Town Pop. 43,576

Living in Sittingbourne: Liveability Score 57/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Sittingbourne is 57/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 68/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 33/100 against a town median of 88/100.

Broadband (85) also clears 80/100. On the national picture that lands Sittingbourne in the top quarter of all the places we score. For the surrounding area, see ME10 postcode district.

57
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.

Sittingbourne scores 57 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Sittingbourne.
Or compare:
ME10 1AA ME10 2AB ME10 3AA ME10 4AA ME10 5AA ME10 9EP ME10 ME9

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
33
126.5 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 1,840 crimes
↑ 27% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 1,283 crimes
↑ 93% above national average
Shoplifting 626 crimes
↑ 85% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 522 crimes
↑ 76% above national average
Other theft 298 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 945 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Parking Area 638 crimes
  2. 2 Shopping Area 251 crimes
  3. 3 High Street 206 crimes

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

Environment
61
Air Quality NO₂ 9.7 · PM2.5 7.4 · PM10 12.1 µg/m³
68
Green Space 42
Parks Ample 28
Sports Pitches Ample 52
Allotments Adequate 3
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 8
Bowling Greens Ample 6
Playgrounds Ample 28

Services

Schools
63
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 24 in area · 25 within 4km
2Outstanding16Good3Requires Improvement3Ungraded
  • Meadowfield SchoolSpecial · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Tunstall Church of England (Aided) Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Bapchild and Tonge Church of England Primary School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Borden Grammar SchoolSecondary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Canterbury Road Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Highsted Grammar SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Iwade SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Kemsley Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Lansdowne Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Milton Court Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
    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
68
A&E departmentsMedway Maritime Hospital6.8 mi
Estuary View Medical Centre10.2 mi
Maidstone Hospital10.2 mi
Hospital waitsKent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust0.1 mi
Routine referral (median)5 wks
Treated within 18 weeks99.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.1%
7 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity3,076 patients per GP
9dentists11pharmacies

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
85
Full fibre (FTTP)76%
available across Swale
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
94.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.3%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.2%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,029 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
47
Employment rate59.9%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed59.9%Unemployed2.9%Retired21.7%Student3.6%Other inactive11.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial33.5%Skilled & technical34.9%Routine & elementary31.6%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications20.6%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.6%Level 3 (A levels)18.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)23.6%Apprenticeship6.4%Other (incl. vocational)3.1%
Home ownership67.7%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
45
Council tax Swale · 2026-27
A £1,604
B £1,871
C £2,139
D £2,406
E £2,941
F £3,475
G £4,010
H £4,812
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
58
Sittingbourne 0.3 mi
Kemsley 1.1 mi
Swale 3 mi
J5 M2 3.3 mi
J5 M2 3.6 mi
J4 M2 6.5 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
54
Pubs & Bars Ample 29
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 28
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 35
Retail Shopping Ample 138
Takeaways Ample 28
Fitness Ample 10

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £295,000 392
Detached £416,000 58
Semi-detached £330,000 129
Terraced £268,000 161
Flat / Maisonette £166,000 44
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£150k £259k £371k £479k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Borden 53 1.7 mi away ⇄
Highsted 49 1.9 mi away ⇄
Iwade 53 2.1 mi away ⇄
Broadoak 49 2.4 mi away ⇄
Bredgar 43 2.9 mi away ⇄
Teynham 33 2.9 mi away ⇄
Lynsted 45 3.1 mi away ⇄
Newington 43 3.3 mi away ⇄
Lower Halstow 39 3.5 mi away ⇄
Hartlip 42 4.3 mi away ⇄
Queenborough 44 4.6 mi away ⇄
Upchurch 49 4.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Sittingbourne a nice place to live?

Sittingbourne is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Sittingbourne is 57/100, 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 Sittingbourne?

Sittingbourne has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 33/100. There were 5,514 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Sittingbourne?

Among the top-rated schools in Sittingbourne are Meadowfield School and Tunstall Church of England (Aided) Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 24 rated schools in Sittingbourne in total.

What are house prices like in Sittingbourne?

The current median house price in Sittingbourne is £295,000, in line with the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £416,000, semi-detached £330,000, terraced £268,000, flat £166,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 14%. There were 392 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Sittingbourne in context

See where Sittingbourne ranks among the best places to live in Kent

Postcode districts in Sittingbourne

ME10 56 ⇄
ME9 40 ⇄

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