City Pop. 59,329

Living in Hereford: Liveability Score 57/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Hereford is 57/100, built from 9 categories. Transport is where Hereford most outperforms the national norm: 68/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. Safety falls furthest short: 45/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

That is the highest score of the 12 places in the HR1 postcode district. The HR1 district averages 51/100, putting Hereford 6 points above its own postcode area. Its transport score runs 15 points above the HR1 district's 53/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the HR1 postcode district.

OUT OF 100

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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.

Hereford scores 57 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Hereford.

Or compare:

HR1 1AA HR1 2AA HR1 3AA HR1 4AA HR1 9EW HR1 HR2 HR3 HR4

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

99.6 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3

Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months

Violence and sexual offences 2,313 crimes

↑ 17% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 993 crimes

≈ similar to national average

Shoplifting 688 crimes

↑ 49% above national average

Criminal damage and arson 451 crimes

↑ 12% above national average

Public order 370 crimes

≈ similar to national average

other 1,093 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Supermarket 365 crimes
2 Shopping Area 359 crimes
3 Parking Area 196 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 5.4 · PM2.5 5.6 · PM10 9.4 µg/m³

Green Space 19

Parks Ample 24

Sports Pitches Ample 52

Allotments Ample 7

Golf Courses Some 1

Tennis Courts Ample 8

Bowling Greens Ample 4

Playgrounds Ample 46

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 22 in area

5Outstanding11Good3Requires Improvement1Inadequate2Ungraded

Barrs Court SchoolSpecial · inspected 2022
Outstanding
Riverside Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Outstanding
St Francis Xavier's Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
Outstanding
St James' Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
The Beacon CollegeSpecial · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Broadlands Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Hampton Dene Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Herefordshire Pupil Referral ServiceAlternative provision · inspected 2022
Good
Holmer CofE AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Lord Scudamore Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
Good

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

Healthcare

A&E departmentsHereford County Hospitalin area

Lydney & District Hospital22 mi

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital22.1 mi

Hospital waitsHerefordshire And Worcestershire Health And Care NHS Trust0.1 mi

Routine referral (median)3 wks

Treated within 18 weeks90%

4 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'

GP capacity1,713 patients per GP

21dentists14pharmacies

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

Full fibre (FTTP)84%

available across Herefordshire, County of

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

92.4%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

92.9%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

99.8%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,355 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate60%

Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+

Economic activity (16+)

Employed60%Unemployed2.7%Retired23.1%Student3.4%Other inactive10.8%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial32.7%Skilled & technical31.8%Routine & elementary35.5%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications20.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.3%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.2%Level 3 (A levels)17.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)28.4%Apprenticeship6.4%Other (incl. vocational)3.1%

Home ownership59.8%

Around the England average for deprivation

Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD

Bills

Council tax Herefordshire · 2026-27

A £1,716

B £2,002

C £2,288

D £2,574

E £3,146

F £3,718

G £4,290

H £5,148

Energy West Midlands region

Typical bill regional £1,641/yr

Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026

Typical home efficiency local EPC band D

Water Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water

Average bill regional £502/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Hereford 0.5 mi

Leominster 11.8 mi

Ledbury 12.4 mi

J4 M50 10.9 mi

J3 M50 12.9 mi

J3 M50 13 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 50

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 80

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 37

Retail Shopping Ample 248

Takeaways Ample 29

Fitness Ample 15

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£246,750	448
Detached	£355,000	95
Semi-detached	£270,000	151
Terraced	£215,000	151
Flat / Maisonette	£134,000	51

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Hereford a nice place to live?

Hereford is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Hereford is 57/100, 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 Hereford?

Hereford has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 45/100. There were 5,908 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Hereford?

Among the top-rated schools in Hereford are Barrs Court School, Riverside Primary School and St Francis Xavier's Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 22 rated schools in Hereford in total.

What are house prices like in Hereford?

The current median house price in Hereford is £246,750, around 13% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £355,000, semi-detached £270,000, terraced £215,000, flat £134,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 13%. There were 448 sales recorded in the past 12 months.