Town Pop. 23,504

Living in Rawtenstall: Liveability Score 49/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Rawtenstall scores 49/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 58/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 39/100 versus a median of 88/100.

That makes it the 2nd highest-scoring of the 3 places in the BB4 postcode district. Broadband (82) also clears 80/100. On the national picture that lands Rawtenstall in the middle half of all the places we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the BB4 postcode district.

49
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.

Rawtenstall scores 49 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Rawtenstall.
Or compare:
BB4 0BN BB4 4AB BB4 5AA BB4 6AA BB4 7AA BB4 8AA BB4 9AA BB4 OL13

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
39
107.3 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 842 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 702 crimes
↑ 97% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 203 crimes
↑ 26% above national average
Other theft 150 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 147 crimes
↓ 19% below national average
other 477 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Parking Area 110 crimes
  2. 2 New Hall Hey Road 65 crimes
  3. 3 Supermarket 62 crimes

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

Environment
76
Air Quality NO₂ 7.2 · PM2.5 6.2 · PM10 9.4 µg/m³
74
Green Space 79
Parks Ample 13
Sports Pitches Ample 28
Allotments Ample 6
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Adequate 6
Bowling Greens Ample 6
Playgrounds Ample 16

Services

Schools
53
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 21 in area · 27 within 4km
2Outstanding13Good2Requires Improvement1Inadequate3Ungraded
  • Rawtenstall Cribden House Community Special SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, HaslingdenPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Alder Grange SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Crawshawbooth Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Haslingden Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Hillside Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Rawtenstall Newchurch Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Rawtenstall St Paul's Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • St Anne's Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • St James-the-Less Roman Catholic Primary School, RawtenstallPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good

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

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

Healthcare
58
A&E departmentsBurnley General Hospital4.9 mi
Fairfield Hospital5.6 mi
The Royal Oldham Hospital10.1 mi
Hospital waitsEast Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks70%
A&E seen within 4 hrs81.3%
3 GP surgeries in area 6 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,393 patients per GP
2dentists8pharmacies

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
82
Full fibre (FTTP)92.8%
available across Rossendale
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
95.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 719 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
45
Employment rate58.8%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed58.8%Unemployed2.7%Retired23%Student4%Other inactive11.5%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial39.5%Skilled & technical33.3%Routine & elementary27.2%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications17.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.3%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14%Level 3 (A levels)18.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)32.9%Apprenticeship5.7%Other (incl. vocational)2.1%
Home ownership68.7%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
41
Council tax Rossendale · 2026-27
A £1,680
B £1,960
C £2,240
D £2,520
E £3,080
F £3,640
G £4,200
H £5,040
Energy North 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 United Utilities
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
21
Accrington 5.1 mi
Huncoat 5.5 mi
Hapton 5.5 mi
J1 M66 5.4 mi
J9 M65 5.5 mi
J8 M65 5.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
35
Pubs & Bars Ample 25
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 12
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 8
Retail Shopping Ample 23
Takeaways Adequate 4
Fitness Adequate 4

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £205,000 173
Detached £380,000 38
Semi-detached £250,000 37
Terraced £167,500 90
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£138k £237k £338k £437k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Haslingden 53 2.1 mi away ⇄
Rising Bridge 47 2.6 mi away ⇄
Edenfield 47 2.8 mi away ⇄
Bacup 40 3.0 mi away ⇄
Stubbins 48 3.5 mi away ⇄
Weir 39 3.6 mi away ⇄
Accrington 55 4.8 mi away ⇄
Cliviger 39 4.9 mi away ⇄
Ramsbottom 52 5.0 mi away ⇄
Whitworth 44 5.2 mi away ⇄
Hapton 49 5.3 mi away ⇄
Huncoat 46 5.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Rawtenstall a nice place to live?

Rawtenstall has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Rawtenstall is 49/100, 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 Rawtenstall?

Rawtenstall has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 39/100. There were 2,521 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Rawtenstall?

Among the top-rated schools in Rawtenstall are Rawtenstall Cribden House Community Special School and St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Haslingden, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 21 rated schools in Rawtenstall in total.

What are house prices like in Rawtenstall?

The current median house price in Rawtenstall is £205,000, around 28% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £380,000, semi-detached £250,000, terraced £167,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 18%. There were 173 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Rawtenstall in context

See the best places to live in Lancashire, ranked

Postcode districts in Rawtenstall

BB4 50 ⇄
OL13 39 ⇄

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