Town Pop. 24,246

Living in Herne Bay: Liveability Score 49/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Herne Bay is 49/100, built from 9 categories. Lifestyle is where Herne Bay most outperforms the national norm: 62/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 41/100 against a town median of 88/100.

On the national picture that lands Herne Bay in the middle half of all the places we score. For the surrounding area, see CT6 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.

Herne Bay scores 49 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Herne Bay.
Or compare:
CT6 5AA CT6 6AA CT6 7AA CT6 8AA CT6 9AS CT6

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
41
126.8 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 1,151 crimes
↑ 43% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 584 crimes
↑ 59% above national average
Shoplifting 320 crimes
↑ 69% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 287 crimes
↑ 74% above national average
Other theft 168 crimes
↑ 11% above national average
other 564 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 344 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 154 crimes
  3. 3 Clarence Street 108 crimes

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

Environment
60
Air Quality NO₂ 7.2 · PM2.5 6.7 · PM10 10.5 µg/m³
73
Green Space 32
Parks Ample 80
Sports Pitches Ample 7
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Ample 9
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Ample 14

Services

Schools
38
6 schools in area · 8 within 4km
5Good1Ungraded
  • Herne Bay High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Herne Bay Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Herne Bay Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Reculver Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Thornden Wood Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Hampton Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Ungraded

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
47
A&E departmentsEstuary View Medical Centre3.4 mi
WIlliam Harvey Hospital17 mi
William Harvey Hospital17.1 mi
Hospital waitsKent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)5 wks
Treated within 18 weeks99.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.1%
2 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,716 patients per GP
4dentists7pharmacies

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
59
Full fibre (FTTP)73.4%
available across Canterbury
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
93.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
93.3%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 628 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
41
Employment rate50.5%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed50.5%Unemployed2.8%Retired32.2%Student3.4%Other inactive11.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial33.8%Skilled & technical36.5%Routine & elementary29.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications21.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.9%Level 3 (A levels)17.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)24.4%Apprenticeship6.5%Other (incl. vocational)3.1%
Home ownership71.4%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
44
Council tax Canterbury · 2026-27
A £1,613
B £1,881
C £2,150
D £2,419
E £2,957
F £3,494
G £4,032
H £4,838
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
52
Herne Bay 0.6 mi
Chestfield & Swalecliffe 2.8 mi
Whitstable 4.2 mi
J7 M2 9.8 mi
J7 M2 10.3 mi
J6 M2 11.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
62
Pubs & Bars Ample 16
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 47
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 22
Retail Shopping Ample 187
Takeaways Ample 28
Fitness Ample 6

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £345,000 173
Detached £432,500 77
Semi-detached £325,500 44
Terraced £320,000 23
Flat / Maisonette £170,000 29
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£148k £264k £383k £499k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Herne 56 0.8 mi away ⇄
Hersden 37 4.0 mi away ⇄
Whitstable 47 4.1 mi away ⇄
Broad Oak (Canterbury) 29 4.2 mi away ⇄
Upstreet 37 4.2 mi away ⇄
Sturry 40 4.4 mi away ⇄
Tyler Hill 44 4.9 mi away ⇄
St Nicholas at Wade 34 5.3 mi away ⇄
Blean 45 5.7 mi away ⇄
Preston (Dover) 37 6.1 mi away ⇄
Wickhambreaux 38 6.1 mi away ⇄
Rough Common 51 6.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Herne Bay a nice place to live?

Herne Bay has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Herne Bay 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.

How safe is Herne Bay?

Herne Bay has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 41/100. There were 3,074 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Herne Bay?

Among the top-rated schools in Herne Bay are Herne Bay High School, Herne Bay Infant School and Herne Bay Junior School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 6 rated schools in Herne Bay in total.

What are house prices like in Herne Bay?

The current median house price in Herne Bay is £345,000, around 21% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £432,500, semi-detached £325,500, terraced £320,000, flat £170,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 8%. There were 173 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Herne Bay in context

See the best places to live in Kent, ranked

Postcode districts in Herne Bay

CT6 49 ⇄

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