Town Pop. 6,602

Living in Polegate: Liveability Score 54/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Polegate scores 54/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 56/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Bills falls furthest short: 23/100 where the typical UK town reaches 47/100.

Among the 3 scored places sharing the BN26 postcode district, Polegate ranks 2nd. Against the wider BN26 district average of 49/100, that is 5 points above. Its healthcare score runs 12 points above the BN26 district's 44/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: BN26 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.

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.

Polegate scores 54 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Polegate.
Or compare:
BN26 5AA BN26 6AA BN26 9AZ BN26

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
66
108.8 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 232 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 164 crimes
↑ 218% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 114 crimes
↑ 14% above national average
Public order 50 crimes
↑ 17% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 49 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 109 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Supermarket 96 crimes
  2. 2 High Street 83 crimes
  3. 3 Junction Street 59 crimes

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

Environment
65
Air Quality NO₂ 6.1 · PM2.5 6.4 · PM10 10.1 µg/m³
75
Green Space 43
Parks Adequate 2
Sports Pitches Ample 5
Allotments Adequate 3
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Adequate 5

Services

Schools
43
3 schools in area · 18 within 4km
1Outstanding2Good
  • Polegate Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Willingdon Community SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Willingdon Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good

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

Healthcare
56
A&E departmentsEastbourne District General Hospital2.1 mi
Royal Sussex County Hospital15.2 mi
Tunbridge Wells Nuffield Hospital21 mi
Hospital waitsKent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust0.8 mi
Routine referral (median)5 wks
Treated within 18 weeks99.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.1%
2 GP surgeries in area 4 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,220 patients per GP
1dentist2pharmacies

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
82
Full fibre (FTTP)68.6%
available across Wealden
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
94.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
94.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 294 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
50
Employment rate54.6%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed54.6%Unemployed2.3%Retired30.7%Student2.9%Other inactive9.4%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial36%Skilled & technical38.4%Routine & elementary25.6%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications19.2%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.3%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.7%Level 3 (A levels)17.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)25.4%Apprenticeship7.2%Other (incl. vocational)3.3%
Home ownership75.2%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
23
Council tax Wealden · 2026-27
A £1,819
B £2,122
C £2,425
D £2,728
E £3,334
F £3,940
G £4,547
H £5,456
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 D
Water Southern Water
Average bill regional £683/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
46
Polegate 0.2 mi
Hampden Park 2.2 mi
Pevensey and Westham 3.3 mi
J10A M23 26.1 mi
J11 M23 26.6 mi
J11 M23 26.8 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
36
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 9
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 9
Retail Shopping Ample 44
Takeaways Adequate 5
Fitness Ample 5

Places like Polegate 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 Polegate, 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 £300,000 77
Semi-detached £319,000 38
Terraced £280,000 13
Flat / Maisonette £156,250 18
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£148k £242k £339k £433k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Lower Willingdon 60 0.9 mi away ⇄
Stone Cross 58 1.9 mi away ⇄
Eastbourne 55 2.8 mi away ⇄
Westham 45 3.1 mi away ⇄
Hailsham 43 3.1 mi away ⇄
Upper Dicker 36 3.6 mi away ⇄
Crumbles 45 4.0 mi away ⇄
Alfriston 36 4.3 mi away ⇄
Hellingly 40 4.4 mi away ⇄
East Dean and Friston 35 4.4 mi away ⇄
Magham Down 42 4.5 mi away ⇄
Lower Dicker 46 4.5 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Polegate a nice place to live?

Polegate is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Polegate 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 Polegate?

Polegate has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 66/100. There were 718 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Polegate?

Among the top-rated schools in Polegate are Polegate Primary School, Willingdon Community School and Willingdon Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in Polegate in total.

What are house prices like in Polegate?

The current median house price in Polegate is £300,000, around 5% above the England and Wales average. By property type: semi-detached £319,000, terraced £280,000, flat £156,250. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 5%. There were 77 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Polegate in context

See where Polegate ranks among the best places to live in East Sussex

Postcode districts in Polegate

BN26 49 ⇄

Check your exact postcode

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

Score my postcode