Town Pop. 31,971

Living in Rayleigh: Liveability Score 60/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Rayleigh is 60/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 65/100 against a national town median of 18/100. That is the highest score of the 7 places in the SS11 postcode district.

No category drops below 46/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. Its healthcare score runs 13 points above the SS11 district's 52/100. That is 10 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 10% of all UK towns and villages. For the surrounding area, see SS11 postcode district.

60
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.

Rayleigh scores 60 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Rayleigh.
Or compare:
SS11 7AA SS11 8AA SS11 9AG SS11 SS6 SS7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
76
76 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 1,008 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 246 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 235 crimes
↓ 51% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 214 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 154 crimes
↓ 23% below national average
other 573 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Petrol Station 222 crimes
  2. 2 Shopping Area 108 crimes
  3. 3 Parking Area 90 crimes

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

Environment
54
Air Quality NO₂ 10.8 · PM2.5 7.5 · PM10 11.9 µg/m³
67
Green Space 24
Parks Ample 17
Sports Pitches Ample 5
Allotments Adequate 3
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Ample 7
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 13

Services

Schools
55
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 12 in area · 19 within 4km
1Outstanding9Good2Ungraded
  • Grove Wood Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Cedar Hall SchoolSpecial · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Down Hall Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Edward Francis Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Rayleigh Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St Nicholas Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2019
    Good
  • The DeanesSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • The FitzWimarc SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Wyburns Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    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
65
A&E departmentsSouthend University Hospital2.7 mi
Basildon University Hospital4.9 mi
Broomfield Hospital12.5 mi
Hospital waitsMid And South Essex NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi
Routine referral (median)17 wks
Treated within 18 weeks50.6%
A&E seen within 4 hrs68%
4 GP surgeries in area 6 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,188 patients per GP
3dentists5pharmacies

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
46
Full fibre (FTTP)80.3%
available across Rochford
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
82.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
82.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.1%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 664 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
74
Employment rate58.3%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed58.3%Unemployed2.5%Retired27.2%Student3.3%Other inactive8.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial41.1%Skilled & technical37.4%Routine & elementary21.5%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications18.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.7%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)17.5%Level 3 (A levels)18.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)23.6%Apprenticeship6.1%Other (incl. vocational)2.9%
Home ownership82.5%
Among the least-deprived 23% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
55
Council tax Rochford · 2026-27
A £1,575
B £1,838
C £2,100
D £2,363
E £2,888
F £3,413
G £3,938
H £4,726
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
53
Rayleigh 0.2 mi
Hockley 2.5 mi
Battlesbridge 3 mi
J29 M25 13.7 mi
J29 M25 13.8 mi
J29 M25 14 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
46
Pubs & Bars Ample 10
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 21
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 16
Retail Shopping Ample 79
Takeaways Ample 16
Fitness Ample 30

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £425,000 231
Detached £525,000 79
Semi-detached £420,000 103
Terraced £331,000 24
Flat / Maisonette £220,000 25
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£196k £328k £465k £598k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Rawreth 44 2.0 mi away ⇄
Hullbridge 52 2.2 mi away ⇄
Thundersley and South Benfleet 62 2.2 mi away ⇄
Hockley and Hawkwell 59 2.4 mi away ⇄
Battlesbridge 35 3.1 mi away ⇄
North Benfleet 45 3.2 mi away ⇄
Nevendon 44 3.5 mi away ⇄
Wickford 58 3.8 mi away ⇄
South Woodham Ferrers 56 3.8 mi away ⇄
Ashingdon 61 3.8 mi away ⇄
Runwell 56 4.2 mi away ⇄
Rochford 53 4.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Rayleigh a nice place to live?

Rayleigh is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Rayleigh is 60/100, 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 Rayleigh?

Rayleigh is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 76/100. There were 2,430 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Rayleigh?

Among the top-rated schools in Rayleigh are Grove Wood Primary School, Cedar Hall School and Down Hall Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 12 rated schools in Rayleigh in total.

What are house prices like in Rayleigh?

The current median house price in Rayleigh is £425,000, around 49% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £525,000, semi-detached £420,000, terraced £331,000, flat £220,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 10%. There were 231 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Rayleigh in context

See where Rayleigh ranks among the best places to live in Essex

Postcode districts in Rayleigh

SS11 57 ⇄
SS6 61 ⇄
SS7 61 ⇄

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