Town Pop. 45,726

Living in Leigh (Wigan): Liveability Score 65/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Leigh (Wigan) comes out at 65/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 82/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. Safety falls furthest short: 31/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

That makes it the 3rd highest-scoring of the 4 places in the M29 postcode district. That sits 15 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. Broadband (87) sits at 80/100 or above. For the surrounding area, see M29 postcode district.

65
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.

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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.

Leigh (Wigan) scores 65 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Leigh (Wigan).
Or compare:
M29 2BB M29 7AA M29 8AA M29 WN2 WN7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
31
95.3 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents · year ending Dec 2025

The police force covering this area doesn't publish street-level crime data, so this is a district-level estimate based on Home Office recorded-crime totals for Wigan. It's a different source from the rest of the map and can't be broken down by location or crime type.

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

Environment
72
Air Quality NO₂ 10.5 · PM2.5 6.7 · PM10 11 µg/m³
70
Green Space 78
Parks Ample 22
Sports Pitches Ample 30
Allotments Adequate 2
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Ample 11
Bowling Greens Ample 11
Playgrounds Ample 22

Services

Schools
72
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 23 in area · 32 within 4km
1Outstanding19Good3Ungraded
  • Twelve Apostles Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Outstanding
  • Bedford Hall Methodist Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Bedford High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Bickershaw CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Christ Church CofE Primary School, PenningtonPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Gilded Hollins Community SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Hindley Green Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Leigh Central Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Leigh CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Leigh St John's CofE PrimaryPrimary · inspected 2025
    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
82
A&E departmentsWarrington Hospital6.8 mi
Wythenshawe Hospital10.3 mi
North Manchester General Hospital10.4 mi
Hospital waitsWarrington And Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust0.7 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks65.3%
A&E seen within 4 hrs65.7%
9 GP surgeries in area 16 within 4km best 'Outstanding'
GP capacity2,170 patients per GP
6dentists10pharmacies

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
87
Full fibre (FTTP)85.1%
available across Wigan
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
95.8%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.5%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 991 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
33
Employment rate56.7%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed56.7%Unemployed3.5%Retired21.4%Student3.8%Other inactive14.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial30.1%Skilled & technical33.6%Routine & elementary36.3%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications22.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.6%Level 3 (A levels)17.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)24.1%Apprenticeship6.8%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%
Home ownership60.2%
Among the most-deprived 32% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
66
Council tax Wigan · 2026-27
A £1,435
B £1,675
C £1,914
D £2,153
E £2,631
F £3,110
G £3,588
H £4,306
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
Hag Fold 2.7 mi
Atherton 2.8 mi
Daisy Hill 2.8 mi
J5 M61 4.1 mi
J5 M61 4.2 mi
J4 M61 4.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
73
Pubs & Bars Ample 29
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 29
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 44
Retail Shopping Ample 238
Takeaways Ample 62
Fitness Ample 11

Places like Leigh (Wigan) Pro

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £170,000 269
Detached £330,000 29
Semi-detached £213,550 98
Terraced £139,475 114
Flat / Maisonette £110,000 28
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£83k £172k £264k £353k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Higher Folds 65 1.6 mi away ⇄
Bickershaw 56 2.1 mi away ⇄
Glazebury 53 2.1 mi away ⇄
Atherton 66 2.4 mi away ⇄
Astley 62 2.7 mi away ⇄
Golborne 59 2.8 mi away ⇄
Hindley 61 2.8 mi away ⇄
Tyldesley 68 2.9 mi away ⇄
Fowley Common 51 2.9 mi away ⇄
Culcheth 55 3.0 mi away ⇄
Westhoughton 60 3.2 mi away ⇄
Platt Bridge and Abram 57 3.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Leigh (Wigan) a nice place to live?

Yes, Leigh (Wigan) is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Leigh (Wigan) is 65/100, 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.

How safe is Leigh (Wigan)?

Leigh (Wigan) has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 31/100. There were 31,818 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Leigh (Wigan)?

Among the top-rated schools in Leigh (Wigan) are Twelve Apostles Catholic Primary School, Bedford Hall Methodist Primary School and Bedford High School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 23 rated schools in Leigh (Wigan) in total.

What are house prices like in Leigh (Wigan)?

The current median house price in Leigh (Wigan) is £170,000, around 40% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £330,000, semi-detached £213,550, terraced £139,475, flat £110,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 18%. There were 269 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Leigh (Wigan) in context

See the best places to live in Greater Manchester, ranked

Postcode districts in Leigh (Wigan)

M29 62 ⇄
WN2 59 ⇄
WN7 63 ⇄

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