Town Pop. 7,938

Living in Paddock Wood: Liveability Score 40/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Paddock Wood is 40/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 36/100 against a national town median of 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 45/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Paddock Wood places 8th of 12 in the TN12 postcode district. On healthcare specifically, Paddock Wood sits 13 points above the TN12 district figure of 23/100. That sits 10 points below the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the middle half of the towns and villages we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the TN12 postcode district.

40
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.

Loading map…

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.

Paddock Wood scores 40 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Paddock Wood.
Or compare:
TN12 0AA TN12 5AA TN12 6AB TN12 7AA TN12 8AD TN12 9AA TN12

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
45
117 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 282 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 189 crimes
↑ 57% above national average
Shoplifting 156 crimes
↑ 153% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 84 crimes
↑ 56% above national average
Other theft 61 crimes
↑ 24% above national average
other 157 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Shopping Area 111 crimes
  2. 2 Petrol Station 83 crimes
  3. 3 Bowls Place 59 crimes

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

Environment
61
Air Quality NO₂ 7.1 · PM2.5 6.9 · PM10 11 µg/m³
72
Green Space 34
Parks Ample 7
Sports Pitches Adequate 2
Allotments Adequate 2
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 5

Services

Schools
27
2 schools in area · 5 within 4km
2Good
  • Leigh Academy MascallsSecondary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Leigh Academy Paddock WoodPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good

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

Healthcare
36
A&E departmentsTunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury3.3 mi
Tunbridge Wells Nuffield Hospital5.1 mi
Maidstone Hospital6.8 mi
Hospital waitsKent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)5 wks
Treated within 18 weeks99.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.1%
1 GP surgery in area 2 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity3,149 patients per GP
2dentists1pharmacy

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
47
Full fibre (FTTP)75.5%
available across Tunbridge Wells
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
87.2%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
87.2%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.1%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 210 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
56
Employment rate59.2%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed59.2%Unemployed2.3%Retired25.6%Student3.2%Other inactive9.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial41.5%Skilled & technical34.7%Routine & elementary23.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications17.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16%Level 3 (A levels)17.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)30.6%Apprenticeship5.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.5%
Home ownership71.7%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
41
Council tax Tunbridge Wells · 2026-27
A £1,631
B £1,902
C £2,174
D £2,446
E £2,990
F £3,533
G £4,077
H £4,892
Energy South East England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Southern Water
Average bill regional £683/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
31
Paddock Wood 0.3 mi
Beltring 1.9 mi
Yalding 3.5 mi
J2A M26 8.9 mi
J2A M26 9 mi
J3 M20 9.1 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
27
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 7
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 3
Retail Shopping Adequate 8
Takeaways Adequate 7
Fitness Some 1

Places like Paddock Wood Pro

Pick the categories you want to beat. Pro members see the most similar settlements that score higher in all of them.

Find somewhere like Paddock Wood, but with a higher score in …

ProSimilar settlements is a Pro featureUpgrade to Pro

House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £445,000 60
Detached £610,000 25
Semi-detached £433,725 18
Terraced £322,000 16
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£242k £371k £505k £634k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Five Oak Green 44 1.5 mi away ⇄
Brenchley 45 2.0 mi away ⇄
Matfield 43 2.0 mi away ⇄
East Peckham 37 2.4 mi away ⇄
Golden Green 38 2.8 mi away ⇄
Hale Street 36 2.9 mi away ⇄
Benover 30 3.1 mi away ⇄
Horsmonden 43 3.2 mi away ⇄
Pembury 47 3.4 mi away ⇄
Yalding 36 3.8 mi away ⇄
Hadlow 51 4.0 mi away ⇄
Chainhurst 35 4.1 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Paddock Wood a nice place to live?

Paddock Wood has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Paddock Wood is 40/100, 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 Paddock Wood?

Paddock Wood has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 45/100. There were 929 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Paddock Wood?

Among the top-rated schools in Paddock Wood are Leigh Academy Mascalls and Leigh Academy Paddock Wood, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Paddock Wood in total.

What are house prices like in Paddock Wood?

The current median house price in Paddock Wood is £445,000, around 56% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £610,000, semi-detached £433,725, terraced £322,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 16%. There were 60 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Paddock Wood in context

See the best places to live in Kent, ranked

Postcode districts in Paddock Wood

TN12 39 ⇄

Check your exact postcode

Get a personalised score for any UK postcode, tailored to what matters most to you.

Score my postcode