Town Pop. 28,221

Living in Rushden: Liveability Score 52/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Rushden scores 52/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 59/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Safety falls furthest short: 28/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

That is the highest score of the 3 places in the NN10 postcode district. Also scoring 80 or better: broadband (95). On the national picture that lands Rushden in the top quarter of all the places we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the NN10 postcode district.

52
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.

Rushden scores 52 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Rushden.
Or compare:
NN10 0AA NN10 1AS NN10 6AA NN10 8AA NN10 9AB NN10 NN29 PE8

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
28
123.2 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 1,034 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 701 crimes
↑ 63% above national average
Shoplifting 638 crimes
↑ 190% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 233 crimes
↑ 22% above national average
Vehicle crime 192 crimes
↑ 42% above national average
other 680 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 544 crimes
  2. 2 Bridge Court 179 crimes
  3. 3 Church Street 139 crimes

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

Environment
58
Air Quality NO₂ 8.1 · PM2.5 7.3 · PM10 12.2 µg/m³
70
Green Space 32
Parks Ample 9
Sports Pitches Ample 10
Allotments Adequate 3
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Adequate 3
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Ample 18

Services

Schools
50
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 13 in area · 15 within 4km
10Good1Requires Improvement2Ungraded
  • Chelveston Road SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Denfield Park Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Higham Ferrers Nursery and Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2020
    Good
  • Rushden AcademySecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Rushden Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • South End Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • South End Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • St Lawrence Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • The Ferrers SchoolSecondary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Whitefriars 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
53
A&E departmentsKettering General Hospital8.4 mi
Bedford Hospital South Wing10.3 mi
Northampton General Hospital11.3 mi
Hospital waitsKettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust0.1 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.4%
A&E seen within 4 hrs80.2%
3 GP surgeries in area 5 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,780 patients per GP
4dentists5pharmacies

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
95
Full fibre (FTTP)88.1%
available across North Northamptonshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
98.1%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
98.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 586 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
51
Employment rate60%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed60%Unemployed2.9%Retired22.9%Student3%Other inactive11.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial30.5%Skilled & technical34%Routine & elementary35.5%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications21.2%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16%Level 3 (A levels)17.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)22.8%Apprenticeship6.8%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership66.1%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
52
Council tax North Northamptonshire · 2026-27
A £1,616
B £1,885
C £2,155
D £2,424
E £2,963
F £3,501
G £4,040
H £4,848
Energy East Midlands region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Severn Trent Water
Average bill regional £424/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
46
Wellingborough 3.4 mi
Kettering 9.1 mi
Bedford 11.8 mi
J15 M1 14.3 mi
J15 M1 14.5 mi
J15A M1 15.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
59
Pubs & Bars Ample 15
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 35
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 28
Retail Shopping Ample 228
Takeaways Ample 43
Fitness Ample 13

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £240,000 243
Detached £328,000 61
Semi-detached £253,500 92
Terraced £200,000 65
Flat / Maisonette £107,500 25
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£96k £192k £291k £387k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Wymington 34 1.2 mi away ⇄
Higham Ferrers 52 1.4 mi away ⇄
Irchester 52 2.0 mi away ⇄
Irthlingborough 49 2.5 mi away ⇄
Podington 34 2.6 mi away ⇄
Little Irchester 48 3.0 mi away ⇄
Stanwick 51 3.3 mi away ⇄
Wollaston 44 3.7 mi away ⇄
Finedon 47 4.0 mi away ⇄
Wellingborough 59 4.4 mi away ⇄
Raunds 51 4.5 mi away ⇄
Great Doddington 58 4.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Rushden a nice place to live?

Rushden is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Rushden is 52/100, 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 Rushden?

Crime levels in Rushden are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 28/100. There were 3,478 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Rushden?

Among the top-rated schools in Rushden are Chelveston Road School, Denfield Park Primary School and Higham Ferrers Nursery and Infant School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 13 rated schools in Rushden in total.

What are house prices like in Rushden?

The current median house price in Rushden is £240,000, around 16% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £328,000, semi-detached £253,500, terraced £200,000, flat £107,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 5%. There were 243 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Rushden in context

See where Rushden ranks among the best places to live in Northamptonshire

Postcode districts in Rushden

NN10 52 ⇄
NN29 47 ⇄
PE8 40 ⇄

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