Town Pop. 1,383

Living in Grain: Liveability Score 33/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Grain scores 33/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Furthest below the national norm is broadband, at 11/100 against a town median of 60/100. Among the 12 scored places sharing the ME3 postcode district, Grain ranks 11th.

Against the wider ME3 district average of 45/100, that is 12 points below. That is 17 points below the national benchmark of 50, the bottom 10% of all UK towns and villages. Safety (90) sits at 80/100 or above. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the ME3 postcode district.

33
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.

Grain scores 33 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Grain.
Or compare:
ME3 0AB ME3 7AA ME3 8AA ME3 9AA ME3

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
90
57.8 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 44 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 10 crimes
↓ 53% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 9 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 8 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Public order 5 crimes
↓ 45% below national average
other 4 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Puffin Road 10 crimes
  2. 2 High Street 8 crimes
  3. 3 Grayne Avenue 7 crimes

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

Environment
50
Air Quality NO₂ 9.2 · PM2.5 7 · PM10 11.6 µg/m³
70
Green Space 7
Parks Some 1
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
17
1 school in area · 4 within 4km
1Good
  • St James Church of England Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good

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

Healthcare
6
A&E departmentsSouthend University Hospital6.6 mi
Medway Maritime Hospital8.3 mi
Basildon University Hospital13.2 mi
Hospital waitsKent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust2 mi
Routine referral (median)5 wks
Treated within 18 weeks99.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.1%
Nearest GP surgerySheppey Healthy Living Centre2.2 mi
GP capacity2,433 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
11
Full fibre (FTTP)81.3%
available across Medway
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
0%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
18.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 44 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
32
Employment rate57.9%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed57.9%Unemployed3.8%Retired22.5%Student2.9%Other inactive12.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial25%Skilled & technical38.1%Routine & elementary36.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications23.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)16.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16.1%Level 3 (A levels)17.3%Level 4+ (degree & above)17.2%Apprenticeship7.1%Other (incl. vocational)2.5%
Home ownership73.8%
Among the most-deprived 22% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
51
Council tax Medway · 2026-27
A £1,553
B £1,811
C £2,070
D £2,329
E £2,847
F £3,364
G £3,882
H £4,658
Energy South East England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Southern Water
Average bill regional £683/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
11
Sheerness-on-Sea 2 mi
Queenborough 2.7 mi
Swale 4.3 mi
J5 M2 8.4 mi
J5 M2 8.6 mi
J4 M2 9.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
8
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 2
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £236,000 10
5-year monthly trend
All
£233k £245k £257k £268k 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Wallend 36 1.1 mi away ⇄
Sheerness 45 2.0 mi away ⇄
Queenborough 44 2.9 mi away ⇄
Halfway Houses 51 3.2 mi away ⇄
Allhallows 31 3.4 mi away ⇄
Minster (Swale) 47 4.5 mi away ⇄
Kingsnorth (Medway) 44 5.0 mi away ⇄
Iwade 53 5.0 mi away ⇄
Lower Halstow 39 5.5 mi away ⇄
Ham Green 0 5.6 mi away ⇄
Upchurch 49 5.9 mi away ⇄
High Halstow 46 6.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Grain a nice place to live?

Grain has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Grain is 33/100, 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 Grain?

Grain is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 90/100. There were 80 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Grain?

Among the top-rated schools in Grain is St James Church of England Primary Academy, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Grain in total.

What are house prices like in Grain?

The current median house price in Grain is £236,000, around 17% below the England and Wales average.

Grain in context

See the best places to live in Kent, ranked

Postcode districts in Grain

ME3 45 ⇄

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