Town

Living in Helensburgh: Liveability Score 49/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Helensburgh comes out at 49/100 on the 8 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 47/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. That is the highest score of the 6 places in the G84 postcode district.

It scores 5 points above the G84 postcode district as a whole, which averages 44/100. On the national picture that lands Helensburgh in the middle half of all the places we score. For the surrounding area, see G84 postcode district.

49
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.

Helensburgh scores 49 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Helensburgh.
Or compare:
G84 0AA G84 4BZ G84 7AA G84 8AB G84 9AA G84

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
66
Air Quality NO₂ 3.2 · PM2.5 4 · PM10 6.4 µg/m³
85
Green Space 24
Parks Ample 7
Sports Pitches Ample 12
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 9
Bowling Greens Ample 5
Playgrounds Ample 18

Services

Schools
43
6 schools in area · 7 within 4km
2Outstanding4Good
  • Colgrain Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Hermitage Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Hermitage AcademySecondary · inspected 2017
    Good
  • John Logie Baird Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2010
    Good
  • Parklands SchoolOther · inspected 2018
    Good
  • St Joseph's Primary SchoolPrimary · 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
47
A&E departmentsCumberland Infirmary102.1 mi
Community Paramedic Service118.6 mi
Hexham General Hospital124.3 mi
Hospital waitsNorth Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust94.6 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.3%
A&E seen within 4 hrs62.6%
2 GP surgeries in area
GP capacity1,577 patients per GP

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

Broadband
71
Full fibre (FTTP)21.8%
available across Argyll and Bute
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
91.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
91.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 547 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
63
Employment rate55.7%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55.9%Unemployed1.8%Retired30.9%Student3.2%Other inactive8.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial46.3%Skilled & technical31.3%Routine & elementary22.4%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications39.5%
Home ownership71.8%
Among the least-deprived 34% of areas in Scotland
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
71
Council tax Argyll & Bute · 2025-26
A £1,084
B £1,265
C £1,445
D £1,626
E £2,136
F £2,642
G £3,184
H £3,984
Energy South Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
22
Helensburgh Central 0.2 mi
Helensburgh Upper 0.4 mi
Craigendoran 1.1 mi
J31 M8 8.7 mi
J31 M8 9 mi
J30 M8 11.8 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
37
Pubs & Bars Adequate 5
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 15
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 8
Retail Shopping Ample 60
Takeaways Adequate 9
Fitness Adequate 4

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Helensburgh. 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

Rhu 32 2.0 mi away ⇄
Rosneath and Clynder 30 3.1 mi away ⇄
Cardross 32 4.2 mi away ⇄
Kilcreggan 33 4.4 mi away ⇄
Shandon 37 4.4 mi away ⇄
Greenock 61 4.7 mi away ⇄
Gourock 56 5.4 mi away ⇄
Port Glasgow 53 5.7 mi away ⇄
Alexandria 55 5.8 mi away ⇄
Balloch 51 6.0 mi away ⇄
Garelochhead 40 6.5 mi away ⇄
Bonhill and Renton 51 6.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Helensburgh a nice place to live?

Helensburgh has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Helensburgh is 49/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

What are the best schools in Helensburgh?

Among the top-rated schools in Helensburgh are Colgrain Primary School and Hermitage Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 6 rated schools in Helensburgh in total.

Postcode districts in Helensburgh

G84 44 ⇄

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