Town Pop. 20,453

Living in Horwich: Liveability Score 49/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Horwich scores 49/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Measured against other towns, transport stands out most: 59/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. Safety falls furthest short: 24/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

Of the 5 places sharing the BL4 postcode district, Horwich scores lowest. Against the wider BL4 district average of 65/100, that is 16 points below. On transport specifically, Horwich sits 26 points below the BL4 district figure of 85/100. For the surrounding area, see BL4 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.

Horwich scores 49 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Horwich.
Or compare:
BL4 0AA BL4 4AR BL4 7AB BL4 8AA BL4 9AE BL4 BL5 BL6

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
24
102 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 Bolton. 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
70
Air Quality NO₂ 10.4 · PM2.5 6.6 · PM10 10.9 µg/m³
70
Green Space 67
Parks Ample 12
Sports Pitches Ample 20
Allotments Ample 5
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens Ample 4
Playgrounds Ample 10

Services

Schools
53
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 11 in area · 14 within 4km
1Outstanding9Good1Ungraded
  • Blackrod Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Beacon Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Blackrod Anglican/Methodist Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Chorley New Road Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Claypool Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Horwich Parish CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Lever Park SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Rivington and Blackrod High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • St Catherine's CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Mary's RC Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    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
37
A&E departmentsFairfield Hospital10.6 mi
Children's A&E12.3 mi
North Manchester General Hospital12.5 mi
Hospital waitsBolton NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.1%
A&E seen within 4 hrs68.1%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,488 patients per GP
2dentists8pharmacies

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
64
Full fibre (FTTP)88.1%
available across Bolton
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
95.2%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.2%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.5%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 555 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
54
Employment rate59%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed59%Unemployed2.5%Retired25.2%Student3.4%Other inactive10%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial41.7%Skilled & technical32.6%Routine & elementary25.6%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.5%Level 3 (A levels)17.7%Level 4+ (degree & above)33.9%Apprenticeship7.3%Other (incl. vocational)2.2%
Home ownership70.3%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
53
Council tax Bolton · 2026-27
A £1,600
B £1,867
C £2,133
D £2,400
E £2,933
F £3,467
G £4,000
H £4,800
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 D
Water United Utilities
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
59
Horwich Parkway 1 mi
Blackrod 1.2 mi
Lostock 2.3 mi
J6 M61 1 mi
J6 M61 1.5 mi
J5 M61 3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
56
Pubs & Bars Ample 21
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 39
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 12
Retail Shopping Ample 195
Takeaways Ample 41
Fitness Adequate 4

Places like Horwich Pro

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £217,000 169
Detached £380,000 41
Semi-detached £230,000 51
Terraced £163,000 67
Flat / Maisonette £130,000 10
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£108k £197k £289k £378k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Bottom o' th' Moor 51 1.0 mi away ⇄
Blackrod 51 1.6 mi away ⇄
Wingates 51 2.3 mi away ⇄
Aspull 50 2.3 mi away ⇄
Chew Moor 63 2.5 mi away ⇄
Adlington (Chorley) 58 3.1 mi away ⇄
Hunger Hill (Bolton) 64 3.2 mi away ⇄
Westhoughton 60 3.3 mi away ⇄
Worthington 50 4.0 mi away ⇄
Heath Charnock 58 4.2 mi away ⇄
Hindley 61 4.3 mi away ⇄
Bolton (Bolton) 68 4.5 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Horwich a nice place to live?

Horwich has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Horwich 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 Horwich?

Crime levels in Horwich are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 24/100. There were 30,504 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Horwich?

Among the top-rated schools in Horwich are Blackrod Primary School, Beacon Primary School and Blackrod Anglican/Methodist Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 11 rated schools in Horwich in total.

What are house prices like in Horwich?

The current median house price in Horwich is £217,000, around 24% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £380,000, semi-detached £230,000, terraced £163,000, flat £130,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 13%. There were 169 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Horwich in context

See the best places to live in Greater Manchester, ranked

Postcode districts in Horwich

BL4 65 ⇄
BL5 60 ⇄
BL6 50 ⇄

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