Town Pop. 13,147

Living in Lees: Liveability Score 70/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Lees comes out at 70/100 on the 8 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, lifestyle stands out most: 96/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is economic health: 38/100 versus a median of 67/100.

That is the highest score of the 3 places in the OL4 postcode district. That is 20 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Broadband (85) also clears 80/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: OL4 postcode district.

70
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.

Loading map…

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.

Lees scores 70 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Lees.
Or compare:
OL4 1AA OL4 2AB OL4 3AA OL4 4AA OL4 5AA OL4

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
78
Air Quality NO₂ 10.5 · PM2.5 7.1 · PM10 10.7 µg/m³
69
Green Space 99
Parks Ample 14
Sports Pitches Ample 7
Allotments Adequate 3
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 8

Services

Schools
78
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 16 in area · 57 within 4km
11Good2Requires Improvement3Ungraded
  • Alt AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Hey-with-Zion Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Knowsley Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Oasis Academy ClarksfieldPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Oasis Academy LeesbrookSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Roundthorn Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Springhead Infant and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • St Agnes CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • St Anne's CofE Lydgate Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • St Hugh's CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    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
79
A&E departmentsThe Royal Oldham Hospital2.1 mi
North Manchester General Hospital6.3 mi
Manchester Royal Infirmary7.8 mi
Hospital waitsNorthern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust1.3 mi
Routine referral (median)13 wks
Treated within 18 weeks59.4%
A&E seen within 4 hrs73.6%
2 GP surgeries in area 20 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,122 patients per GP
4dentists2pharmacies

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
85
Full fibre (FTTP)93.8%
available across Oldham
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
93.3%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
93.3%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 350 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
38
Employment rate55.5%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55.5%Unemployed3.1%Retired23.6%Student4.3%Other inactive13.5%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial34.4%Skilled & technical34.6%Routine & elementary31.1%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications20.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.8%Level 3 (A levels)18.3%Level 4+ (degree & above)27.1%Apprenticeship7.2%Other (incl. vocational)3%
Home ownership64.2%
Among the most-deprived 37% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
34
Council tax Oldham · 2026-27
A £1,735
B £2,024
C £2,313
D £2,602
E £3,180
F £3,758
G £4,337
H £5,204
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
76
Mossley 2 mi
Greenfield 2 mi
Ashton-under-Lyne 3.6 mi
J1 A627(M) 3.4 mi
J22 M60 3.5 mi
J1 A627(M) 3.7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
96
Pubs & Bars Ample 9
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 7
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 5
Retail Shopping Ample 48
Takeaways Adequate 8
Fitness None

Places like Lees Pro

Pick the categories you want to beat. Pro members see the most similar settlements that score higher in all of them.

Find somewhere like Lees, but with a higher score in …

ProSimilar settlements is a Pro featureUpgrade to Pro

House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £220,000 85
Detached £407,500 10
Semi-detached £275,000 27
Terraced £190,000 47
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£132k £240k £352k £460k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Oldham 68 1.8 mi away ⇄
Mossley 56 1.9 mi away ⇄
Dobcross 53 2.1 mi away ⇄
Uppermill 51 2.1 mi away ⇄
Delph 46 2.4 mi away ⇄
Royton 66 3.1 mi away ⇄
Shaw (Oldham) 61 3.1 mi away ⇄
Ashton-under-Lyne 65 3.4 mi away ⇄
Denshaw 44 3.6 mi away ⇄
Chadderton 70 3.8 mi away ⇄
Stalybridge 62 3.8 mi away ⇄
Woodhouses 73 4.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Lees a nice place to live?

Yes, Lees is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Lees is 70/100, 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.

What are the best schools in Lees?

Among the top-rated schools in Lees are Alt Academy, Hey-with-Zion Primary School and Knowsley Junior School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 16 rated schools in Lees in total.

What are house prices like in Lees?

The current median house price in Lees is £220,000, around 23% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £407,500, semi-detached £275,000, terraced £190,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 21%. There were 85 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Lees in context

See where Lees ranks among the best places to live in Greater Manchester

Postcode districts in Lees

OL4 67 ⇄

Check your exact postcode

Get a personalised score for any UK postcode, tailored to what matters most to you.

Score my postcode