Town Pop. 136,972

Living in Poole: Liveability Score 67/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Poole is 67/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, transport stands out most: 78/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 64/100 versus a median of 88/100.

No category drops below 46/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. That is 17 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. For the surrounding area, see BH1 postcode district.

67
OUT OF 100
Good
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.

Poole scores 67 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Poole.
Or compare:
BH1 1AA BH1 2AD BH1 3AA BH1 4AA BH1 9AS BH1 BH10 BH11 BH12

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
64
75.1 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 3,369 crimes
↓ 26% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 2,676 crimes
↑ 28% above national average
Shoplifting 898 crimes
↓ 15% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 754 crimes
↓ 19% below national average
Other theft 671 crimes
↓ 21% below national average
other 1,915 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Parking Area 583 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 474 crimes
  3. 3 Shopping Area 268 crimes

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

Environment
68
Air Quality NO₂ 8.3 · PM2.5 5.9 · PM10 9 µg/m³
75
Green Space 52
Parks Ample 68
Sports Pitches Ample 94
Allotments Ample 8
Golf Courses Ample 4
Tennis Courts Ample 43
Bowling Greens Ample 5
Playgrounds Ample 58

Services

Schools
63
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 49 in area
5Outstanding38Good6Ungraded
  • Canford Heath Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Manorside AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Parkstone Grammar SchoolSecondary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Rushcombe First SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Winton AcademySecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Ad Astra Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Baden-Powell and St Peter's Church of England Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Bayside AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Bishop Aldhelm's Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Broadstone First SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Healthcare
67
A&E departmentsPoole General Hospitalin area
Royal Bournemouth Hospital3 mi
Salisbury District Hospital20.7 mi
Hospital waitsUniversity Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust0.7 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks67.5%
A&E seen within 4 hrs67.7%
10 GP surgeries in area best 'Outstanding'
GP capacity1,686 patients per GP
24dentists22pharmacies

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
79
Full fibre (FTTP)79.4%
available across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
89.3%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
89.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.3%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 2,871 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
56
Employment rate56.9%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed56.9%Unemployed2.8%Retired26.2%Student4.1%Other inactive10.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial39.2%Skilled & technical33.5%Routine & elementary27.3%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.8%Level 3 (A levels)18%Level 4+ (degree & above)30.9%Apprenticeship6.4%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership68.3%
Among the least-deprived 39% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
46
Council tax Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole · 2026-27
A £1,624
B £1,895
C £2,165
D £2,436
E £2,977
F £3,519
G £4,060
H £4,872
Energy South West England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
78
Parkstone 0.9 mi
Poole 1.4 mi
Branksome 1.9 mi
J1 M27 20.5 mi
J1 M27 21.2 mi
J2 M27 23.7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
65
Pubs & Bars Ample 57
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 160
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 81
Retail Shopping Ample 569
Takeaways Ample 90
Fitness Ample 60

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £340,000 1,089
Detached £440,000 415
Semi-detached £333,500 234
Terraced £290,000 169
Flat / Maisonette £230,000 271
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£216k £318k £422k £524k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Bearwood 63 2.7 mi away ⇄
Upton (Dorset) 52 3.1 mi away ⇄
Merley 54 3.4 mi away ⇄
Corfe Mullen 55 3.6 mi away ⇄
Longham 44 4.3 mi away ⇄
Post Green 40 4.3 mi away ⇄
Bournemouth 67 4.3 mi away ⇄
Beacon Hill 0 4.6 mi away ⇄
West Parley 55 4.9 mi away ⇄
Wimborne Minster 52 4.9 mi away ⇄
Holton Heath 38 5.3 mi away ⇄
Stone (Dorset) 37 5.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Poole a nice place to live?

Yes, Poole is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Poole is 67/100, placing it among one of the better-scoring areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Poole?

Poole has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 64/100. There were 10,283 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Poole?

Among the top-rated schools in Poole are Canford Heath Infant School, Manorside Academy and Parkstone Grammar School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 49 rated schools in Poole in total.

What are house prices like in Poole?

The current median house price in Poole is £340,000, around 19% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £440,000, semi-detached £333,500, terraced £290,000, flat £230,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 8%. There were 1,089 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Poole in context

See where Poole ranks among the best places to live in Dorset

Postcode districts in Poole

BH1 64 ⇄
BH10 69 ⇄
BH11 59 ⇄
BH12 68 ⇄
BH13 53 ⇄
BH14 69 ⇄
BH15 64 ⇄
BH16 44 ⇄
BH17 68 ⇄
BH18 66 ⇄
BH3 73 ⇄
BH4 63 ⇄

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