Town

Living in Kirkcaldy: Liveability Score 63/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Kirkcaldy scores 63/100 overall, across 7 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 77/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Economic health falls furthest short: 40/100 where the typical UK town reaches 67/100.

No other settlement in the KY1 postcode district scores higher. Kirkcaldy leads all 4. Notably, nothing falls below 40/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. That sits 13 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: KY1 postcode district.

63
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.

Kirkcaldy scores 63 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Kirkcaldy.
Or compare:
KY1 1AB KY1 2AA KY1 3AA KY1 4AA KY1 KY2

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
71
Air Quality NO₂ 5 · PM2.5 4.3 · PM10 7.4 µg/m³
82
Green Space 44
Parks Ample 18
Sports Pitches Ample 26
Allotments Ample 6
Golf Courses Ample 4
Tennis Courts Ample 8
Bowling Greens Ample 10
Playgrounds Ample 56

Services

Schools
52
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 15 in area
2Outstanding12Good1Requires Improvement
  • Dunnikier Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2019
    Outstanding
  • Strathallan Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2012
    Outstanding
  • Balwearie High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2017
    Good
  • Capshard Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2016
    Good
  • Dysart Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2009
    Good
  • Fair Isle Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2010
    Good
  • Kirkcaldy High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2012
    Good
  • Kirkcaldy North Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Kirkcaldy West Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Pathhead Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2011
    Good
Healthcare
77
A&E departmentsCommunity Paramedic Service72.5 mi
Cumberland Infirmary82.6 mi
Hexham General Hospital87.7 mi
Hospital waitsThe Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust51.6 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks72.5%
A&E seen within 4 hrs78.5%
6 GP surgeries in area
GP capacity1,324 patients per GP

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

Broadband
77
Full fibre (FTTP)69.2%
available across Fife
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
93.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
93.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,058 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
40
Employment rate55.4%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55.4%Unemployed3.2%Retired25.5%Student3.4%Other inactive12.5%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial34%Skilled & technical31.8%Routine & elementary34.2%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications25.8%
Home ownership58.7%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
62
Council tax

Council tax data not yet available for this area.

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
77
Kirkcaldy 0.9 mi
Glenrothes with Thornton 2.7 mi
Cardenden 3.8 mi
J4 M90 8.7 mi
J4 M90 8.9 mi
J3 M90 9.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
55
Pubs & Bars Ample 24
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 41
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 51
Retail Shopping Ample 290
Takeaways Ample 51
Fitness Ample 12

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Kirkcaldy. 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

Thornton (Fife) 43 2.8 mi away ⇄
Coaltown of Wemyss 38 3.3 mi away ⇄
Cardenden 47 3.6 mi away ⇄
Kinghorn 48 4.0 mi away ⇄
Bowhill 48 4.1 mi away ⇄
Kinglassie 34 4.3 mi away ⇄
Coaltown of Balgonie 49 4.4 mi away ⇄
East Wemyss 41 4.5 mi away ⇄
Glenrothes 59 4.8 mi away ⇄
Burntisland 56 5.1 mi away ⇄
Markinch 55 5.4 mi away ⇄
Leslie 55 5.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Kirkcaldy a nice place to live?

Kirkcaldy is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Kirkcaldy is 63/100, 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 Kirkcaldy?

Among the top-rated schools in Kirkcaldy are Dunnikier Primary School and Strathallan Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 15 rated schools in Kirkcaldy in total.

Postcode districts in Kirkcaldy

KY1 60 ⇄
KY2 63 ⇄

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