Town Pop. 2,634

Living in Higher Folds: Liveability Score 65/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Higher Folds scores 65/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Healthcare is where Higher Folds most outperforms the national norm: 85/100 against a median of 18/100 across UK towns. Safety falls furthest short: 31/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

Among the 6 scored places sharing the WN7 postcode district, Higher Folds ranks 2nd. That sits 15 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. Broadband (99) sits at 80/100 or above. For the surrounding area, see WN7 postcode district.

65
OUT OF 100
Good
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.

Higher Folds scores 65 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Higher Folds.
Or compare:
WN7 1AA WN7 2AA WN7 3AA WN7 4AA WN7 5AA WN7 9AW WN7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
31
95.3 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents · year ending Dec 2025

The police force covering this area doesn't publish street-level crime data, so this is a district-level estimate based on Home Office recorded-crime totals for Wigan. It's a different source from the rest of the map and can't be broken down by location or crime type.

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

Environment
71
Air Quality NO₂ 9.14 · PM2.5 6.528 · PM10 10.601 µg/m³
72
Green Space 71
Parks Ample 14
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
68
5 schools in area · 39 within 4km
3Good2Ungraded
  • Bedford High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Fred Longworth High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Sacred Heart RC Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Hindsford CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Ungraded
  • St Gabriel's Catholic 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
85
A&E departmentsWarrington Hospital8.9 mi
North Manchester General Hospital10.3 mi
Manchester Royal Infirmary10.8 mi
Hospital waitsWarrington And Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust1.1 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks65.3%
A&E seen within 4 hrs65.7%
Nearest GP surgeryDr Syed Shah0.9 mi
GP capacity1,913 patients per GP
0dentists1pharmacy

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
99
Full fibre (FTTP)85.1%
available across Wigan
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
100%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
100%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 56 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
20
Employment rate57.8%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed57.8%Unemployed4.2%Retired18.5%Student4.2%Other inactive15.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial29.8%Skilled & technical32.7%Routine & elementary37.6%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications23.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.3%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14%Level 3 (A levels)17.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)24.6%Apprenticeship5.9%Other (incl. vocational)2.7%
Home ownership54.5%
Among the most-deprived 20% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
71
Council tax Wigan · 2026-27
A £1,435
B £1,675
C £1,914
D £2,153
E £2,631
F £3,110
G £3,588
H £4,306
Energy North West England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water United Utilities
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
68
Atherton 1.7 mi
Hag Fold 2.1 mi
Daisy Hill 2.7 mi
J4 M61 3.1 mi
J4 M61 3.2 mi
J5 M61 3.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
70
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 2
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Higher Folds in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Astley 62 1.2 mi away ⇄
Tyldesley 68 1.3 mi away ⇄
Leigh (Wigan) 65 1.6 mi away ⇄
Atherton 66 1.6 mi away ⇄
Glazebury 53 2.3 mi away ⇄
Little Hulton 61 3.0 mi away ⇄
Westhoughton 60 3.2 mi away ⇄
Fowley Common 51 3.2 mi away ⇄
Bickershaw 56 3.4 mi away ⇄
Walkden 68 3.4 mi away ⇄
Worsley 58 3.4 mi away ⇄
Hunger Hill (Bolton) 64 3.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Higher Folds a nice place to live?

Yes, Higher Folds is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Higher Folds is 65/100, placing it among one of the better-scoring areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Higher Folds?

Higher Folds has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 31/100. There were 31,818 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Higher Folds?

Among the top-rated schools in Higher Folds are Bedford High School, Fred Longworth High School and Sacred Heart RC Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 5 rated schools in Higher Folds in total.

Higher Folds in context

See the best places to live in Greater Manchester, ranked

Postcode districts in Higher Folds

WN7 63 ⇄

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