Town Pop. 150,722

Living in Ipswich: Liveability Score 66/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Ipswich scores 66/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Measured against other towns, transport stands out most: 82/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. Safety falls furthest short: 44/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

No category drops below 44/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. That is 16 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Broadband (90) sits at 80/100 or above. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the IP1 postcode district.

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.

Ipswich scores 66 but individual postcodes tell the full story

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

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IP1 1AA IP1 2AA IP1 3AA IP1 4AA IP1 5AA IP1 6AA IP1 9AN IP1 IP10 IP2 IP3

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

97.7 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 5,983 crimes

↑ 19% above national average

Shoplifting 2,213 crimes

↑ 88% above national average

Criminal damage and arson 1,190 crimes

↑ 16% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 1,133 crimes

↓ 51% below national average

Public order 914 crimes

≈ similar to national average

other 3,288 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Supermarket 1,580 crimes
2 Shopping Area 342 crimes
3 Parking Area 324 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 9.8 · PM2.5 7.4 · PM10 12.5 µg/m³

Green Space 76

Parks Ample 98

Sports Pitches Ample 78

Allotments Ample 13

Golf Courses Ample 6

Tennis Courts Ample 20

Bowling Greens Ample 23

Playgrounds Ample 107

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 56 in area

4Outstanding40Good3Requires Improvement9Ungraded

Copdock Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
First Base Ipswich AcademyAlternative provision · inspected 2022
Outstanding
Highfield Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2024
Outstanding
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, IpswichPrimary · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Alderwood AcademyAlternative provision · inspected 2022
Good
Bramford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Britannia Primary School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Broke Hall Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Castle Hill Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Castle Hill Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good

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

Healthcare

A&E departmentsIpswich Hospitalin area

Colchester General Hospital12.3 mi

RAF Lakenheath Medical Hospital32 mi

Hospital waitsEast Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi

Routine referral (median)12 wks

Treated within 18 weeks60.2%

A&E seen within 4 hrs76.7%

11 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'

GP capacity1,992 patients per GP

32dentists31pharmacies

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)95.6%

available across Ipswich

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

96%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

96.5%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

99.7%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 3,153 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate59.8%

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

Economic activity (16+)

Employed59.8%Unemployed3.4%Retired20.8%Student4%Other inactive12%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial34%Skilled & technical32.4%Routine & elementary33.6%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications20.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.8%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.5%Level 3 (A levels)16.6%Level 4+ (degree & above)26.8%Apprenticeship6.4%Other (incl. vocational)3.1%

Home ownership58.7%

Around the England average for deprivation

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

Bills

Council tax Ipswich · 2026-27

A £1,645

B £1,920

C £2,194

D £2,468

E £3,016

F £3,565

G £4,113

H £4,936

Energy Eastern England region

Typical bill regional £1,641/yr

Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026

Typical home efficiency local EPC band D

Water Anglian Water

Average bill regional £498/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Ipswich 0.7 mi

Derby Road 0.9 mi

Westerfield 1.9 mi

No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 66

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 143

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 126

Retail Shopping Ample 653

Takeaways Ample 140

Fitness Ample 69

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£241,000	864
Detached	£382,000	159
Semi-detached	£265,000	324
Terraced	£205,000	270
Flat / Maisonette	£127,000	111

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Ipswich a nice place to live?

Yes, Ipswich is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Ipswich is 66/100, 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 Ipswich?

Ipswich has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 44/100. There were 14,721 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Ipswich?

Among the top-rated schools in Ipswich are Copdock Primary School, First Base Ipswich Academy and Highfield Nursery School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 56 rated schools in Ipswich in total.

What are house prices like in Ipswich?

The current median house price in Ipswich is £241,000, around 15% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £382,000, semi-detached £265,000, terraced £205,000, flat £127,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 8%. There were 864 sales recorded in the past 12 months.