Town Pop. 73,902

Living in Harrogate: Liveability Score 64/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Harrogate is 64/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 70/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 62/100 against a town median of 88/100.

No category drops below 40/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. That is 14 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Broadband (88) sits at 80/100 or above. Wider context for the surrounding area: HG1 postcode district.

64
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.

Harrogate scores 64 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Harrogate.
Or compare:
HG1 1AA HG1 2AD HG1 3AA HG1 4AA HG1 5AA HG1 9AR HG1 HG2 HG3 HG5

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
62
77 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 1,984 crimes
↓ 20% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 1,177 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 643 crimes
↑ 12% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 375 crimes
↓ 25% below national average
Other theft 368 crimes
↓ 19% below national average
other 1,141 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 265 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 223 crimes
  3. 3 On or near 185 crimes

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

Environment
66
Air Quality NO₂ 6.4 · PM2.5 5.8 · PM10 8.9 µg/m³
76
Green Space 42
Parks Ample 78
Sports Pitches Ample 29
Allotments Ample 10
Golf Courses Ample 3
Tennis Courts Ample 35
Bowling Greens Ample 7
Playgrounds Ample 29

Services

Schools
62
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 25 in area · 27 within 4km
2Outstanding19Good1Requires Improvement3Ungraded
  • Harrogate Grammar SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Western Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Coppice Valley Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Harrogate, Bilton Grange Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Hookstone Chase Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • New Park Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Oatlands Community Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Pannal Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Richard Taylor Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good

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
70
A&E departmentsHarrogate District Hospitalin area
St. James's University Hospital11 mi
St James's Hospital A&E11.1 mi
Hospital waitsHarrogate And District NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)8 wks
Treated within 18 weeks76.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs78.8%
6 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,931 patients per GP
19dentists14pharmacies

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
88
Full fibre (FTTP)80.2%
available across North Yorkshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
97.3%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,575 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
71
Employment rate60.6%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed60.6%Unemployed2.2%Retired25.1%Student3.4%Other inactive8.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial46.8%Skilled & technical30.5%Routine & elementary22.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications12.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.6%Level 3 (A levels)16%Level 4+ (degree & above)41.7%Apprenticeship5%Other (incl. vocational)2.5%
Home ownership67.6%
Among the least-deprived 27% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
40
Council tax North Yorkshire · 2026-27
A £1,696
B £1,979
C £2,261
D £2,544
E £3,109
F £3,675
G £4,240
H £5,088
Energy Yorkshire region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Yorkshire Water
Average bill regional £437/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
50
Harrogate 0.1 mi
Hornbeam Park 0.9 mi
Starbeck 1.6 mi
J47 A1(M) 6.6 mi
J47 A1(M) 6.7 mi
J46 A1(M) 7.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
64
Pubs & Bars Ample 51
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 100
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 38
Retail Shopping Ample 273
Takeaways Ample 25
Fitness Ample 16

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £292,500 671
Detached £545,000 127
Semi-detached £315,000 225
Terraced £243,000 175
Flat / Maisonette £232,500 144
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£182k £334k £491k £643k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Pannal 53 2.3 mi away ⇄
Killinghall 46 2.4 mi away ⇄
Scotton (Harrogate) 46 2.8 mi away ⇄
Follifoot 38 2.9 mi away ⇄
Knaresborough 59 3.3 mi away ⇄
Hampsthwaite 30 3.4 mi away ⇄
Kirkby Overblow 36 3.9 mi away ⇄
Spofforth 44 4.5 mi away ⇄
Birstwith 41 4.8 mi away ⇄
Goldsborough 44 4.9 mi away ⇄
Huby (Harrogate) 35 5.1 mi away ⇄
Burton Leonard 36 5.5 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Harrogate a nice place to live?

Harrogate is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Harrogate is 64/100, 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 Harrogate?

Harrogate has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 62/100. There were 5,688 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Harrogate?

Among the top-rated schools in Harrogate are Harrogate Grammar School and Western Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 25 rated schools in Harrogate in total.

What are house prices like in Harrogate?

The current median house price in Harrogate is £292,500, in line with the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £545,000, semi-detached £315,000, terraced £243,000, flat £232,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 7%. There were 671 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Harrogate in context

See where Harrogate ranks among the best places to live in North Yorkshire

Postcode districts in Harrogate

HG1 63 ⇄
HG2 63 ⇄
HG3 49 ⇄
HG5 52 ⇄

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