Town Pop. 50,002

Living in Smethwick: Liveability Score 74/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Smethwick comes out at 74/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 93/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. Safety falls furthest short: 39/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

That is the highest score of the 3 places in the B66 postcode district. That is 24 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Also scoring 80 or better: transport (95), broadband (89), schools (88) and lifestyle (85). For the surrounding area, see B66 postcode district.

74
OUT OF 100
Good
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.

Smethwick scores 74 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Smethwick.
Or compare:
B66 1AA B66 2AA B66 3AB B66 4AA B66 B67 B68 B69

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
39
121 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 2,708 crimes
↑ 63% above national average
Vehicle crime 450 crimes
↑ 88% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 427 crimes
↑ 25% above national average
Shoplifting 412 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 370 crimes
↑ 19% above national average
other 1,683 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Parking Area 336 crimes
  2. 2 Anderson Road 230 crimes
  3. 3 Shopping Area 216 crimes

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

Environment
69
Air Quality NO₂ 15 · PM2.5 8 · PM10 12.7 µg/m³
62
Green Space 83
Parks Ample 49
Sports Pitches Ample 17
Allotments Ample 8
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens Ample 4
Playgrounds Ample 25

Services

Schools
88
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 51 in area · 89 within 4km
6Outstanding30Good3Requires Improvement2Inadequate10Ungraded
  • Bristnall Hall AcademySecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Hamilton SchoolSpecial · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Oasis Academy FoundryPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Shireland Hall Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Shireland Technology PrimaryPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • St Gregory's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Abbey Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Abbey Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Bearwood Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Bleakhouse 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
93
A&E departmentsMidland Metropolitan University Hospitalin area
Greet Urgent Care Centre4.6 mi
Russells Hall Hospital5 mi
Hospital waitsSandwell And West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.4%
A&E seen within 4 hrs75.8%
9 GP surgeries in area 43 within 4km best 'Outstanding'
GP capacity3,127 patients per GP
8dentists13pharmacies

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
89
Full fibre (FTTP)88.9%
available across Sandwell
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
95.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 870 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
23
Employment rate51.8%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed51.8%Unemployed6%Retired13.8%Student7.9%Other inactive20.5%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial27.1%Skilled & technical30.4%Routine & elementary42.4%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications29.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)11.9%Level 3 (A levels)13.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)26%Apprenticeship3.7%Other (incl. vocational)4.5%
Home ownership50.5%
Among the most-deprived 21% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
65
Council tax Sandwell · 2026-27
A £1,496
B £1,745
C £1,995
D £2,244
E £2,743
F £3,241
G £3,740
H £4,488
Energy West Midlands region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Severn Trent Water
Average bill regional £424/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
95
Smethwick Rolfe Street 0.4 mi
Smethwick Galton Bridge 0.9 mi
The Hawthorns 1.1 mi
J1 M5 1.3 mi
J1 M5 1.8 mi
J2 M5 1.9 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
85
Pubs & Bars Ample 21
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 31
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 28
Retail Shopping Ample 310
Takeaways Ample 45
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 £210,500 144
Semi-detached £230,000 37
Terraced £200,000 95
5-year monthly trend
All Semi Terraced Flat
£95k £163k £232k £300k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Oldbury (Sandwell) 72 1.5 mi away ⇄
Blackheath 67 2.9 mi away ⇄
West Bromwich 69 3.0 mi away ⇄
Rowley Regis 72 3.1 mi away ⇄
Halesowen 70 4.1 mi away ⇄
Cradley Heath 67 4.2 mi away ⇄
Birmingham 70 4.2 mi away ⇄
Tipton 72 4.6 mi away ⇄
Wednesbury 69 4.9 mi away ⇄
Dudley (Dudley) 68 5.0 mi away ⇄
Pheasey 80 5.4 mi away ⇄
Hunnington 32 5.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Smethwick a nice place to live?

Yes, Smethwick is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Smethwick is 74/100, placing it among one of the better-scoring areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Smethwick?

Smethwick has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 39/100. There were 6,050 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Smethwick?

Among the top-rated schools in Smethwick are Bristnall Hall Academy, Hamilton School and Oasis Academy Foundry, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 51 rated schools in Smethwick in total.

What are house prices like in Smethwick?

The current median house price in Smethwick is £210,500, around 26% below the England and Wales average. By property type: semi-detached £230,000, terraced £200,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 14%. There were 144 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Smethwick in context

See where Smethwick ranks among the best places to live in West Midlands

Postcode districts in Smethwick

B66 70 ⇄
B67 74 ⇄
B68 76 ⇄
B69 70 ⇄

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