Town Pop. 6,221

Living in Olney: Liveability Score 54/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Olney is 54/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, lifestyle stands out most: 50/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. Olney places 2nd of 4 in the MK46 postcode district.

Safety (91) and broadband (80) sit at 80/100 or above. Schools (19) and transport (25) all fall below 30/100. On the national picture that lands Olney in the top quarter of all the places we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the MK46 postcode district.

54
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.

Olney scores 54 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Olney.
Or compare:
MK46 4AA MK46 5AA MK46

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
91
52.1 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 144 crimes
↓ 31% below national average
Shoplifting 42 crimes
↓ 13% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 25 crimes
↓ 74% below national average
Other theft 24 crimes
↓ 37% below national average
Vehicle crime 20 crimes
↓ 33% below national average
other 69 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Supermarket 23 crimes
  2. 2 Berrells Court 20 crimes
  3. 3 Osier Way 17 crimes

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

Environment
65
Air Quality NO₂ 7.1 · PM2.5 7 · PM10 12.2 µg/m³
72
Green Space 51
Parks Adequate 4
Sports Pitches Ample 12
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Adequate 4
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 12

Services

Schools
19
2 schools in area · 3 within 4km
1Outstanding1Ungraded
  • Olney Infant AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Olney Middle 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
38
A&E departmentsMilton Keynes University Hospital8.6 mi
Northampton General Hospital8.7 mi
Bedford Hospital South Wing9.7 mi
Hospital waitsNorthampton General Hospital NHS Trust6 mi
Routine referral (median)14 wks
Treated within 18 weeks61.1%
A&E seen within 4 hrs75%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,829 patients per GP
0dentists1pharmacy

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
80
Full fibre (FTTP)96.2%
available across Milton Keynes
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
93%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
93.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 184 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
79
Employment rate58.7%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed58.7%Unemployed2%Retired29.1%Student3.6%Other inactive6.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial52.7%Skilled & technical31%Routine & elementary16.4%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications12.3%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.5%Level 3 (A levels)14.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)43.7%Apprenticeship5.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.4%
Home ownership71.2%
Among the least-deprived 20% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
54
Council tax Milton Keynes · 2026-27
A £1,581
B £1,845
C £2,108
D £2,372
E £2,899
F £3,426
G £3,953
H £4,744
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 Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
25
Wolverton 7.6 mi
Milton Keynes Central 9.1 mi
Kempston Hardwick 9.7 mi
J14 M1 6.7 mi
J14 M1 7.1 mi
J14 M1 7.2 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
50
Pubs & Bars Adequate 4
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 20
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 6
Retail Shopping Ample 65
Takeaways Adequate 4
Fitness Adequate 3

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £367,500 64
Detached £512,000 22
Semi-detached £300,000 19
Terraced £335,000 16
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£255k £377k £502k £624k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Emberton 44 1.4 mi away ⇄
Lavendon 42 2.1 mi away ⇄
Sherington 41 3.3 mi away ⇄
Yardley Hastings 45 3.4 mi away ⇄
Turvey 36 3.5 mi away ⇄
Stoke Goldington 40 3.6 mi away ⇄
Horton (West Northamptonshire) 42 4.4 mi away ⇄
Bozeat 43 4.6 mi away ⇄
Carlton (Bedford) 37 4.8 mi away ⇄
Denton (West Northamptonshire) 45 4.9 mi away ⇄
North Crawley 34 5.1 mi away ⇄
Harrold 40 5.1 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Olney a nice place to live?

Olney is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Olney is 54/100, 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 Olney?

Olney is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 91/100. There were 324 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Olney?

Among the top-rated schools in Olney is Olney Infant Academy, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Olney in total.

What are house prices like in Olney?

The current median house price in Olney is £367,500, around 29% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £512,000, semi-detached £300,000, terraced £335,000. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 8%. There were 64 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Olney in context

See where Olney ranks among the best places to live in Buckinghamshire

Postcode districts in Olney

MK46 50 ⇄

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