Town Pop. 29,265

Living in Rustington: Liveability Score 59/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Rustington comes out at 59/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 56/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. It scores 7 points below the BN12 postcode district as a whole, which averages 66/100.

Its healthcare score runs 8 points below the BN12 district's 64/100. That is 9 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 10% of all UK towns and villages. For the surrounding area, see BN12 postcode district.

59
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.

Rustington scores 59 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Rustington.
Or compare:
BN12 4AA BN12 5AA BN12 6AA BN12 9AN BN12 BN16 BN17

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
79
62.6 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 551 crimes
↓ 44% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 372 crimes
↓ 16% below national average
Shoplifting 249 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Criminal damage and arson 151 crimes
↓ 24% below national average
Public order 142 crimes
↓ 25% below national average
other 366 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Supermarket 214 crimes
  2. 2 Dapper'S Lane 49 crimes
  3. 3 Northcourt Close 45 crimes

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

Environment
61
Air Quality NO₂ 5.8 · PM2.5 6.1 · PM10 9.2 µg/m³
76
Green Space 26
Parks Ample 57
Sports Pitches Ample 26
Allotments Ample 5
Golf Courses Ample 3
Tennis Courts Ample 23
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 26

Services

Schools
44
10 schools in area · 15 within 4km
8Good1Requires Improvement1Ungraded
  • East Preston Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • East Preston Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Ferring C of E Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Georgian Gardens Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Rustington Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • St Margaret's CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Oscar Romero Catholic SchoolSecondary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • The Angmering SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Summerlea Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Requires Improvement
  • St Wilfrids Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary
    Ungraded

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
56
A&E departmentsWorthing Hospital3.4 mi
Royal Sussex County Hospital14.1 mi
St Mary’s NHS Treatment Centre23.6 mi
Hospital waitsSussex Community NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi
Routine referral (median)16 wks
Treated within 18 weeks55.6%
A&E seen within 4 hrs98%
4 GP surgeries in area 6 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,145 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
57
Full fibre (FTTP)75.1%
available across Arun
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
80.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
81.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.1%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,078 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
64
Employment rate43.8%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed43.8%Unemployed2.1%Retired44.2%Student2.3%Other inactive7.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial40.8%Skilled & technical36.1%Routine & elementary23.1%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications19.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.1%Level 3 (A levels)16.3%Level 4+ (degree & above)27.8%Apprenticeship6.7%Other (incl. vocational)3.6%
Home ownership80.9%
Among the least-deprived 34% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
37
Council tax Arun · 2026-27
A £1,658
B £1,934
C £2,211
D £2,487
E £3,040
F £3,592
G £4,145
H £4,974
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
55
Angmering 0.2 mi
Goring-by-Sea 2.2 mi
Littlehampton 2.8 mi
J11 M23 22.3 mi
J11 M23 22.9 mi
J5 A3(M) 23.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
56
Pubs & Bars Ample 12
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 38
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 18
Retail Shopping Ample 110
Takeaways Ample 20
Fitness Ample 107

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £400,000 313
Detached £622,500 118
Semi-detached £407,500 72
Terraced £325,000 59
Flat / Maisonette £236,500 64
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£206k £355k £508k £657k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Littlehampton 51 2.2 mi away ⇄
Clapham (Arun) 31 2.6 mi away ⇄
Wick (Arun) 43 2.7 mi away ⇄
Worthing 68 3.9 mi away ⇄
Arundel 42 4.3 mi away ⇄
Yapton 41 5.0 mi away ⇄
Findon 43 5.2 mi away ⇄
Sompting 66 6.0 mi away ⇄
Walberton 33 6.4 mi away ⇄
Amberley (Horsham) 45 6.8 mi away ⇄
Slindon 28 7.3 mi away ⇄
Lancing and Sompting 62 7.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Rustington a nice place to live?

Rustington is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Rustington is 59/100, 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 Rustington?

Rustington is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 79/100. There were 1,831 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Rustington?

Among the top-rated schools in Rustington are East Preston Infant School, East Preston Junior School and Ferring C of E Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 10 rated schools in Rustington in total.

What are house prices like in Rustington?

The current median house price in Rustington is £400,000, around 40% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £622,500, semi-detached £407,500, terraced £325,000, flat £236,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 5%. There were 313 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Rustington in context

See where Rustington ranks among the best places to live in West Sussex

Postcode districts in Rustington

BN12 66 ⇄
BN16 58 ⇄
BN17 49 ⇄

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