Town

Living in Newton Stewart: Liveability Score 42/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Newton Stewart comes out at 42/100 on the 8 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 55/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. Broadband falls furthest short: 36/100 where the typical UK town reaches 60/100.

No other settlement in the DG8 postcode district scores higher. Newton Stewart leads all 8. It scores 5 points above the DG8 postcode district as a whole, which averages 37/100. On healthcare specifically, Newton Stewart sits 18 points above the DG8 district figure of 37/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: DG8 postcode district.

42
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.

Newton Stewart scores 42 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Newton Stewart.
Or compare:
DG8 0AA DG8 6AA DG8 7AA DG8 8AA DG8 9AA DG8

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
—

Crime is scored from the last 12 months of police street-level data. Police Scotland does not publish this, and there is no Scottish equivalent of the Police UK open data service, so crime has been left out of the score for this area. This is a gap in published data, not a sign of low crime.

Environment
68
Air Quality NO₂ 1.9 · PM2.5 4.2 · PM10 6.5 µg/m³
85
Green Space 28
Parks Ample 6
Sports Pitches Ample 5
Allotments None
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 13

Services

Schools
10
2 schools in area
2Good
  • Minnigaff SchoolOther · inspected 2017
    Good
  • Penninghame SchoolOther · inspected 2012
    Good
Healthcare
55
A&E departmentsCumberland Infirmary60.3 mi
Royal Lancaster Infirmary92.1 mi
Hexham General Hospital94.4 mi
Hospital waitsNorth Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust42.8 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.3%
A&E seen within 4 hrs62.6%
2 GP surgeries in area
GP capacity2,192 patients per GP

A&E, dentist and pharmacy data, and CQC ratings, are currently available for England only, not Scotland.

Broadband
36
Full fibre (FTTP)53.6%
available across Dumfries and Galloway
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
79.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
79.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 151 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
45
Employment rate51.5%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed51.5%Unemployed1.5%Retired33.6%Student2.2%Other inactive11.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial29.9%Skilled & technical36.9%Routine & elementary33.2%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications25.3%
Home ownership64.6%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
72
Council tax Dumfries & Galloway · 2025-26
A £970
B £1,132
C £1,293
D £1,455
E £1,912
F £2,364
G £2,849
H £3,565
Energy South Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
25
Barrhill 15.2 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
32
Pubs & Bars Adequate 4
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 10
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 6
Retail Shopping Ample 44
Takeaways Adequate 5
Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Newton Stewart. HM Land Registry's Price Paid dataset covers England and Wales only. Scottish sales are recorded separately by Registers of Scotland, which we don't yet include. This is a gap in the data we hold, not a sign of an inactive market.

Nearby places

Creetown 34 5.8 mi away ⇄
Kirkcowan 33 5.8 mi away ⇄
Wigtown 37 6.5 mi away ⇄
Bladnoch 0 7.6 mi away ⇄
Gatehouse of Fleet 36 13 mi away ⇄
Glenluce 32 14 mi away ⇄
Port William 33 14 mi away ⇄
Barrhill 34 15 mi away ⇄
New Galloway 27 16 mi away ⇄
Whithorn 32 16 mi away ⇄
St John's Town of Dalry 27 16 mi away ⇄
Isle of Whithorn 27 19 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Newton Stewart a nice place to live?

Newton Stewart has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Newton Stewart is 42/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

What are the best schools in Newton Stewart?

Among the top-rated schools in Newton Stewart are Minnigaff School and Penninghame School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Newton Stewart in total.

Postcode districts in Newton Stewart

DG8 37 ⇄

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