Town Pop. 673

Living in Southend: Liveability Score 49/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Southend scores 49/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is broadband: 99/100 against a national town median of 60/100. Furthest below the national norm is schools, at 6/100 against a town median of 23/100.

That makes it the 3rd highest-scoring of the 25 places in the RG7 postcode district. Southend is a place of extremes: 99/100 for broadband against 6/100 for schools, a 93-point spread wider than roughly nine in ten UK towns. On broadband specifically, Southend sits 50 points above the RG7 district figure of 49/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the RG7 postcode district.

49
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.

Southend scores 49 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Southend.
Or compare:
RG7 1AA RG7 2AA RG7 3AA RG7 4AA RG7 5AA RG7 6AA RG7 8AA RG7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
96
90.6 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 19 crimes
↓ 15% below national average
Other theft 11 crimes
↑ 163% above national average
Other crime 7 crimes
↑ 420% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 6 crimes
↓ 41% below national average
Burglary 6 crimes
↑ 154% above national average
other 12 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Back Lane 15 crimes
  2. 2 Park/Open Space 8 crimes
  3. 3 Ash Grove 6 crimes

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

Environment
76
Air Quality NO₂ 5.6 · PM2.5 6.2 · PM10 10 µg/m³
75
Green Space 78
Parks None
Sports Pitches Adequate 4
Allotments None
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
6
1 school in area · 4 within 4km
1Ungraded
  • Bradfield C.E. Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded

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
24
A&E departmentsRoyal Berkshire Hospital7.8 mi
Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital10.3 mi
Frimley Park Hospital18.7 mi
Hospital waitsBerkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust0.1 mi
Routine referral (median)4 wks
Treated within 18 weeks100%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99%
Nearest GP surgeryThe Bucklebury Practice1.2 mi
GP capacity2,076 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

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
99
Full fibre (FTTP)77.3%
available across West Berkshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
99.8%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
99.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 27 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
91
Employment rate53.1%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed53.1%Unemployed1.8%Retired21.8%Student17.1%Other inactive6.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial54.9%Skilled & technical31.5%Routine & elementary13.6%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications10.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)6.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)20.7%Level 3 (A levels)14.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)41.9%Apprenticeship3.7%Other (incl. vocational)2.4%
Home ownership71.3%
Among the least-deprived 32% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
42
Council tax West Berkshire · 2026-27
A £1,670
B £1,948
C £2,227
D £2,505
E £3,062
F £3,618
G £4,175
H £5,010
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 Thames Water
Average bill regional £489/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
8
Aldermaston 2.1 mi
Midgham 2.9 mi
Theale 3.1 mi
J12 M4 3.3 mi
J12 M4 3.7 mi
J13 M4 6.9 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
9
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Southend in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Tutts Clump 44 0.6 mi away ⇄
Beenham 49 1.1 mi away ⇄
Stanford Dingley 46 1.3 mi away ⇄
Bradfield (West Berkshire) 45 1.6 mi away ⇄
Chapel Row 48 1.7 mi away ⇄
Lower Padworth 44 1.8 mi away ⇄
Aldermaston Wharf 41 2.0 mi away ⇄
Woolhampton 37 2.5 mi away ⇄
Theale (West Berkshire) 46 3.0 mi away ⇄
Aldermaston 42 3.4 mi away ⇄
Tidmarsh 59 3.5 mi away ⇄
Upper Bucklebury 45 3.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Southend a nice place to live?

Southend has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Southend is 49/100, 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 Southend?

Southend is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 96/100. There were 61 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

Southend in context

See the best places to live in Berkshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Southend

RG7 45 ⇄

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