City Pop. 50,921

Living in Lancaster: Liveability Score 58/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Lancaster scores 58/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 91/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 30/100 against a town median of 88/100.

That is the highest score of the 3 places in the LA1 postcode district. That is 8 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 10% of all UK towns and villages. Environment (82) sits at 80/100 or above. Wider context for the surrounding area: LA1 postcode district.

58
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.

Lancaster scores 58 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Lancaster.
Or compare:
LA1 1AA LA1 2AA LA1 3AA LA1 4AA LA1 5AB LA1 9HB LA1 LA2

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
30
128.1 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 2,078 crimes
↑ 23% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 1,803 crimes
↑ 133% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 562 crimes
↑ 62% above national average
Shoplifting 387 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Public order 343 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 1,349 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Shopping Area 233 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 190 crimes
  3. 3 Calkeld Lane 189 crimes

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

Environment
82
Air Quality NO₂ 6.9 · PM2.5 5.3 · PM10 8.6 µg/m³
77
Green Space 95
Parks Ample 34
Sports Pitches Ample 67
Allotments Ample 5
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 14
Bowling Greens Ample 10
Playgrounds Ample 59

Services

Schools
68
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 25 in area · 28 within 4km
4Outstanding16Good2Requires Improvement3Ungraded
  • Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Ripley St Thomas Church of England AcademySecondary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, LancasterPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • The Loyne Specialist SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Appletree Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Bowerham Primary & Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Chadwick High SchoolAlternative provision · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Lancaster Christ Church Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Lancaster Girls' Grammar SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good

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
38
A&E departmentsRoyal Lancaster Infirmaryin area
Royal Preston Hospital16.3 mi
Blackpool Victoria Hospital16.4 mi
Hospital waitsBlackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)13 wks
Treated within 18 weeks61.5%
A&E seen within 4 hrs82.5%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,642 patients per GP
13dentists8pharmacies

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
66
Full fibre (FTTP)88%
available across Lancaster
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
87.3%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
88.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.1%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,125 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
56
Employment rate54.3%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed54.3%Unemployed2.9%Retired18.7%Student12.9%Other inactive11.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial40.9%Skilled & technical29.6%Routine & elementary29.5%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications14.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)7.7%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)11.4%Level 3 (A levels)22.3%Level 4+ (degree & above)37.6%Apprenticeship4.4%Other (incl. vocational)2.1%
Home ownership61.1%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
43
Council tax Lancaster · 2026-27
A £1,669
B £1,947
C £2,225
D £2,503
E £3,059
F £3,615
G £4,172
H £5,006
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
72
Lancaster 0.4 mi
Bare Lane 2.4 mi
Morecambe 3.3 mi
J34 M6 1.4 mi
J34 M6 1.9 mi
J33 M6 4.2 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
91
Pubs & Bars Ample 54
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 77
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 43
Retail Shopping Ample 338
Takeaways Ample 65
Fitness Ample 22

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £180,000 342
Detached £425,000 33
Semi-detached £227,500 99
Terraced £157,626 160
Flat / Maisonette £126,250 50
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£104k £211k £321k £428k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Stodday 0 2.0 mi away ⇄
Morecambe 50 2.5 mi away ⇄
Halton (Lancaster) 49 2.6 mi away ⇄
Bailrigg 38 2.7 mi away ⇄
Bolton-le-Sands 55 3.4 mi away ⇄
Overton (Lancaster) 29 3.4 mi away ⇄
Galgate 42 3.8 mi away ⇄
Caton 47 3.9 mi away ⇄
Heysham 44 3.9 mi away ⇄
Nether Kellet 48 4.3 mi away ⇄
Middleton (Lancaster) 26 4.4 mi away ⇄
Carnforth 54 5.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Lancaster a nice place to live?

Lancaster is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Lancaster is 58/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Lancaster?

Lancaster has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 30/100. There were 6,522 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Lancaster?

Among the top-rated schools in Lancaster are Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary School, Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy and St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 25 rated schools in Lancaster in total.

What are house prices like in Lancaster?

The current median house price in Lancaster is £180,000, around 37% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £425,000, semi-detached £227,500, terraced £157,626, flat £126,250. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 14%. There were 342 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Lancaster in context

See where Lancaster ranks among the best places to live in Lancashire

Postcode districts in Lancaster

LA1 58 ⇄
LA2 45 ⇄

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