Town Pop. 36,358

Living in Newbury: Liveability Score 55/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Newbury scores 55/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is transport: 59/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Safety falls furthest short: 59/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

Notably, nothing falls below 42/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. That puts Newbury in the top quarter of the UK towns and villages we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: RG14 postcode district.

55
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.

Newbury scores 55 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Newbury.
Or compare:
RG14 1AA RG14 2AA RG14 3AA RG14 5AA RG14 6AA RG14 7AA RG14 9ES RG14 RG18 RG19 RG20

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
59
90.4 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 1,212 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 436 crimes
↓ 21% below national average
Shoplifting 316 crimes
↑ 12% above national average
Public order 292 crimes
↑ 23% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 265 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 767 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 157 crimes
  2. 2 Stirrup Close 131 crimes
  3. 3 Mabel Luke Place 75 crimes

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

Environment
60
Air Quality NO₂ 6.6 · PM2.5 6.3 · PM10 10.4 µg/m³
74
Green Space 27
Parks Ample 36
Sports Pitches Ample 25
Allotments Ample 6
Golf Courses Ample 6
Tennis Courts Ample 19
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 32

Services

Schools
52
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 22 in area · 23 within 4km
3Outstanding14Good5Ungraded
  • St Bartholomew's SchoolSecondary · inspected 2021
    Outstanding
  • The Castle SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Victoria Park Nursery School & Family HubNursery · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Falkland Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Fir Tree Primary School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Highwood Copse Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • John Rankin Infant and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Mary Hare SchoolSpecial · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Parsons Down Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Parsons Down Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    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
49
A&E departmentsBasingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital10.9 mi
Royal Berkshire Hospital14.5 mi
Great Western Hospital18.4 mi
Hospital waitsBerkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)4 wks
Treated within 18 weeks100%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99%
3 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,922 patients per GP
12dentists7pharmacies

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
48
Full fibre (FTTP)77.3%
available across West Berkshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
81.3%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
84.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.1%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,074 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
66
Employment rate63.2%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed63.2%Unemployed2.6%Retired21.9%Student3.2%Other inactive9.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial45.4%Skilled & technical30.6%Routine & elementary24%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications15.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.9%Level 3 (A levels)16%Level 4+ (degree & above)37.6%Apprenticeship5%Other (incl. vocational)2.5%
Home ownership62.3%
Among the least-deprived 30% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
42
Council tax West Berkshire · 2026-27
A £1,670
B £1,948
C £2,227
D £2,505
E £3,062
F £3,618
G £4,175
H £5,010
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 Thames Water
Average bill regional £489/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
59
Newbury 0.1 mi
Newbury Racecourse 0.7 mi
Thatcham 3.5 mi
J13 M4 3.7 mi
J13 M4 3.9 mi
J14 M4 7.5 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
56
Pubs & Bars Ample 31
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 55
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 28
Retail Shopping Ample 197
Takeaways Ample 27
Fitness Ample 25

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £355,500 358
Detached £588,750 58
Semi-detached £408,250 98
Terraced £360,000 77
Flat / Maisonette £215,000 125
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£188k £415k £649k £876k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Greenham 48 1.2 mi away ⇄
Horris Hill 47 2.4 mi away ⇄
Bishop's Green 46 2.4 mi away ⇄
Ashmore Green 39 2.6 mi away ⇄
Burghclere Common 40 2.6 mi away ⇄
Thatcham 56 2.9 mi away ⇄
Cold Ash 50 3.3 mi away ⇄
Curridge 36 3.3 mi away ⇄
Burghclere 39 3.6 mi away ⇄
Ball Hill 43 4.0 mi away ⇄
Boxford (West Berkshire) 39 4.0 mi away ⇄
Headley (Basingstoke and Deane) 39 4.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Newbury a nice place to live?

Newbury is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Newbury is 55/100, 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 Newbury?

Newbury has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 59/100. There were 3,288 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Newbury?

Among the top-rated schools in Newbury are St Bartholomew's School, The Castle School and Victoria Park Nursery School & Family Hub, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 22 rated schools in Newbury in total.

What are house prices like in Newbury?

The current median house price in Newbury is £355,500, around 25% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £588,750, semi-detached £408,250, terraced £360,000, flat £215,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 18%. There were 358 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Newbury in context

See where Newbury ranks among the best places to live in Berkshire

Postcode districts in Newbury

RG14 57 ⇄
RG18 57 ⇄
RG19 53 ⇄
RG20 44 ⇄

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