Town Pop. 106,405

Living in Oldham: Liveability Score 68/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Oldham scores 68/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Measured against other towns, lifestyle stands out most: 99/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 18/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Among the 4 scored places sharing the M35 postcode district, Oldham ranks 2nd. That is 18 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Broadband (95), healthcare (91), schools (87) and transport (86) sit at 80/100 or above. Wider context for the surrounding area: M35 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.

Oldham scores 68 but individual postcodes tell the full story

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

Or compare:

M35 0AA M35 5AS M35 9AB M35 OL1 OL2 OL4

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

111.6 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents · year ending Dec 2025

The police force covering this area doesn't publish street-level crime data, so this is a district-level estimate based on Home Office recorded-crime totals for Oldham. It's a different source from the rest of the map and can't be broken down by location or crime type.

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 13.3 · PM2.5 7.6 · PM10 11.7 µg/m³

Green Space 99

Parks Ample 77

Sports Pitches Ample 117

Allotments Ample 10

Golf Courses Ample 5

Tennis Courts Ample 17

Bowling Greens Ample 12

Playgrounds Ample 46

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 70 in area

4Outstanding47Good8Requires Improvement11Ungraded

Corpus Christi RC Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Hollinwood AcademySpecial · inspected 2024
Outstanding
The Blue Coat CofE SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
Outstanding
Westwood AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Alt AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Bare Trees Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Beever Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Burnley Brow Community SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Canon Burrows CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good

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

Healthcare

A&E departmentsThe Royal Oldham Hospitalin area

North Manchester General Hospital3.5 mi

Manchester Royal Infirmary4.8 mi

Hospital waitsNorthern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust0.4 mi

Routine referral (median)13 wks

Treated within 18 weeks59.4%

A&E seen within 4 hrs73.6%

20 GP surgeries in area 29 within 4km best 'Outstanding'

GP capacity1,983 patients per GP

19dentists32pharmacies

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)93.8%

available across Oldham

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

97.2%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

97.2%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

99.7%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,905 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate48.6%

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

Economic activity (16+)

Employed48.6%Unemployed5.3%Retired13.7%Student8.4%Other inactive24.1%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial23.5%Skilled & technical34.1%Routine & elementary42.4%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications30.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.8%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.8%Level 3 (A levels)14.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)21%Apprenticeship5.2%Other (incl. vocational)3.2%

Home ownership48.7%

Among the most-deprived 12% of areas in England

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

Bills

Council tax Oldham · 2026-27

A £1,735

B £2,024

C £2,313

D £2,602

E £3,180

F £3,758

G £4,337

H £5,204

Energy North West England region

Typical bill regional £1,641/yr

Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026

Typical home efficiency local EPC band D

Water United Utilities

Average bill regional £456/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Mills Hill 2.8 mi

Moston 2.8 mi

Mossley 3.1 mi

J1 A627(M) 1.8 mi

J22 M60 2 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 45

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 77

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 105

Retail Shopping Ample 672

Takeaways Ample 144

Fitness Ample 15

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£180,500	322
Detached	£302,000	39
Semi-detached	£210,000	96
Terraced	£155,000	181

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Oldham a nice place to live?

Yes, Oldham is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Oldham is 68/100, 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 Oldham?

Crime levels in Oldham are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 18/100. There were 26,849 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Oldham?

Among the top-rated schools in Oldham are Corpus Christi RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy, Hollinwood Academy and The Blue Coat CofE School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 70 rated schools in Oldham in total.

What are house prices like in Oldham?

The current median house price in Oldham is £180,500, around 37% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £302,000, semi-detached £210,000, terraced £155,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 36%. There were 322 sales recorded in the past 12 months.