Town Pop. 15,800

Living in Melksham: Liveability Score 47/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Melksham comes out at 47/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 44/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 61/100 against a town median of 88/100.

Melksham places 2nd of 10 in the SN12 postcode district. That puts Melksham in the middle half of the UK towns and villages we score. For the surrounding area, see SN12 postcode district.

47
OUT OF 100
Below Avg
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.

Melksham scores 47 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Melksham.
Or compare:
SN12 6AA SN12 7AA SN12 8AB SN12 9AP SN12

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
61
89 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 561 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 289 crimes
↑ 20% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 127 crimes
↑ 18% above national average
Public order 94 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 84 crimes
↓ 32% below national average
other 251 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 112 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 107 crimes
  3. 3 Shails Lane 103 crimes

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

Environment
61
Air Quality NO₂ 7 · PM2.5 6.3 · PM10 10.3 µg/m³
74
Green Space 29
Parks Ample 12
Sports Pitches Ample 5
Allotments Adequate 3
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Adequate 3
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Ample 19

Services

Schools
31
7 schools in area · 9 within 4km
5Good2Ungraded
  • Aloeric Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Bowerhill Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Melksham Oak Community SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Shaw CE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • River Mead SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Ungraded
  • The Manor CofE VC Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded

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
44
A&E departmentsRoyal United Hospital10.3 mi
Great Western Hospital19.6 mi
Bristol Royal Infirmary19.8 mi
Hospital waitsHampshire And Isle Of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust4.9 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks70%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.3%
2 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,555 patients per GP
3dentists5pharmacies

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
69
Full fibre (FTTP)67.4%
available across Wiltshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
93.1%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
93.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 432 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
49
Employment rate57.7%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed57.7%Unemployed2.4%Retired27.3%Student2.5%Other inactive10.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial31.8%Skilled & technical33.8%Routine & elementary34.5%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications19.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16%Level 3 (A levels)18.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)23.7%Apprenticeship6.8%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%
Home ownership68.7%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
32
Council tax Wiltshire · 2026-27
A £1,715
B £2,000
C £2,286
D £2,572
E £3,144
F £3,715
G £4,287
H £5,144
Energy Southern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
29
Melksham 0.7 mi
Trowbridge 5.2 mi
Bradford-on-Avon 5.6 mi
J17 M4 9.7 mi
J17 M4 9.7 mi
J18 M4 12.5 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
39
Pubs & Bars Ample 12
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 5
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 12
Retail Shopping Adequate 12
Takeaways Adequate 6
Fitness Adequate 2

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £274,200 157
Detached £385,000 41
Semi-detached £276,000 61
Terraced £235,000 40
Flat / Maisonette £144,000 15
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£107k £212k £321k £427k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Bowerhill 50 1.2 mi away ⇄
Berryfield 37 1.3 mi away ⇄
Beanacre 40 1.4 mi away ⇄
Shaw (Wiltshire) 39 1.8 mi away ⇄
Broughton Gifford 36 2.0 mi away ⇄
Whitley (Wiltshire) 39 2.1 mi away ⇄
Semington 38 2.3 mi away ⇄
Seend Cleeve 39 2.4 mi away ⇄
Seend 43 2.8 mi away ⇄
Holt (Wiltshire) 37 3.1 mi away ⇄
Gastard 52 3.1 mi away ⇄
Notton (Wiltshire) 37 3.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Melksham a nice place to live?

Melksham has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Melksham is 47/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Melksham?

Melksham has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 61/100. There were 1,406 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Melksham?

Among the top-rated schools in Melksham are Aloeric Primary School, Bowerhill Primary School and Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 7 rated schools in Melksham in total.

What are house prices like in Melksham?

The current median house price in Melksham is £274,200, in line with the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £385,000, semi-detached £276,000, terraced £235,000, flat £144,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 6%. There were 157 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Melksham in context

See where Melksham ranks among the best places to live in Wiltshire

Postcode districts in Melksham

SN12 44 ⇄

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