Town Pop. 57,220

Living in Scarborough: Liveability Score 48/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Scarborough scores 48/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 65/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 18/100 against a town median of 88/100.

Broadband (86) sits at 80/100 or above. On the national picture that lands Scarborough in the middle half of all the places we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the YO11 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.

Scarborough scores 48 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Scarborough.
Or compare:
YO11 1AA YO11 2AA YO11 3AA YO11 9AJ YO11 YO12 YO13

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
18
172.5 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 3,471 crimes
↑ 82% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 2,722 crimes
↑ 213% above national average
Shoplifting 1,082 crimes
↑ 142% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 734 crimes
↑ 88% above national average
Public order 499 crimes
↑ 34% above national average
other 1,361 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 On or near 1,242 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 602 crimes
  3. 3 Shopping Area 233 crimes

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

Environment
62
Air Quality NO₂ 5.3 · PM2.5 5.2 · PM10 9.4 µg/m³
78
Green Space 26
Parks Ample 37
Sports Pitches Ample 26
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Adequate 6
Bowling Greens Ample 7
Playgrounds Ample 40

Services

Schools
51
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 23 in area
2Outstanding14Good4Requires Improvement3Ungraded
  • Childhaven Community Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Springhead SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Barrowcliff SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Cayton Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Gladstone Road Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Scalby AcademySecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Scarborough Pupil Referral UnitAlternative provision · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Scarborough University Technical CollegeSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Scarborough, Overdale Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Seamer and Irton Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good

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

Healthcare
53
A&E departmentsScarborough Hospitalin area
East Riding Community Hospital26.1 mi
Guisborough Priory Hospital MIU29.6 mi
Hospital waitsYork And Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)15 wks
Treated within 18 weeks56.6%
A&E seen within 4 hrs71%
3 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity5,308 patients per GP
15dentists11pharmacies

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
86
Full fibre (FTTP)80.2%
available across North Yorkshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
93.2%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
92.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,321 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
37
Employment rate51.6%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed51.6%Unemployed3.1%Retired28.8%Student3.4%Other inactive13.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial30.1%Skilled & technical33.9%Routine & elementary36%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications20.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.5%Level 3 (A levels)17.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)26.7%Apprenticeship7.9%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership59.3%
Among the most-deprived 36% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
40
Council tax North Yorkshire · 2026-27
A £1,696
B £1,979
C £2,261
D £2,544
E £3,109
F £3,675
G £4,240
H £5,088
Energy Yorkshire region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Yorkshire Water
Average bill regional £437/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
38
Scarborough 0.8 mi
Seamer 1.9 mi
Filey 6.2 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
65
Pubs & Bars Ample 64
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 119
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 47
Retail Shopping Ample 365
Takeaways Ample 71
Fitness Ample 11

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £173,000 491
Detached £300,000 74
Semi-detached £205,000 143
Terraced £146,500 156
Flat / Maisonette £125,000 118
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£109k £182k £256k £328k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Seamer (Scarborough) 45 2.3 mi away ⇄
Scalby 49 2.7 mi away ⇄
East Ayton and West Ayton 48 3.0 mi away ⇄
Burniston 43 4.1 mi away ⇄
Hutton Buscel 45 4.2 mi away ⇄
Gristhorpe 28 4.3 mi away ⇄
Flixton Ings 0 4.7 mi away ⇄
Cloughton 43 4.9 mi away ⇄
Staxton 41 5.0 mi away ⇄
Muston (Scarborough) 40 6.0 mi away ⇄
Filey 52 6.2 mi away ⇄
Brompton-by-Sawdon 35 6.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Scarborough a nice place to live?

Scarborough has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Scarborough 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 Scarborough?

Crime levels in Scarborough are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 18/100. There were 9,869 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Scarborough?

Among the top-rated schools in Scarborough are Childhaven Community Nursery School and Springhead School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 23 rated schools in Scarborough in total.

What are house prices like in Scarborough?

The current median house price in Scarborough is £173,000, around 39% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £300,000, semi-detached £205,000, terraced £146,500, flat £125,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 5%. There were 491 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Scarborough in context

See where Scarborough ranks among the best places to live in North Yorkshire

Postcode districts in Scarborough

YO11 44 ⇄
YO12 48 ⇄
YO13 42 ⇄

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