Town Pop. 4,711

Living in Saxmundham: Liveability Score 48/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Saxmundham comes out at 48/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is transport: 44/100 against a national town median of 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is economic health: 34/100 versus a median of 67/100.

No other settlement in the IP17 postcode district scores higher. Saxmundham leads all 10. It scores 8 points above the IP17 postcode district as a whole, which averages 40/100. On transport specifically, Saxmundham sits 22 points above the IP17 district figure of 22/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the IP17 postcode district.

48
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.

Saxmundham scores 48 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Saxmundham.
Or compare:
IP17 1AA IP17 2AA IP17 3AA IP17 9AP IP17

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
67
70.3 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 181 crimes
↑ 15% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 35 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 31 crimes
↓ 57% below national average
Public order 18 crimes
↓ 42% below national average
Other crime 15 crimes
↑ 60% above national average
other 51 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Ashfords Close 25 crimes
  2. 2 Saxon Road 19 crimes
  3. 3 Warren Avenue 17 crimes

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

Environment
62
Air Quality NO₂ 5.7 · PM2.5 6.7 · PM10 11.4 µg/m³
73
Green Space 36
Parks Adequate 2
Sports Pitches Ample 9
Allotments Adequate 2
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 5

Services

Schools
27
3 schools in area
2Good1Ungraded
  • Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Saxmundham Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary
    Ungraded

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Healthcare
39
A&E departmentsIpswich Hospital16 mi
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital:Emergency Department29.5 mi
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital29.5 mi
Hospital waitsEast Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks60.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs76.7%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,495 patients per GP
1dentist1pharmacy

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
68
Full fibre (FTTP)82.5%
available across East Suffolk
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
88%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
88%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.5%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 118 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
34
Employment rate52.7%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed52.7%Unemployed2.5%Retired28.4%Student3.2%Other inactive13.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial33.8%Skilled & technical35.1%Routine & elementary31.1%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications18.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.4%Level 3 (A levels)16.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)28.2%Apprenticeship6.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.7%
Home ownership59.3%
Among the most-deprived 38% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
57
Council tax East Suffolk · 2026-27
A £1,557
B £1,816
C £2,076
D £2,335
E £2,854
F £3,373
G £3,892
H £4,670
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
44
Saxmundham 0.1 mi
Darsham 4.3 mi
Wickham Market 5.9 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
33
Pubs & Bars Adequate 3
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 6
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 3
Retail Shopping Ample 25
Takeaways Adequate 4
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £317,500 52
Detached £340,000 29
Terraced £232,500 14
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£221k £285k £351k £415k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Kelsale 37 0.9 mi away ⇄
Benhall Green 41 1.2 mi away ⇄
Snape (East Suffolk) 41 3.2 mi away ⇄
Coldfair Green 43 3.5 mi away ⇄
Yoxford 36 3.6 mi away ⇄
Leiston 49 3.9 mi away ⇄
Middleton (East Suffolk) 35 4.0 mi away ⇄
Cransford 0 4.1 mi away ⇄
Peasenhall 39 4.2 mi away ⇄
Darsham 35 4.8 mi away ⇄
Westleton 35 5.2 mi away ⇄
Tunstall (East Suffolk) 39 5.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Saxmundham a nice place to live?

Saxmundham has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Saxmundham is 48/100, 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 Saxmundham?

Saxmundham has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 67/100. There were 331 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Saxmundham?

Among the top-rated schools in Saxmundham are Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School and Saxmundham Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in Saxmundham in total.

What are house prices like in Saxmundham?

The current median house price in Saxmundham is £317,500, around 11% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £340,000, terraced £232,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 15%. There were 52 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Saxmundham in context

See where Saxmundham ranks among the best places to live in Suffolk

Postcode districts in Saxmundham

IP17 40 ⇄

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