Town Pop. 18,091

Living in Shaw (Oldham): Liveability Score 61/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Shaw (Oldham) comes out at 61/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 93/100 against a national town median of 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 18/100 versus a median of 88/100.

That places it last of the 3 scored places in the OL2 postcode district. That is 11 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 10% of all UK towns and villages. Broadband (93) also clears 80/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: OL2 postcode district.

61
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.

Shaw (Oldham) scores 61 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Shaw (Oldham).
Or compare:
OL2 5AA OL2 6AA OL2 7AA OL2 8AA OL2

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
18
111.6 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents · year ending Dec 2025

The police force covering this area doesn't publish street-level crime data, so this is a district-level estimate based on Home Office recorded-crime totals for Oldham. It's a different source from the rest of the map and can't be broken down by location or crime type.

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

Environment
77
Air Quality NO₂ 10.6 · PM2.5 7.1 · PM10 10.8 µg/m³
69
Green Space 96
Parks Ample 17
Sports Pitches Ample 18
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Ample 8
Bowling Greens Ample 4
Playgrounds Ample 10

Services

Schools
71
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 16 in area · 41 within 4km
12Good1Requires Improvement3Ungraded
  • Beal Vale Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Crompton Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • East Crompton St James CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Fir Bank Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Royton Hall Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Rushcroft Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Joseph's RC Junior, Infant and Nursery School, A Voluntary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • St Mary's CofE Primary School High CromptonPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Thomas Moorside CofE (VA) Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St Thomas' Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    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
64
A&E departmentsThe Royal Oldham Hospital1.5 mi
Fairfield Hospital5.6 mi
North Manchester General Hospital6.3 mi
Hospital waitsNorthern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi
Routine referral (median)13 wks
Treated within 18 weeks59.4%
A&E seen within 4 hrs73.6%
2 GP surgeries in area 8 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,835 patients per GP
2dentists5pharmacies

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
93
Full fibre (FTTP)93.8%
available across Oldham
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
97.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
97.9%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 474 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
40
Employment rate55.7%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55.7%Unemployed3.1%Retired26.1%Student3.7%Other inactive11.4%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial33.8%Skilled & technical34.1%Routine & elementary32.2%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications20.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.4%Level 3 (A levels)18.6%Level 4+ (degree & above)25.1%Apprenticeship8.1%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership68.8%
Among the most-deprived 40% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
34
Council tax Oldham · 2026-27
A £1,735
B £2,024
C £2,313
D £2,602
E £3,180
F £3,758
G £4,337
H £5,204
Energy North West England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water United Utilities
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
70
Rochdale 3.1 mi
Castleton 3.5 mi
Smithy Bridge 3.7 mi
J21 M62 1.6 mi
J21 M62 1.7 mi
J20 M62 2.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
93
Pubs & Bars Adequate 8
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 8
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 8
Retail Shopping Ample 59
Takeaways Ample 12
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £206,250 138
Detached £355,000 16
Semi-detached £240,000 52
Terraced £173,500 64
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£132k £212k £295k £375k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Newhey 56 1.4 mi away ⇄
Royton 66 1.5 mi away ⇄
Milnrow 58 2.2 mi away ⇄
Denshaw 44 2.3 mi away ⇄
Oldham 68 3.0 mi away ⇄
Lees 70 3.1 mi away ⇄
Delph 46 3.1 mi away ⇄
Slattocks 52 3.2 mi away ⇄
Trub 54 3.2 mi away ⇄
Dobcross 53 3.6 mi away ⇄
Rochdale 61 3.7 mi away ⇄
Chadderton 70 3.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Shaw (Oldham) a nice place to live?

Shaw (Oldham) is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Shaw (Oldham) is 61/100, 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 Shaw (Oldham)?

Crime levels in Shaw (Oldham) are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 18/100. There were 26,849 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Shaw (Oldham)?

Among the top-rated schools in Shaw (Oldham) are Beal Vale Primary School, Crompton Primary School and East Crompton St James CofE Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 16 rated schools in Shaw (Oldham) in total.

What are house prices like in Shaw (Oldham)?

The current median house price in Shaw (Oldham) is £206,250, around 28% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £355,000, semi-detached £240,000, terraced £173,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 19%. There were 138 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Shaw (Oldham) in context

See the best places to live in Greater Manchester, ranked

Postcode districts in Shaw (Oldham)

OL2 65 ⇄

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