Town Pop. 63,983

Living in Rochester: Liveability Score 65/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Rochester scores 65/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 81/100 against a national town median of 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 40/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Rochester places 2nd of 4 in the ME1 postcode district. No category drops below 40/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. That is 15 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Wider context for the surrounding area: ME1 postcode district.

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.

Rochester scores 65 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Rochester.

Or compare:

ME1 1AA ME1 2AA ME1 3AA ME1 9EN ME1 ME2 ME3 ME4

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

108.4 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 2,574 crimes

↑ 21% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 1,132 crimes

↑ 16% above national average

Shoplifting 821 crimes

↑ 64% above national average

Criminal damage and arson 512 crimes

↑ 18% above national average

Other theft 439 crimes

↑ 11% above national average

other 1,457 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Petrol Station 475 crimes
2 Parking Area 413 crimes
3 Supermarket 330 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 12.3 · PM2.5 7.7 · PM10 12.6 µg/m³

Green Space 86

Parks Ample 38

Sports Pitches Ample 34

Allotments Ample 12

Golf Courses Some 1

Tennis Courts Ample 11

Bowling Greens Ample 4

Playgrounds Ample 40

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 43 in area · 44 within 4km

5Outstanding30Good1Inadequate7Ungraded

Abbey Court Foundation Special SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Bradfields AcademySpecial · inspected 2022
Outstanding
Fort Pitt Grammar SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
Outstanding
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
The RowansAlternative provision · inspected 2021
Outstanding
All Faiths Children's AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
Good
Balfour Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Bligh Primary School (Juniors)Primary · inspected 2023
Good
Brompton-Westbrook Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Cedar Children's AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
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

A&E departmentsMedway Maritime Hospital1.1 mi

Maidstone Hospital5 mi

Darent Valley Hospital8.7 mi

Hospital waitsMedway NHS Foundation Trust0.4 mi

Routine referral (median)13 wks

Treated within 18 weeks62%

A&E seen within 4 hrs74.7%

8 GP surgeries in area 12 within 4km best 'Good'

GP capacity2,866 patients per GP

14dentists16pharmacies

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

Full fibre (FTTP)81.3%

available across Medway

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

90%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

91.6%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

99%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,322 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate60.1%

Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+

Economic activity (16+)

Employed60.1%Unemployed3.4%Retired19.3%Student4.2%Other inactive13%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial36%Skilled & technical35%Routine & elementary29%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications19%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.5%Level 3 (A levels)17.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)27.8%Apprenticeship5.8%Other (incl. vocational)2.9%

Home ownership65.9%

Around the England average for deprivation

Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD

Bills

Council tax Medway · 2026-27

A £1,553

B £1,811

C £2,070

D £2,329

E £2,847

F £3,364

G £3,882

H £4,658

Energy South East England region

Typical bill regional £1,641/yr

Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026

Typical home efficiency local EPC band D

Water Southern Water

Average bill regional £683/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Rochester 0.6 mi

Strood 0.8 mi

Chatham 1.2 mi

J2 M2 1.1 mi

J2 M2 1.4 mi

J1 M2 2.4 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 39

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 82

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 51

Retail Shopping Ample 239

Takeaways Ample 49

Fitness Ample 23

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£309,250	408
Detached	£532,500	58
Semi-detached	£342,500	116
Terraced	£286,000	172
Flat / Maisonette	£185,000	62

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Rochester a nice place to live?

Yes, Rochester is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Rochester is 65/100, 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 Rochester?

Rochester has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 40/100. There were 6,935 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Rochester?

Among the top-rated schools in Rochester are Abbey Court Foundation Special School, Bradfields Academy and Fort Pitt Grammar School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 43 rated schools in Rochester in total.

What are house prices like in Rochester?

The current median house price in Rochester is £309,250, around 9% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £532,500, semi-detached £342,500, terraced £286,000, flat £185,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 10%. There were 408 sales recorded in the past 12 months.