Town Pop. 223,865

Living in Luton: Liveability Score 65/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Luton is 65/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 78/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 50/100 versus a median of 88/100.

No other settlement in the LU1 postcode district scores higher. Luton leads all 4. It scores 5 points above the LU1 postcode district as a whole, which averages 60/100. That sits 15 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: LU1 postcode district.

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.

Luton scores 65 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Luton.

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LU1 1AA LU1 2AA LU1 3AA LU1 4AB LU1 5AA LU1 9AB LU1 LU2 LU3 LU4

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

87.6 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 6,885 crimes

≈ similar to national average

Anti-social behaviour 2,889 crimes

↓ 15% below national average

Shoplifting 1,653 crimes

≈ similar to national average

Vehicle crime 1,630 crimes

↑ 52% above national average

Criminal damage and arson 1,369 crimes

↓ 10% below national average

other 5,176 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Supermarket 1,047 crimes
2 Parking Area 814 crimes
3 Petrol Station 574 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 12.3 · PM2.5 7.6 · PM10 12.6 µg/m³

Green Space 42

Parks Ample 82

Sports Pitches Ample 95

Allotments Ample 13

Golf Courses Ample 6

Tennis Courts Ample 20

Bowling Greens Ample 9

Playgrounds Ample 66

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 84 in area

9Outstanding58Good3Requires Improvement3Inadequate11Ungraded

Challney High School for BoysSecondary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Challney High School for GirlsSecondary · inspected 2025
Outstanding
Denbigh High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Farley Junior AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Hillborough Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Lady Zia Wernher SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education CentrePrimary · inspected 2022
Outstanding
Tennyson Road Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Woodlands Secondary SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Avenue Centre for EducationAlternative provision · inspected 2024
Good

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

Healthcare

A&E departmentsLuton and Dunstable Hospitalin area

Lister Hospital6.6 mi

Queen Elizabeth II Hospital9.5 mi

Hospital waitsCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust1.2 mi

Routine referral (median)11 wks

Treated within 18 weeks62.9%

A&E seen within 4 hrs71.1%

22 GP surgeries in area 23 within 4km best 'Outstanding'

GP capacity2,476 patients per GP

24dentists40pharmacies

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

Full fibre (FTTP)91.4%

available across Luton

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

98.1%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

98.4%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

99.9%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 2,995 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate57.5%

Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+

Economic activity (16+)

Employed57.5%Unemployed4.9%Retired15.2%Student6.5%Other inactive16%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial31.2%Skilled & technical35.4%Routine & elementary33.4%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications22.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13%Level 3 (A levels)14.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)29.6%Apprenticeship5%Other (incl. vocational)3.8%

Home ownership58.3%

Among the most-deprived 36% of areas in England

Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD

Bills

Council tax Luton · 2026-27

A £1,627

B £1,898

C £2,169

D £2,440

E £2,982

F £3,524

G £4,067

H £4,880

Energy Eastern England region

Typical bill regional £1,641/yr

Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026

Typical home efficiency local EPC band D

Water Affinity Water

Average bill regional £490/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Luton 1.2 mi

Leagrave 1.3 mi

Luton Airport Parkway 2.2 mi

J11 M1 1.6 mi

J11 M1 1.7 mi

J10 M1 2.5 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 65

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 166

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 240

Retail Shopping Ample 741

Takeaways Ample 238

Fitness Ample 21

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£315,500	899
Detached	£440,000	140
Semi-detached	£335,000	417
Terraced	£270,000	234
Flat / Maisonette	£163,000	108

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Luton a nice place to live?

Yes, Luton is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Luton 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 Luton?

Luton has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 50/100. There were 19,602 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Luton?

Among the top-rated schools in Luton are Challney High School for Boys, Challney High School for Girls and Denbigh High School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 84 rated schools in Luton in total.

What are house prices like in Luton?

The current median house price in Luton is £315,500, around 11% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £440,000, semi-detached £335,000, terraced £270,000, flat £163,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 17%. There were 899 sales recorded in the past 12 months.