Town Pop. 15,582

Living in Porthcawl: Liveability Score 51/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Porthcawl is 51/100, built from 7 categories. Measured against other towns, broadband stands out most: 90/100 where the typical UK town scores 60/100. Safety falls furthest short: 56/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

Porthcawl places 6th of 14 in the CF32 postcode district. On broadband specifically, Porthcawl sits 39 points above the CF32 district figure of 51/100. That puts Porthcawl in the top quarter of the UK towns and villages we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: CF32 postcode district.

51
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.

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
56
80.9 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3
Violence and sexual offences 484 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 167 crimes
↑ 37% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 163 crimes
↓ 31% below national average
Public order 129 crimes
↑ 28% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 94 crimes
↓ 12% below national average
other 224 crimes
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  1. 1 Supermarket 175 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 93 crimes
  3. 3 St Anne'S Crescent 61 crimes

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

Environment
60
Air Quality NO₂ 4.9 · PM2.5 4.6 · PM10 7.5 µg/m³
81
Green Space 10
Parks Adequate 4
Sports Pitches Ample 10
Allotments Ample 5
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Adequate 4
Bowling Greens Adequate 3
Playgrounds Ample 11

Services

Schools

School inspection data is not available for this area.

Healthcare
27
A&E departmentsNorth Devon District Hospital30.4 mi
Weston General Hospital31.6 mi
Musgrove Park Hospital40.1 mi
Hospital waitsWye Valley NHS Trust5.5 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks65.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs63.4%
1 GP surgery in area
GP capacity14,524 patients per GP

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

Broadband
90
Full fibre (FTTP)90.2%
available across Bridgend
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
97%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 385 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
Employment rate45.6%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Employed45.6%Unemployed2.7%Retired37.1%Student3.3%Other inactive11.3%
Professional & managerial43.5%Skilled & technical31.5%Routine & elementary25%
No qualifications18.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.4%Level 3 (A levels)14.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)36.7%Apprenticeship6.1%Other (incl. vocational)2.9%
Home ownership76.9%
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain)
Bills
55
Council tax Bridgend · 2025-26
A £1,572
B £1,834
C £2,096
D £2,358
E £2,882
F £3,406
G £3,930
H £4,716
Energy South Wales region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water
Average bill regional £502/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
41
Pyle 2.8 mi
Bridgend 5.5 mi
Wildmill 5.6 mi
J37 M4 2.2 mi
J37 M4 2.2 mi
J38 M4 5.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
50
Pubs & Bars Ample 18
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 29
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 11
Retail Shopping Ample 114
Takeaways Ample 14
Fitness Ample 10

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £341,750 122
Detached £433,500 46
Semi-detached £325,000 46
Terraced £252,500 16
Flat / Maisonette £195,000 14
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£149k £263k £380k £494k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Frequently asked questions

Is Porthcawl a nice place to live?

Porthcawl is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Porthcawl is 51/100, 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 Porthcawl?

Porthcawl has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 56/100. There were 1,261 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are house prices like in Porthcawl?

The current median house price in Porthcawl is £341,750, around 20% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £433,500, semi-detached £325,000, terraced £252,500, flat £195,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 20%. There were 122 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

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