Town Pop. 193,208

Living in Reading: Liveability Score 66/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Reading comes out at 66/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 80/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 37/100 against a town median of 88/100.

On healthcare specifically, Reading sits 11 points below the RG1 district figure of 91/100. That sits 16 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. Broadband (87) sits at 80/100 or above. For the surrounding area, see RG1 postcode district.

66
OUT OF 100
Good
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.

Reading scores 66 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Reading.
Or compare:
RG1 1AF RG1 2AA RG1 3AA RG1 4AE RG1 5AE RG1 6AB RG1 7AA RG1 8AA RG1 RG10 RG19 RG2

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
37
107.8 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 7,552 crimes
↑ 17% above national average
Shoplifting 2,785 crimes
↑ 85% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 2,177 crimes
↓ 26% below national average
Other theft 1,664 crimes
↑ 39% above national average
Public order 1,605 crimes
↑ 28% above national average
other 5,044 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Supermarket 1,488 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 1,078 crimes
  3. 3 Shopping Area 1,017 crimes

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

Environment
64
Air Quality NO₂ 9.9 · PM2.5 7.1 · PM10 11.3 µg/m³
69
Green Space 52
Parks Ample 107
Sports Pitches Ample 100
Allotments Ample 12
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Ample 28
Bowling Greens Ample 10
Playgrounds Ample 113

Services

Schools
76
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 83 in area
11Outstanding54Good1Requires Improvement1Inadequate16Ungraded
  • Addington SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Birch Copse Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Blagdon Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Brookfields SchoolSpecial · inspected 2019
    Outstanding
  • Caversham Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Kendrick SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Maiden Erlegh SchoolSecondary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • New Bridge Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Norcot Early Years CentreNursery · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Reading SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding

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

Healthcare
80
A&E departmentsRoyal Berkshire Hospitalin area
Frimley Park Hospital10.2 mi
Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital10.8 mi
Hospital waitsBerkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)4 wks
Treated within 18 weeks100%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99%
14 GP surgeries in area 15 within 4km best 'Outstanding'
GP capacity2,396 patients per GP
22dentists25pharmacies

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
87
Full fibre (FTTP)94.9%
available across Reading
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
97%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 3,668 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
61
Employment rate62.9%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed62.9%Unemployed3.8%Retired15.3%Student7.3%Other inactive10.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial44%Skilled & technical29.9%Routine & elementary26%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications15.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)11.6%Level 3 (A levels)16.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)39%Apprenticeship4.5%Other (incl. vocational)3%
Home ownership56.9%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
32
Council tax Reading · 2026-27
A £1,742
B £2,032
C £2,323
D £2,613
E £3,194
F £3,774
G £4,355
H £5,226
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 Thames Water
Average bill regional £489/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
77
Reading West 0.7 mi
Reading 1.1 mi
Reading Green Park 1.5 mi
J11 M4 2.1 mi
J11 M4 2.5 mi
J12 M4 3.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
76
Pubs & Bars Ample 87
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 268
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 177
Retail Shopping Ample 878
Takeaways Ample 188
Fitness Ample 62

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £352,000 1,065
Detached £575,000 143
Semi-detached £415,000 282
Terraced £340,000 395
Flat / Maisonette £215,000 245
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£216k £358k £505k £648k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Caversham 69 2.2 mi away ⇄
Burghfield 41 3.0 mi away ⇄
Shinfield 61 3.0 mi away ⇄
Grazeley Green 0 3.1 mi away ⇄
Tokers Green 42 3.3 mi away ⇄
Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross 49 3.4 mi away ⇄
Chalkhouse Green 45 3.5 mi away ⇄
Sonning 47 3.6 mi away ⇄
Woodley 68 3.7 mi away ⇄
Theale (West Berkshire) 46 4.0 mi away ⇄
Arborfield 41 4.2 mi away ⇄
Kidmore End 45 4.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Reading a nice place to live?

Yes, Reading is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Reading is 66/100, placing it among one of the better-scoring areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Reading?

Reading has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 37/100. There were 20,827 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Reading?

Among the top-rated schools in Reading are Addington School, Birch Copse Primary School and Blagdon Nursery School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 83 rated schools in Reading in total.

What are house prices like in Reading?

The current median house price in Reading is £352,000, around 24% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £575,000, semi-detached £415,000, terraced £340,000, flat £215,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 12%. There were 1,065 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Reading in context

See where Reading ranks among the best places to live in Berkshire

Postcode districts in Reading

RG1 67 ⇄
RG10 52 ⇄
RG19 53 ⇄
RG2 66 ⇄
RG27 48 ⇄
RG30 66 ⇄
RG31 66 ⇄
RG4 67 ⇄
RG41 62 ⇄
RG5 69 ⇄
RG6 72 ⇄
RG7 45 ⇄
RG8 50 ⇄

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