Town Pop. 702

Living in Orwell: Liveability Score 42/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Orwell is 42/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is broadband: 88/100 against a national town median of 60/100. Among the 19 scored places sharing the SG8 postcode district, Orwell ranks 7th.

Against the wider SG8 district average of 47/100, that is 5 points below. Its broadband score runs 41 points above the SG8 district's 47/100. That is 8 points below the national benchmark of 50, the middle half of all UK towns and villages. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the SG8 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.

Orwell scores 42 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Orwell.
Or compare:
SG8 0AA SG8 1BQ SG8 5AA SG8 6AA SG8 7AA SG8 8AA SG8 9AA SG8

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
84
200.9 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 38 crimes
↑ 62% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 37 crimes
↑ 247% above national average
Public order 17 crimes
↑ 272% above national average
Other theft 15 crimes
↑ 245% above national average
Burglary 12 crimes
↑ 389% above national average
other 22 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Heslerton Way 19 crimes
  2. 2 Daphmoir Close 15 crimes
  3. 3 Oatlands 11 crimes

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

Environment
58
Air Quality NO₂ 5 · PM2.5 6.8 · PM10 12 µg/m³
73
Green Space 23
Parks Adequate 3
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Ample 8
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
11
1 school in area · 2 within 4km
1Good
  • Petersfield CofE Aided Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
4
A&E departmentsCambridge Biomedical Campus6.5 mi
Urgent Care Cambridge8.2 mi
Lister Hospital16.4 mi
Hospital waitsCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust5.3 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs71.1%
Nearest GP surgeryDrs.Allen & Gee3.7 mi
GP capacity1,495 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

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
88
Full fibre (FTTP)58.3%
available across South Cambridgeshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
96.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.2%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 19 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
76
Employment rate55.3%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55.3%Unemployed5.4%Retired28.8%Student3.8%Other inactive6.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial50.9%Skilled & technical31.4%Routine & elementary17.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications11.3%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)7.8%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.1%Level 3 (A levels)14.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)46.4%Apprenticeship4.9%Other (incl. vocational)2%
Home ownership67.6%
Among the least-deprived 32% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
39
Council tax South Cambridgeshire · 2026-27
A £1,691
B £1,972
C £2,254
D £2,536
E £3,100
F £3,663
G £4,227
H £5,072
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 Affinity Water
Average bill regional £490/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
18
Shepreth 2.3 mi
Meldreth 3.1 mi
Foxton 3.1 mi
J12 M11 5.1 mi
J11 M11 5.1 mi
J11 M11 5.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
16
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways None
Fitness Ample 6

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Orwell in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Little Eversden 41 2.0 mi away ⇄
Great Eversden 41 2.0 mi away ⇄
Barrington (South Cambridgeshire) 38 2.0 mi away ⇄
Harlton 35 2.1 mi away ⇄
Shepreth 48 2.4 mi away ⇄
Meldreth 43 2.6 mi away ⇄
Haslingfield 39 3.0 mi away ⇄
Foxton (South Cambridgeshire) 46 3.2 mi away ⇄
Kingston (South Cambridgeshire) 45 3.2 mi away ⇄
Toft 45 3.7 mi away ⇄
Bassingbourn 33 3.7 mi away ⇄
Melbourn 48 3.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Orwell a nice place to live?

Orwell has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Orwell 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.

How safe is Orwell?

Orwell is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 84/100. There were 141 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Orwell?

Among the top-rated schools in Orwell is Petersfield CofE Aided Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Orwell in total.

Orwell in context

See the best places to live in Cambridgeshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Orwell

SG8 47 ⇄

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