Town Pop. 140,451

Living in Kensington and Chelsea: Liveability Score 72/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Kensington and Chelsea comes out at 72/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 98/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Safety falls furthest short: 13/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

That sits 22 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. Schools (96), transport (96) and lifestyle (94) also clear 80/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: SW10 postcode district.

72
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.

Kensington and Chelsea scores 72 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Kensington and Chelsea.
Or compare:
SW10 0AA SW10 1AS SW10 9AA SW10 SW1W SW1X SW3

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
13
185.4 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 5,124 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 4,909 crimes
↑ 130% above national average
Shoplifting 3,222 crimes
↑ 194% above national average
Other theft 2,819 crimes
↑ 224% above national average
Vehicle crime 2,116 crimes
↑ 215% above national average
other 7,844 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Supermarket 1,708 crimes
  2. 2 Shopping Area 981 crimes
  3. 3 Parking Area 634 crimes

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

Environment
62
Air Quality NO₂ 23.3 · PM2.5 9.4 · PM10 16 µg/m³
51
Green Space 88
Parks Ample 145
Sports Pitches Ample 64
Allotments None
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 51
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 65

Services

Schools
96
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 98 in area · 153 within 4km
29Outstanding59Good1Requires Improvement1Inadequate8Ungraded
  • All Saints Catholic CollegeSecondary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Ark Atwood Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Avonmore Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Chelsea Community Hospital SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Chelsea Open Air Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Colville Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Fox Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Fulham Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Golborne & Maxilla Nursery SchoolNursery · 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
98
A&E departmentsChelsea and Westminster Hospitalin area
St Mary's Hospital0.8 mi
Charing Cross Hospital0.8 mi
Hospital waitsImperial College Healthcare NHS Trust0.4 mi
Routine referral (median)10 wks
Treated within 18 weeks69.1%
A&E seen within 4 hrs79.6%
30 GP surgeries in area 89 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,789 patients per GP
38dentists37pharmacies

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
79
Full fibre (FTTP)71.3%
available across Kensington and Chelsea
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
92.3%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
93.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 3,701 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
59
Employment rate56.4%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed56.4%Unemployed4.6%Retired13.1%Student10.2%Other inactive15.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial58.6%Skilled & technical25.7%Routine & elementary15.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications11.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)4.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)7.2%Level 3 (A levels)12.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)59.3%Apprenticeship2%Other (incl. vocational)3.1%
Home ownership31.4%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
70
Council tax Kensington and Chelsea · 2026-27
A £1,111
B £1,297
C £1,482
D £1,667
E £2,037
F £2,408
G £2,778
H £3,334
Energy London region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Thames Water
Average bill regional £489/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
96
High Street Kensington 0.1 mi
Notting Hill Gate 0.6 mi
Gloucester Road 0.6 mi
J1 M4 3.8 mi
J2 M4 4.4 mi
J2 M4 4.7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
94
Pubs & Bars Ample 110
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 623
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 115
Retail Shopping Ample 1675
Takeaways Ample 94
Fitness Ample 48

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £991,500 574
Terraced £3,400,000 94
Flat / Maisonette £860,000 467
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£825k £4.4m £8.1m £11.7m 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Hammersmith and Fulham 72 1.3 mi away ⇄
City of Westminster 70 1.6 mi away ⇄
Camden 70 3.3 mi away ⇄
Wandsworth 75 3.4 mi away ⇄
City and County of the City of London 67 4.4 mi away ⇄
Lambeth 71 4.6 mi away ⇄
Islington 71 4.8 mi away ⇄
Brent 68 5.1 mi away ⇄
Southwark 72 5.3 mi away ⇄
Ealing 69 6.0 mi away ⇄
Merton 77 6.3 mi away ⇄
Hackney 72 6.5 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Kensington and Chelsea a nice place to live?

Yes, Kensington and Chelsea is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Kensington and Chelsea is 72/100, 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 Kensington and Chelsea?

Crime levels in Kensington and Chelsea are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 13/100. There were 26,034 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Kensington and Chelsea?

Among the top-rated schools in Kensington and Chelsea are All Saints Catholic College, Ark Atwood Primary Academy and Avonmore Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 98 rated schools in Kensington and Chelsea in total.

What are house prices like in Kensington and Chelsea?

The current median house price in Kensington and Chelsea is £991,500, around 248% above the England and Wales average. By property type: terraced £3,400,000, flat £860,000. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 36%. There were 574 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Kensington and Chelsea in context

See where Kensington and Chelsea ranks among the best places to live in Greater London

Postcode districts in Kensington and Chelsea

SW10 74 ⇄
SW1W 69 ⇄
SW1X 72 ⇄
SW3 72 ⇄
SW5 74 ⇄
SW7 73 ⇄
W10 70 ⇄
W11 72 ⇄
W14 74 ⇄
W2 70 ⇄
W8 75 ⇄
W9 73 ⇄

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