City Pop. 223,130

Living in Portsmouth: Liveability Score 64/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Portsmouth is 64/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 77/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. Safety falls furthest short: 26/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

That is 14 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Also scoring 80 or better: broadband (88) and schools (81). For the surrounding area, see PO1 postcode district.

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.

Portsmouth scores 64 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Portsmouth.

Or compare:

PO1 1AA PO1 2AB PO1 3AA PO1 4AA PO1 5AA PO1 9AF PO1 PO16 PO17 PO2

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

120.6 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 11,151 crimes

↑ 50% above national average

Shoplifting 2,940 crimes

↑ 69% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 2,863 crimes

↓ 16% below national average

Public order 2,173 crimes

↑ 49% above national average

Criminal damage and arson 1,636 crimes

≈ similar to national average

other 6,136 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Supermarket 1,788 crimes
2 Parking Area 1,425 crimes
3 Shopping Area 653 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 11.9 · PM2.5 6.7 · PM10 10.6 µg/m³

Green Space 30

Parks Ample 76

Sports Pitches Ample 93

Allotments Ample 6

Golf Courses Ample 7

Tennis Courts Ample 50

Bowling Greens Ample 14

Playgrounds Ample 82

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 70 in area

5Outstanding51Good1Requires Improvement1Inadequate12Ungraded

Mary Rose AcademySpecial · inspected 2021
Outstanding
Red Barn Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Redwood Park AcademySpecial · inspected 2025
Outstanding
St Edmund's Catholic SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
Outstanding
UTC PortsmouthSecondary · inspected 2025
Outstanding
Admiral Lord Nelson SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
Good
Ark Ayrton Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Ark Dickens Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
Good
Arundel Court Primary Academy and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2021
Good
Bramble Infant School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2025
Good

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

Healthcare

A&E departmentsQueen Alexandra Hospitalin area

St Mary’s NHS Treatment Centrein area

Gosport War Memorial Minor Injuries Unit1.6 mi

Hospital waitsHampshire And Isle Of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi

Routine referral (median)9 wks

Treated within 18 weeks70%

A&E seen within 4 hrs99.3%

9 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'

GP capacity2,109 patients per GP

29dentists28pharmacies

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

Full fibre (FTTP)82.1%

available across Portsmouth

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

95.8%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

96.4%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

99%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 4,089 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate57.2%

Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+

Economic activity (16+)

Employed57.2%Unemployed4.3%Retired18.2%Student8.8%Other inactive11.5%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial36.7%Skilled & technical33.4%Routine & elementary29.9%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications17.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.7%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.2%Level 3 (A levels)21.6%Level 4+ (degree & above)29.8%Apprenticeship5.6%Other (incl. vocational)2.7%

Home ownership54.8%

Around the England average for deprivation

Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD

Bills

Council tax Portsmouth · 2026-27

A £1,528

B £1,783

C £2,037

D £2,292

E £2,801

F £3,311

G £3,820

H £4,584

Energy Southern 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

Hilsea 1 mi

Cosham 1.5 mi

Portsmouth and Southsea 1.7 mi

J2 M275 0.6 mi

J1 M275 0.7 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 169

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 281

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 205

Retail Shopping Ample 851

Takeaways Ample 237

Fitness Ample 48

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£268,000	1,311
Detached	£483,000	53
Semi-detached	£350,000	226
Terraced	£268,000	753
Flat / Maisonette	£170,000	279

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Portsmouth a nice place to live?

Portsmouth is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Portsmouth is 64/100, 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 Portsmouth?

Crime levels in Portsmouth are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 26/100. There were 26,899 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Portsmouth?

Among the top-rated schools in Portsmouth are Mary Rose Academy, Red Barn Community Primary School and Redwood Park Academy, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 70 rated schools in Portsmouth in total.

What are house prices like in Portsmouth?

The current median house price in Portsmouth is £268,000, around 6% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £483,000, semi-detached £350,000, terraced £268,000, flat £170,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 9%. There were 1,311 sales recorded in the past 12 months.