ 5 · PM2.5 4.4 · PM10 7.7 µg/m³
81
Green Space 80
Parks Ample 38
Sports Pitches Ample 33
Allotments Ample 8
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Adequate 5
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 91

Services

Schools
59
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 22 in area
2Outstanding19Good1Requires Improvement
  • Coaltown Of Balgonie Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Newcastle Primary & Community SchoolPrimary · inspected 2011
    Outstanding
  • Auchmuty High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2016
    Good
  • Carleton Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2011
    Good
  • Caskieberran Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2011
    Good
  • Collydean Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2014
    Good
  • Glenrothes High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2019
    Good
  • Glenwood High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • John Fergus SchoolOther · inspected 2012
    Good
  • Kinglassie Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2015
    Good
Healthcare
63
A&E departmentsCommunity Paramedic Service76.9 mi
Cumberland Infirmary88.7 mi
Hexham General Hospital93 mi
Hospital waitsNorthumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust53.7 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks82.8%
A&E seen within 4 hrs91.1%
5 GP surgeries in area 7 within 4km
GP capacity1,324 patients per GP

A&E, dentist and pharmacy data, and CQC ratings, are currently available for England only, not Scotland.

Broadband
67
Full fibre (FTTP)69.2%
available across Fife
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
91.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
91.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 791 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
42
Employment rate55.9%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55.7%Unemployed2.6%Retired25.7%Student3.3%Other inactive12.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial32%Skilled & technical32.1%Routine & elementary35.8%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications22%
Home ownership64.7%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
62
Council tax

Council tax data not yet available for this area.

Energy South Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
52
Markinch 1.9 mi
Glenrothes with Thornton 2.6 mi
Cardenden 4.9 mi
J8 M90 8.8 mi
J5 M90 9 mi
J5 M90 9 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
59
Pubs & Bars Adequate 7
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 19
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 31
Retail Shopping Ample 247
Takeaways Ample 36
Fitness Ample 10

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Glenrothes. HM Land Registry's Price Paid dataset covers England and Wales only. Scottish sales are recorded separately by Registers of Scotland, which we don't yet include. This is a gap in the data we hold, not a sign of an inactive market.

Nearby places

Leslie 55 1.5 mi away ⇄
Markinch 55 1.6 mi away ⇄
Coaltown of Balgonie 49 2.0 mi away ⇄
Thornton (Fife) 43 2.4 mi away ⇄
Kinglassie 34 2.7 mi away ⇄
Star 34 3.2 mi away ⇄
Freuchie 35 3.8 mi away ⇄
Falkland 44 4.1 mi away ⇄
Coaltown of Wemyss 38 4.5 mi away ⇄
Bowhill 48 4.6 mi away ⇄
Windygates 41 4.7 mi away ⇄
Cardenden 47 4.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Glenrothes a nice place to live?

Glenrothes is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Glenrothes is 59/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

What are the best schools in Glenrothes?

Among the top-rated schools in Glenrothes are Coaltown Of Balgonie Primary School and Newcastle Primary & Community School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 22 rated schools in Glenrothes in total.

Postcode districts in Glenrothes

KY5 51 ⇄
KY6 59 ⇄
KY7 57 ⇄

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