Town

Living in Peterhead: Liveability Score 50/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Peterhead is 50/100, built from 8 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is transport: 59/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Furthest below the national norm is economic health, at 51/100 against a town median of 67/100.

No other settlement in the AB42 postcode district scores higher. Peterhead leads all 10. The AB42 district averages 42/100, putting Peterhead 8 points above its own postcode area. On transport specifically, Peterhead sits 16 points above the AB42 district figure of 43/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: AB42 postcode district.

50
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.

Peterhead scores 50 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Peterhead.
Or compare:
AB42 0AA AB42 1AA AB42 2AA AB42 3AA AB42 4AA AB42 5AA AB42 9AN AB42

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
64
Air Quality NO₂ 5.2 · PM2.5 4 · PM10 7.2 µg/m³
83
Green Space 18
Parks Ample 10
Sports Pitches Ample 13
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Ample 32

Services

Schools
30
7 schools in area · 8 within 4km
7Good
  • Anna Ritchie SchoolOther · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Buchanhaven SchoolOther · inspected 2011
    Good
  • Burnhaven SchoolOther · inspected 2012
    Good
  • Clerkhill SchoolOther · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Dales Park SchoolOther · inspected 2011
    Good
  • Meethill SchoolOther · inspected 2019
    Good
  • Peterhead Central SchoolOther · inspected 2009
    Good

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

Healthcare
50
A&E departmentsCommunity Paramedic Service150 mi
Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital166.3 mi
Royal Victoria Infirmary172.8 mi
Hospital waitsNorthumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust119.7 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks82.8%
A&E seen within 4 hrs91.1%
1 GP surgery in area
GP capacity1,373 patients per GP

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

Broadband
47
Full fibre (FTTP)43.9%
available across Aberdeenshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
78.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
78.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.5%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 453 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
51
Employment rate59.9%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed60%Unemployed2.7%Retired22.1%Student2%Other inactive13.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial25.7%Skilled & technical32.8%Routine & elementary41.6%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications18.5%
Home ownership62.3%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
77
Council tax Aberdeenshire · 2025-26
A £1,022
B £1,192
C £1,363
D £1,533
E £2,014
F £2,491
G £3,002
H £3,756
Energy North Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
59
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

No nearby stations or motorway junctions found.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
37
Pubs & Bars Adequate 8
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 9
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 13
Retail Shopping Ample 48
Takeaways Ample 12
Fitness Adequate 3

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Peterhead. 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

Boddam 38 2.0 mi away ⇄
Inverugie 0 2.8 mi away ⇄
St Fergus 33 5.2 mi away ⇄
Longside 34 5.3 mi away ⇄
Cruden Bay 33 6.2 mi away ⇄
Hatton (Aberdeenshire) 33 6.8 mi away ⇄
Mintlaw 38 7.7 mi away ⇄
Crimond 36 8.0 mi away ⇄
Fetterangus 31 8.8 mi away ⇄
Stuartfield 30 9.0 mi away ⇄
St Combs 36 12 mi away ⇄
Rathen 0 12 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Peterhead a nice place to live?

Peterhead is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Peterhead is 50/100, placing it among an 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 Peterhead?

Among the top-rated schools in Peterhead are Anna Ritchie School, Buchanhaven School and Burnhaven School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 7 rated schools in Peterhead in total.

Postcode districts in Peterhead

AB42 42 ⇄

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