Town Pop. 1,674

Living in Kirkby Stephen: Liveability Score 45/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Kirkby Stephen is 45/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 38/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is broadband, at 25/100 against a town median of 60/100.

On healthcare specifically, Kirkby Stephen sits 10 points above the CA17 district figure of 28/100. Safety (80) also clears 80/100. That puts Kirkby Stephen in the middle half of the UK towns and villages we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the CA17 postcode district.

45
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.

Kirkby Stephen scores 45 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Kirkby Stephen.
Or compare:
CA17 4AA CA17

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
80
84.8 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 61 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Public order 21 crimes
↑ 92% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 16 crimes
↑ 41% above national average
Shoplifting 10 crimes
↓ 23% below national average
Other theft 7 crimes
↓ 32% below national average
other 27 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Market Street 14 crimes
  2. 2 Gasgarth Mews 10 crimes
  3. 3 Sports/Recreation Area 10 crimes

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

Environment
69
Air Quality NO₂ 2.3 · PM2.5 4.6 · PM10 7 µg/m³
83
Green Space 37
Parks None
Sports Pitches Adequate 3
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 5

Services

Schools
34
2 schools in area
2Good
  • Kirkby Stephen Grammar SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Kirkby Stephen Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
Healthcare
38
A&E departmentsDarlington Memorial Hospital31.6 mi
Royal Lancaster Infirmary34 mi
Hexham General Hospital35.5 mi
Hospital waitsNorth Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust0.4 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.3%
A&E seen within 4 hrs62.6%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,010 patients per GP
1dentist1pharmacy

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
25
Full fibre (FTTP)79.2%
available across Westmorland and Furness
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
36.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
36.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 85 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
56
Employment rate54.9%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed54.9%Unemployed1.7%Retired31.8%Student2%Other inactive9.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial32.8%Skilled & technical38.5%Routine & elementary28.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications20.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.8%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14%Level 3 (A levels)16.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)30.8%Apprenticeship6.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.3%
Home ownership66.2%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
43
Council tax Westmorland and Furness · 2026-27
A £1,672
B £1,951
C £2,229
D £2,508
E £3,065
F £3,623
G £4,180
H £5,016
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
14
Kirkby Stephen 1.3 mi
Appleby 9.3 mi
Garsdale 10.4 mi
J38 M6 10 mi
J38 M6 10.2 mi
J39 M6 12.1 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
33
Pubs & Bars Adequate 6
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 7
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 3
Retail Shopping Ample 34
Takeaways Some 3
Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £255,000 20
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi
£181k £247k £316k £383k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Brough (Eden) 36 3.9 mi away ⇄
Hilton (Eden) 0 9.1 mi away ⇄
Appleby-in-Westmorland 43 9.1 mi away ⇄
Long Marton 36 12 mi away ⇄
Bolton (Eden) 41 12 mi away ⇄
Sedbergh 42 12 mi away ⇄
Hawes and Gayle 50 13 mi away ⇄
Shap 51 14 mi away ⇄
Kirkby Thore 44 14 mi away ⇄
Middleton-in-Teesdale 40 15 mi away ⇄
Temple Sowerby 47 15 mi away ⇄
Mickleton (County Durham) 41 15 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Kirkby Stephen a nice place to live?

Kirkby Stephen has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Kirkby Stephen is 45/100, 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 Kirkby Stephen?

Kirkby Stephen is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 80/100. There were 142 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Kirkby Stephen?

Among the top-rated schools in Kirkby Stephen are Kirkby Stephen Grammar School and Kirkby Stephen Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Kirkby Stephen in total.

What are house prices like in Kirkby Stephen?

The current median house price in Kirkby Stephen is £255,000, around 11% below the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 30%. There were 20 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Kirkby Stephen in context

See the best places to live in Cumbria, ranked

Postcode districts in Kirkby Stephen

CA17 43 ⇄

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