Town

Living in Prestonpans: Liveability Score 57/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Prestonpans is 57/100, built from 8 categories. Measured against other towns, transport stands out most: 62/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. Economic health falls furthest short: 38/100 where the typical UK town reaches 67/100.

That is the highest score of the 5 places in the EH32 postcode district. Its transport score runs 9 points above the EH32 district's 53/100. Broadband (86) also clears 80/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the EH32 postcode district.

57
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.

Prestonpans scores 57 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Prestonpans.
Or compare:
EH32 0AA EH32 2AJ EH32 9AA EH32

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
—

Crime is scored from the last 12 months of police street-level data. Police Scotland does not publish this, and there is no Scottish equivalent of the Police UK open data service, so crime has been left out of the score for this area. This is a gap in published data, not a sign of low crime.

Environment
73
Air Quality NO₂ 5.7 · PM2.5 4.7 · PM10 9 µg/m³
80
Green Space 56
Parks Ample 23
Sports Pitches Ample 11
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Ample 19

Services

Schools
39
3 schools in area · 9 within 4km
2Good1Requires Improvement
  • Preston Lodge High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St Gabriel's RC Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2010
    Good
  • Cockenzie Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2014
    Requires Improvement

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

Healthcare
52
A&E departmentsCommunity Paramedic Service60.8 mi
Cumberland Infirmary72.7 mi
Hexham General Hospital76.3 mi
Hospital waitsThe Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust40 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks72.5%
A&E seen within 4 hrs78.5%
1 GP surgery in area 3 within 4km
GP capacity1,324 patients per GP

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

Broadband
86
Full fibre (FTTP)87.1%
available across East Lothian
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
95.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.5%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 245 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
38
Employment rate66%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed66.1%Unemployed2.1%Retired19.2%Student2.4%Other inactive10.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial33.9%Skilled & technical34.6%Routine & elementary31.5%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications24.5%
Home ownership60.5%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
71
Council tax East Lothian · 2025-26
A £1,053
B £1,228
C £1,404
D £1,579
E £2,075
F £2,566
G £3,092
H £3,869
Energy South Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
62
Prestonpans 0.3 mi
Wallyford 1.8 mi
Longniddry 3.8 mi
J1 M8 13.5 mi
J1 M90 15.8 mi
J2 M8 15.9 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
50
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes Some 3
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 6
Retail Shopping Adequate 17
Takeaways Adequate 9
Fitness Adequate 2

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Prestonpans. HM Land Registry's Price Paid dataset covers England and Wales only. Scottish sales are recorded separately by Registers of Scotland, which we don't yet include. This is a gap in the data we hold, not a sign of an inactive market.

Nearby places

Cockenzie and Port Seton 53 1.5 mi away ⇄
Tranent 58 1.5 mi away ⇄
Blindwells 49 1.6 mi away ⇄
Wallyford 54 1.8 mi away ⇄
Elphinstone 49 2.4 mi away ⇄
Musselburgh 63 3.1 mi away ⇄
Macmerry 43 3.2 mi away ⇄
Whitecraig 45 3.3 mi away ⇄
Ormiston 45 3.3 mi away ⇄
Longniddry 42 3.4 mi away ⇄
Wester Pencaitland 42 4.6 mi away ⇄
Easter Pencaitland 43 4.9 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Prestonpans a nice place to live?

Prestonpans is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Prestonpans is 57/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

What are the best schools in Prestonpans?

Among the top-rated schools in Prestonpans are Preston Lodge High School and St Gabriel's RC Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in Prestonpans in total.

Postcode districts in Prestonpans

EH32 53 ⇄

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