City Pop. 240,590

Living in Southampton: Liveability Score 66/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Southampton comes out at 66/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 82/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 25/100 against a town median of 88/100.

On healthcare specifically, Southampton sits 8 points below the SO14 district figure of 90/100. That sits 16 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. Broadband (89) and transport (81) sit at 80/100 or above. Wider context for the surrounding area: SO14 postcode district.

66
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.

Southampton scores 66 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Southampton.
Or compare:
SO14 0AA SO14 1AF SO14 2AA SO14 3AB SO14 5AD SO14 6BB SO14 7AS SO14 SO15 SO16 SO17

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
25
124.8 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 12,954 crimes
↑ 62% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 2,969 crimes
↓ 19% below national average
Shoplifting 2,490 crimes
↑ 32% above national average
Public order 2,263 crimes
↑ 45% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 2,005 crimes
↑ 22% above national average
other 7,333 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Parking Area 1,924 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 1,204 crimes
  3. 3 Petrol Station 497 crimes

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

Environment
72
Air Quality NO₂ 11.7 · PM2.5 6.5 · PM10 10 µg/m³
70
Green Space 78
Parks Ample 174
Sports Pitches Ample 135
Allotments Ample 24
Golf Courses Ample 4
Tennis Courts Ample 38
Bowling Greens Ample 9
Playgrounds Ample 123

Services

Schools
75
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 84 in area
9Outstanding53Good5Requires Improvement1Inadequate16Ungraded
  • Cantell SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Great Oaks SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Mount Pleasant JuniorsPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Rosewood Free SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Saint George Catholic Voluntary Aided College SouthamptonSecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Springhill Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Springwell SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • St Anne's Catholic SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • St Mary's Church of England Primary School & NurseryPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Banister Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good

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

Healthcare
82
A&E departmentsRoyal South Hants Urgent Treatment Centrein area
Southampton General Hospitalin area
Hythe Hospital1.7 mi
Hospital waitsHampshire And Isle Of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust0.1 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks70%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.3%
17 GP surgeries in area 18 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,905 patients per GP
30dentists31pharmacies

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)93.9%
available across Southampton
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.8%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
97.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 5,266 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
44
Employment rate58.1%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed58.1%Unemployed4%Retired16.3%Student9.7%Other inactive11.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial35.4%Skilled & technical32.2%Routine & elementary32.5%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications17.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.7%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)12.8%Level 3 (A levels)20.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)31.4%Apprenticeship5.6%Other (incl. vocational)3%
Home ownership49.7%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
51
Council tax Southampton · 2026-27
A £1,587
B £1,852
C £2,116
D £2,381
E £2,910
F £3,439
G £3,968
H £4,762
Energy Southern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
81
St Denys 0.5 mi
Bitterne 0.9 mi
Southampton Central 1.1 mi
J4 M27 2 mi
J5 M27 2.3 mi
J5 M27 2.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
78
Pubs & Bars Ample 152
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 315
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 224
Retail Shopping Ample 949
Takeaways Ample 238
Fitness Ample 203

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £261,500 1,345
Detached £401,500 182
Semi-detached £300,000 382
Terraced £263,000 361
Flat / Maisonette £156,000 420
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£150k £239k £330k £418k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

West End (Eastleigh) 66 2.7 mi away ⇄
Marchwood 57 2.7 mi away ⇄
Chilworth (Test Valley) 46 2.7 mi away ⇄
Rownhams and Nursling 58 3.4 mi away ⇄
Netley 54 3.7 mi away ⇄
Hythe and Dibden Purlieu 61 4.1 mi away ⇄
Hedge End 60 4.2 mi away ⇄
Bursledon 56 4.2 mi away ⇄
Eastleigh 62 4.3 mi away ⇄
North Baddesley 58 4.5 mi away ⇄
Totton 60 4.6 mi away ⇄
Chandler's Ford 67 4.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Southampton a nice place to live?

Yes, Southampton is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Southampton is 66/100, 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 Southampton?

Crime levels in Southampton are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 25/100. There were 30,014 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Southampton?

Among the top-rated schools in Southampton are Cantell School, Great Oaks School and Mount Pleasant Juniors, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 84 rated schools in Southampton in total.

What are house prices like in Southampton?

The current median house price in Southampton is £261,500, around 8% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £401,500, semi-detached £300,000, terraced £263,000, flat £156,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 10%. There were 1,345 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Southampton in context

See where Southampton ranks among the best places to live in Hampshire

Postcode districts in Southampton

SO14 66 ⇄
SO15 69 ⇄
SO16 66 ⇄
SO17 69 ⇄
SO18 67 ⇄
SO19 64 ⇄
SO30 59 ⇄
SO97 63 ⇄

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