Town Pop. 48,654

Living in Royal Tunbridge Wells: Liveability Score 64/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Royal Tunbridge Wells comes out at 64/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Healthcare is where Royal Tunbridge Wells most outperforms the national norm: 77/100 against a median of 18/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 63/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Notably, nothing falls below 41/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. That sits 14 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the TN1 postcode district.

64
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.

Royal Tunbridge Wells scores 64 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Royal Tunbridge Wells.
Or compare:
TN1 1AB TN1 2AA TN1 TN2 TN4

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
63
86.1 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 1,445 crimes
↓ 11% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 761 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 502 crimes
↑ 32% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 374 crimes
↑ 13% above national average
Other theft 293 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 816 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Shopping Area 338 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 175 crimes
  3. 3 Linden Park Road 117 crimes

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

Environment
61
Air Quality NO₂ 7.3 · PM2.5 6.9 · PM10 10.4 µg/m³
72
Green Space 36
Parks Ample 15
Sports Pitches Ample 34
Allotments Ample 9
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Ample 42
Bowling Greens Ample 4
Playgrounds Ample 19

Services

Schools
64
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 24 in area · 27 within 4km
2Outstanding15Good3Requires Improvement1Inadequate3Ungraded
  • Bennett Memorial Diocesan SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Broadwater Down Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Broomhill Bank SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Claremont Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Skinners' Kent AcademySecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Skinners' Kent Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Skinners' Temple GrovePrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Southborough CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St Augustine's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    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
77
A&E departmentsTunbridge Wells Nuffield Hospitalin area
Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury0.4 mi
Maidstone Hospital11.3 mi
Hospital waitsKent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)5 wks
Treated within 18 weeks99.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.1%
5 GP surgeries in area 7 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,851 patients per GP
15dentists7pharmacies

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
72
Full fibre (FTTP)75.5%
available across Tunbridge Wells
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
84.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
88.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,290 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
64
Employment rate63.4%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed63.4%Unemployed2.8%Retired19%Student4%Other inactive10.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial49%Skilled & technical30.9%Routine & elementary20.1%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications12.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.6%Level 3 (A levels)15%Level 4+ (degree & above)43.9%Apprenticeship3.9%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%
Home ownership61.4%
Among the least-deprived 32% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
41
Council tax Tunbridge Wells · 2026-27
A £1,631
B £1,902
C £2,174
D £2,446
E £2,990
F £3,533
G £4,077
H £4,892
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

Transport
61
Tunbridge Wells 0.5 mi
High Brooms 1 mi
Frant 2.4 mi
J2A M26 11.7 mi
J5 M25 11.8 mi
J2A M26 12.1 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
56
Pubs & Bars Ample 30
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 61
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 22
Retail Shopping Ample 194
Takeaways Ample 15
Fitness Ample 41

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £415,000 403
Detached £895,000 72
Semi-detached £559,666 84
Terraced £400,000 103
Flat / Maisonette £249,000 144
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£246k £509k £779k £1.0m 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Southborough 66 1.6 mi away ⇄
Rusthall and Langton Green 52 2.1 mi away ⇄
Speldhurst 47 2.5 mi away ⇄
Bidborough 47 2.6 mi away ⇄
Bullingstone 46 2.7 mi away ⇄
Pembury 47 2.7 mi away ⇄
Frant 41 2.7 mi away ⇄
The Platt 0 3.5 mi away ⇄
Fordcombe 45 3.9 mi away ⇄
Groombridge 42 4.1 mi away ⇄
Tonbridge 55 4.4 mi away ⇄
Matfield 43 4.5 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Royal Tunbridge Wells a nice place to live?

Royal Tunbridge Wells is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Royal Tunbridge Wells is 64/100, 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 Royal Tunbridge Wells?

Royal Tunbridge Wells has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 63/100. There were 4,191 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells?

Among the top-rated schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells are Bennett Memorial Diocesan School and Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 24 rated schools in Royal Tunbridge Wells in total.

What are house prices like in Royal Tunbridge Wells?

The current median house price in Royal Tunbridge Wells is £415,000, around 46% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £895,000, semi-detached £559,666, terraced £400,000, flat £249,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 11%. There were 403 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Royal Tunbridge Wells in context

See where Royal Tunbridge Wells ranks among the best places to live in Kent

Postcode districts in Royal Tunbridge Wells

TN1 65 ⇄
TN2 57 ⇄
TN4 64 ⇄

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