Town Pop. 467

Living in Ridgewell: Liveability Score 41/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Ridgewell is 41/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, broadband stands out most: 99/100 where the typical UK town scores 60/100. Economic health falls furthest short: 48/100 where the typical UK town reaches 67/100.

Among the 9 scored places sharing the CO9 postcode district, Ridgewell ranks 6th. Its categories are unusually uneven: 96 points separate broadband (99) from healthcare (3), a wider spread than about nine in ten UK towns. Its broadband score runs 51 points above the CO9 district's 48/100. For the surrounding area, see CO9 postcode district.

41
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.

Ridgewell scores 41 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Ridgewell.
Or compare:
CO9 1AA CO9 2AA CO9 3AA CO9 4AA CO9 9AA CO9

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
93
152 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 30 crimes
↑ 93% above national average
Burglary 12 crimes
↑ 634% above national average
Other theft 7 crimes
↑ 142% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 7 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Vehicle crime 5 crimes
↑ 123% above national average
other 10 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 The Street 8 crimes
  2. 2 Church Lane 7 crimes
  3. 3 Church Road 6 crimes

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

Environment
55
Air Quality NO₂ 4.86 · PM2.5 6.717 · PM10 11.826 µg/m³
74
Green Space 11
Parks None
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
12
1 school in area · 3 within 4km
1Good
  • Ridgewell Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good

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

Healthcare
3
A&E departmentsColchester General Hospital17.9 mi
Broomfield Hospital18.2 mi
Cambridge Biomedical Campus18.8 mi
Hospital waitsWest Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust3.4 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks66%
A&E seen within 4 hrs78.1%
Nearest GP surgeryGuildhall Surgery Clare3.4 mi
GP capacity2,260 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

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
99
Full fibre (FTTP)91.3%
available across Braintree
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
99.8%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
99.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 23 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
48
Employment rate57.4%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed57.4%Unemployed2.3%Retired28.3%Student2.8%Other inactive9.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial39.6%Skilled & technical37.3%Routine & elementary23.2%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.8%Level 3 (A levels)19.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)29%Apprenticeship5.8%Other (incl. vocational)2.3%
Home ownership77%
Among the most-deprived 36% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
61
Council tax Braintree · 2026-27
A £1,520
B £1,773
C £2,027
D £2,280
E £2,787
F £3,293
G £3,800
H £4,560
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
6
Sudbury 8.8 mi
Bures 11.3 mi
Braintree 11.4 mi
J9 M11 14.5 mi
J9A M11 14.5 mi
J9A M11 14.7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
6
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Ridgewell in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Stoke-by-Clare 26 1.6 mi away ⇄
Great Yeldham 41 2.1 mi away ⇄
Toppesfield 41 2.3 mi away ⇄
Sturmer 47 3.1 mi away ⇄
Clare 51 3.5 mi away ⇄
Steeple Bumpstead 44 3.5 mi away ⇄
Kedington 50 4.1 mi away ⇄
Castle Hedingham 47 4.4 mi away ⇄
School Green 0 4.8 mi away ⇄
Hundon 26 4.9 mi away ⇄
Haverhill 58 5.0 mi away ⇄
Sible Hedingham 48 5.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Ridgewell a nice place to live?

Ridgewell has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Ridgewell is 41/100, 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 Ridgewell?

Ridgewell is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 93/100. There were 71 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Ridgewell?

Among the top-rated schools in Ridgewell is Ridgewell Church of England Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Ridgewell in total.

Ridgewell in context

See the best places to live in Essex, ranked

Postcode districts in Ridgewell

CO9 44 ⇄

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