Town

Living in Kilmarnock: Liveability Score 55/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Kilmarnock comes out at 55/100 on the 8 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 59/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Economic health falls furthest short: 43/100 where the typical UK town reaches 67/100.

That is the highest score of the 3 places in the KA1 postcode district. Broadband (90) sits at 80/100 or above. On the national picture that lands Kilmarnock in the top quarter of all the places we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: KA1 postcode district.

55
OUT OF 100
Average
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.

Kilmarnock scores 55 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Kilmarnock.
Or compare:
KA1 1AD KA1 2AA KA1 3AA KA1 4AD KA1 5AA KA1 9DG KA1 KA2 KA3

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
—

Crime is scored from the last 12 months of police street-level data. Police Scotland does not publish this, and there is no Scottish equivalent of the Police UK open data service, so crime has been left out of the score for this area. This is a gap in published data, not a sign of low crime.

Environment
65
Air Quality NO₂ 4.7 · PM2.5 4.7 · PM10 7.8 µg/m³
81
Green Space 27
Parks Ample 34
Sports Pitches Ample 31
Allotments Adequate 2
Golf Courses Ample 3
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens Ample 13
Playgrounds Ample 52

Services

Schools
42
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 14 in area · 15 within 4km
1Outstanding10Good3Requires Improvement
  • Willowbank SchoolOther · inspected 2015
    Outstanding
  • Annanhill Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Crosshouse Communication UnitOther · inspected 2019
    Good
  • Crosshouse Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2019
    Good
  • Gargieston Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Onthank Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2016
    Good
  • Park SchoolOther · inspected 2014
    Good
  • Sgoil na Coille NuaidhOther · inspected 2016
    Good
  • Shortlees Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St Andrew's Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
59
A&E departmentsCumberland Infirmary75.7 mi
Community Paramedic Service101.8 mi
Hexham General Hospital102.4 mi
Hospital waitsNorth Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust66.7 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.3%
A&E seen within 4 hrs62.6%
5 GP surgeries in area 6 within 4km
GP capacity1,577 patients per GP

A&E, dentist and pharmacy data, and CQC ratings, are currently available for England only, not Scotland.

Broadband
90
Full fibre (FTTP)76.7%
available across East Ayrshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
95.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.9%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,220 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
43
Employment rate57.5%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed57.5%Unemployed3.2%Retired23.2%Student3.2%Other inactive12.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial34.6%Skilled & technical33.6%Routine & elementary31.9%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications24.6%
Home ownership61.3%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
76
Council tax East Ayrshire · 2025-26
A £1,071
B £1,249
C £1,428
D £1,606
E £2,110
F £2,610
G £3,145
H £3,935
Energy South Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
38
Kilmarnock 0.3 mi
Kilmaurs 2.3 mi
Stewarton 5.1 mi
J8 M77 3.3 mi
J8 M77 3.4 mi
J7 M77 4.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
51
Pubs & Bars Ample 20
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 25
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 20
Retail Shopping Ample 147
Takeaways Ample 32
Fitness Ample 8

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Kilmarnock. HM Land Registry's Price Paid dataset covers England and Wales only. Scottish sales are recorded separately by Registers of Scotland, which we don't yet include. This is a gap in the data we hold, not a sign of an inactive market.

Nearby places

Hurlford 43 1.8 mi away ⇄
Crosshouse 49 2.0 mi away ⇄
Kilmaurs 44 2.4 mi away ⇄
Crossroads 0 3.1 mi away ⇄
Springside 43 3.7 mi away ⇄
Fenwick 34 4.0 mi away ⇄
Dundonald 36 4.4 mi away ⇄
Galston 38 4.6 mi away ⇄
Symington (South Ayrshire) 28 4.8 mi away ⇄
Perceton 38 4.9 mi away ⇄
Stewarton 49 5.0 mi away ⇄
Shewalton 39 5.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Kilmarnock a nice place to live?

Kilmarnock is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Kilmarnock is 55/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

What are the best schools in Kilmarnock?

Among the top-rated schools in Kilmarnock are Willowbank School, Annanhill Primary School and Crosshouse Communication Unit, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 14 rated schools in Kilmarnock in total.

Postcode districts in Kilmarnock

KA1 52 ⇄
KA2 43 ⇄
KA3 50 ⇄

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