Town Pop. 369

Living in Portesham: Liveability Score 40/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Portesham scores 40/100 overall, across 8 scored categories. Environment is where Portesham most outperforms the national norm: 80/100 against a median of 64/100 across UK towns. Broadband falls furthest short: 10/100 where the typical UK town reaches 60/100.

Portesham places 3rd of 5 in the DT3 postcode district. Its categories are unusually uneven: 91 points separate safety (94) from healthcare (3), a wider spread than about nine in ten UK towns. Its environment score runs 18 points above the DT3 district's 62/100. For the surrounding area, see DT3 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.

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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.

Portesham scores 40 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Portesham.
Or compare:
DT3 4AA DT3 5AA DT3 6AA DT3

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
94
168 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 25 crimes
↑ 104% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 15 crimes
↑ 168% above national average
Other theft 6 crimes
↑ 163% above national average
Drugs 4 crimes
↑ 227% above national average
Vehicle crime 3 crimes
↑ 69% above national average
other 9 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Parking Area 10 crimes
  2. 2 Bramdon Close 5 crimes
  3. 3 Cowards Lane 5 crimes

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

Environment
80
Air Quality NO₂ 3.3 · PM2.5 5.1 · PM10 8.4 µg/m³
81
Green Space 78
Parks None
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
—
1 school in area
1Ungraded
  • Portesham Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded

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

Healthcare
3
A&E departmentsYeovil Hospital19 mi
Poole General Hospital25.9 mi
Royal Bournemouth Hospital32.7 mi
Hospital waitsDorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust4.6 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.7%
A&E seen within 4 hrs61.2%
Nearest GP surgeryThe Prince of Wales Surgery5.6 mi
GP capacity2,488 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
10
Full fibre (FTTP)70.9%
available across Dorset
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
3.8%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
3.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 20 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
59
Employment rate50.8%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed50.8%Unemployed1.6%Retired36.3%Student3%Other inactive8.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial43.6%Skilled & technical37.9%Routine & elementary18.4%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications12.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.3%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)11.8%Level 3 (A levels)17.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)41.3%Apprenticeship5.6%Other (incl. vocational)2.3%
Home ownership68.4%
Among the most-deprived 35% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
20
Council tax Dorset · 2026-27
A £1,843
B £2,151
C £2,458
D £2,765
E £3,379
F £3,994
G £4,608
H £5,530
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 E
Water Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
6
Upwey 4.6 mi
Dorchester West 6 mi
Weymouth 6.1 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
7
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Portesham 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

Abbotsbury 40 1.6 mi away ⇄
Winterborne St Martin 36 3.5 mi away ⇄
Chickerell 49 4.3 mi away ⇄
Litton Cheney 48 4.3 mi away ⇄
Weymouth 48 5.5 mi away ⇄
Dorchester (Dorset) 58 6.0 mi away ⇄
Charminster 41 6.4 mi away ⇄
Charlton Down 42 7.4 mi away ⇄
Burton Bradstock 35 7.4 mi away ⇄
Maiden Newton 34 7.5 mi away ⇄
Broadmayne 41 7.7 mi away ⇄
Osmington 35 7.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Portesham a nice place to live?

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

Portesham is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 94/100. There were 62 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

Portesham in context

See the best places to live in Dorset, ranked

Postcode districts in Portesham

DT3 39 ⇄

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