Town Pop. 34,266

Living in Leighton Buzzard: Liveability Score 57/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Leighton Buzzard is 57/100, built from 9 categories. Lifestyle is where Leighton Buzzard most outperforms the national norm: 61/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 64/100 against a town median of 88/100.

That is the highest score of the 14 places in the LU7 postcode district. No category drops below 40/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. Its lifestyle score runs 8 points above the LU7 district's 53/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the LU7 postcode district.

57
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.

Leighton Buzzard scores 57 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Leighton Buzzard.
Or compare:
LU7 0AA LU7 1AA LU7 2AB LU7 3AA LU7 4AD LU7 6AG LU7 9AA LU7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
64
77.4 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 876 crimes
↓ 23% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 446 crimes
↓ 14% below national average
Shoplifting 225 crimes
↓ 15% below national average
Vehicle crime 222 crimes
↑ 35% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 207 crimes
↓ 12% below national average
other 675 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Market Square 149 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 137 crimes
  3. 3 Supermarket 107 crimes

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

Environment
61
Air Quality NO₂ 7.8 · PM2.5 7.1 · PM10 11.6 µg/m³
71
Green Space 40
Parks Ample 25
Sports Pitches Ample 23
Allotments Adequate 2
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 9
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Ample 35

Services

Schools
62
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 19 in area
16Good1Requires Improvement1Inadequate1Ungraded
  • Beaudesert Lower SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Brooklands Middle SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Cedars Upper SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Clipstone Brook Lower SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Greenleas SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Heathwood Lower SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Leighton Middle SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Linslade Lower SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Linslade SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Oak Bank SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Good

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Healthcare
51
A&E departmentsLuton and Dunstable Hospital6.5 mi
Milton Keynes University Hospital6.6 mi
Stoke Mandeville Hospital9.2 mi
Hospital waitsEast And North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust6.7 mi
Routine referral (median)10 wks
Treated within 18 weeks68.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs74.7%
3 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,089 patients per GP
11dentists7pharmacies

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
50
Full fibre (FTTP)68.3%
available across Central Bedfordshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
83.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
84.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 732 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
68
Employment rate62.5%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed62.5%Unemployed2.6%Retired23.3%Student3%Other inactive8.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial43.2%Skilled & technical33%Routine & elementary23.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications14.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.1%Level 3 (A levels)17.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)33.8%Apprenticeship5.5%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%
Home ownership71.3%
Among the least-deprived 29% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
40
Council tax Central Bedfordshire · 2026-27
A £1,677
B £1,957
C £2,236
D £2,516
E £3,075
F £3,634
G £4,193
H £5,032
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Affinity Water
Average bill regional £490/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
49
Leighton Buzzard 0.9 mi
Cheddington 4.2 mi
Bow Brickhill 6.2 mi
J12 M1 6.6 mi
J12 M1 6.6 mi
J11A M1 7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
61
Pubs & Bars Ample 22
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 41
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 24
Retail Shopping Ample 184
Takeaways Ample 32
Fitness Ample 8

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £340,000 420
Detached £507,500 70
Semi-detached £365,000 143
Terraced £318,000 126
Flat / Maisonette £190,000 81
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£169k £291k £416k £538k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Heath and Reach 42 1.8 mi away ⇄
Billington (Central Bedfordshire) 34 2.1 mi away ⇄
Stanbridge 35 2.7 mi away ⇄
Slapton (Buckinghamshire) 36 2.8 mi away ⇄
Soulbury 41 2.9 mi away ⇄
Wing (Buckinghamshire) 54 3.0 mi away ⇄
Hockliffe 33 3.2 mi away ⇄
Great Brickhill 43 3.4 mi away ⇄
Tilsworth 32 3.4 mi away ⇄
Stoke Hammond 43 3.7 mi away ⇄
Tebworth 33 4.3 mi away ⇄
Eaton Bray and Edlesborough 43 4.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Leighton Buzzard a nice place to live?

Leighton Buzzard is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Leighton Buzzard is 57/100, 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 Leighton Buzzard?

Leighton Buzzard has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 64/100. There were 2,651 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Leighton Buzzard?

Among the top-rated schools in Leighton Buzzard are Beaudesert Lower School, Brooklands Middle School and Cedars Upper School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 19 rated schools in Leighton Buzzard in total.

What are house prices like in Leighton Buzzard?

The current median house price in Leighton Buzzard is £340,000, around 19% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £507,500, semi-detached £365,000, terraced £318,000, flat £190,000. There were 420 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Leighton Buzzard in context

See where Leighton Buzzard ranks among the best places to live in Bedfordshire

Postcode districts in Leighton Buzzard

LU7 54 ⇄

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