Town Pop. 206,901

Living in Islington: Liveability Score 71/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Islington scores 71/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 97/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 13/100 against a town median of 88/100.

Among the 3 scored places sharing the E8 postcode district, Islington ranks 2nd. That is 21 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Schools (99), transport (97) and lifestyle (95) also clear 80/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: E8 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.

Islington scores 71 but individual postcodes tell the full story

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

Or compare:

E8 1AA E8 2AA E8 3AA E8 4AA E8 9DA E8 EC1A EC1M EC1P

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

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

Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months

Anti-social behaviour 8,479 crimes

↑ 170% above national average

Violence and sexual offences 7,950 crimes

↑ 15% above national average

Other theft 3,701 crimes

↑ 189% above national average

Theft from the person 3,447 crimes

↑ 828% above national average

Shoplifting 3,098 crimes

↑ 92% above national average

other 11,629 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Supermarket 956 crimes
2 Theatre/Concert Hall 716 crimes
3 Station Place 679 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 23.5 · PM2.5 9.7 · PM10 16.1 µg/m³

Green Space 95

Parks Ample 319

Sports Pitches Ample 138

Allotments Ample 6

Golf Courses None

Tennis Courts Ample 21

Bowling Greens Some 1

Playgrounds Ample 164

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 129 in area · 162 within 4km

39Outstanding76Good1Inadequate13Ungraded

Ambler Primary School and Children's CentrePrimary · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Children's Hospital School at Gt Ormond Street and UCHSpecial · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Christopher Hatton Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Outstanding
City of London Primary Academy, IslingtonPrimary · inspected 2025
Outstanding
Comet Nursery School and Children's CentreNursery · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Edith Neville Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Eleanor Palmer Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Frank Barnes School for Deaf ChildrenSpecial · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Gillespie Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Grazebrook Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Outstanding

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

A&E departmentsMoorfields Eye Hospital (City Road campus)in area

Highgate Mental Health Centre0.1 mi

University College Hospital0.7 mi

Hospital waitsUniversity College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi

Routine referral (median)11 wks

Treated within 18 weeks63.3%

A&E seen within 4 hrs80.1%

31 GP surgeries in area 90 within 4km best 'Good'

GP capacity2,009 patients per GP

42dentists47pharmacies

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)81.1%

available across Islington

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

94.3%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

94.3%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

97.9%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 3,969 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate62.3%

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

Economic activity (16+)

Employed62.3%Unemployed5.4%Retired9.3%Student8.7%Other inactive14.3%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial57.8%Skilled & technical24%Routine & elementary18.2%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications13.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)5.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)7.2%Level 3 (A levels)12.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)56.2%Apprenticeship2.3%Other (incl. vocational)2.4%

Home ownership26.7%

Among the most-deprived 33% of areas in England

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

Bills

Council tax Islington · 2026-27

A £1,405

B £1,640

C £1,874

D £2,108

E £2,576

F £3,045

G £3,513

H £4,216

Energy London region

Typical bill regional £1,641/yr

Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026

Typical home efficiency local EPC band C

Water Thames Water

Average bill regional £489/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Highbury & Islington 0.3 mi

Holloway Road 0.3 mi

Caledonian Road 0.4 mi

J1 M1 5.3 mi

J1 M1 5.4 mi

J1 M1 5.8 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 229

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 720

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 243

Retail Shopping Ample 1343

Takeaways Ample 231

Fitness Ample 49

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£644,000	814
Semi-detached	£2,025,000	17
Terraced	£1,451,000	133
Flat / Maisonette	£565,000	660

5-year monthly trend

All Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Islington a nice place to live?

Yes, Islington is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Islington is 71/100, 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 Islington?

Crime levels in Islington are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 13/100. There were 38,304 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Islington?

Among the top-rated schools in Islington are Ambler Primary School and Children's Centre, Children's Hospital School at Gt Ormond Street and UCH and Christopher Hatton Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 129 rated schools in Islington in total.

What are house prices like in Islington?

The current median house price in Islington is £644,000, around 126% above the England and Wales average. By property type: semi-detached £2,025,000, terraced £1,451,000, flat £565,000. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 8%. There were 814 sales recorded in the past 12 months.