City Pop. 179,485

Living in Southend-on-Sea: Liveability Score 64/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Southend-on-Sea scores 64/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 83/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. Safety falls furthest short: 39/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

On healthcare specifically, Southend-on-Sea sits 8 points below the SS0 district figure of 91/100. That sits 14 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. Broadband (83) sits at 80/100 or above. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the SS0 postcode district.

64
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.

Southend-on-Sea scores 64 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Southend-on-Sea.
Or compare:
SS0 0AA SS0 7AA SS0 8AA SS0 9AA SS0 SS1 SS2 SS22

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
39
106.8 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 8,235 crimes
↑ 38% above national average
Shoplifting 1,912 crimes
↑ 37% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 1,887 crimes
↓ 31% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 1,246 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 1,141 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 4,747 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Petrol Station 1,215 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 777 crimes
  3. 3 Nightclub 492 crimes

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

Environment
53
Air Quality NO₂ 10.1 · PM2.5 7.3 · PM10 11.3 µg/m³
69
Green Space 18
Parks Ample 58
Sports Pitches Ample 46
Allotments Ample 14
Golf Courses Ample 4
Tennis Courts Ample 42
Bowling Greens Ample 21
Playgrounds Ample 34

Services

Schools
73
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 59 in area
8Outstanding41Good2Requires Improvement1Inadequate7Ungraded
  • Barons Court Primary School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Blenheim Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Grove Wood Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Southend High School for BoysSecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Southend High School for GirlsSecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • West Leigh Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Outstanding
  • Westcliff High School for Boys AcademySecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Westcliff High School for GirlsSecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Bournemouth Park AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Bournes Green Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good

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

Healthcare
83
A&E departmentsSouthend University Hospitalin area
Basildon University Hospital7.4 mi
Medway Maritime Hospital11.9 mi
Hospital waitsMid And South Essex NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi
Routine referral (median)17 wks
Treated within 18 weeks50.6%
A&E seen within 4 hrs68%
19 GP surgeries in area 20 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,339 patients per GP
26dentists29pharmacies

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
83
Full fibre (FTTP)97.6%
available across Southend-on-Sea
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
97.2%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.5%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 3,256 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
47
Employment rate56.8%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed56.8%Unemployed3.6%Retired23.1%Student3.9%Other inactive12.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial39.2%Skilled & technical35.3%Routine & elementary25.5%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications19.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16%Level 3 (A levels)17.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)26.9%Apprenticeship5.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.9%
Home ownership63.7%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
62
Council tax Southend-on-Sea · 2026-27
A £1,510
B £1,762
C £2,013
D £2,265
E £2,768
F £3,272
G £3,775
H £4,530
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
74
Prittlewell 0.3 mi
Southend Victoria 0.6 mi
Southend Central 0.9 mi
J5 M2 15.2 mi
J2 M2 15.2 mi
J1 M2 15.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
60
Pubs & Bars Ample 71
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 212
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 98
Retail Shopping Ample 427
Takeaways Ample 123
Fitness Ample 48

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £352,250 1,186
Detached £515,000 221
Semi-detached £407,000 387
Terraced £330,000 218
Flat / Maisonette £216,500 360
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£204k £343k £486k £625k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Stonebridge 58 2.3 mi away ⇄
Rochford 53 2.5 mi away ⇄
Ashingdon 61 3.9 mi away ⇄
Great Wakering 49 4.0 mi away ⇄
Hockley and Hawkwell 59 4.2 mi away ⇄
Canewdon 42 4.8 mi away ⇄
Rayleigh 60 5.1 mi away ⇄
Thundersley and South Benfleet 62 5.5 mi away ⇄
Canvey Island 55 5.7 mi away ⇄
Allhallows 31 5.8 mi away ⇄
Creeksea 0 6.2 mi away ⇄
Hullbridge 52 6.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Southend-on-Sea a nice place to live?

Southend-on-Sea is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Southend-on-Sea is 64/100, 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 Southend-on-Sea?

Southend-on-Sea has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 39/100. There were 19,168 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Southend-on-Sea?

Among the top-rated schools in Southend-on-Sea are Barons Court Primary School and Nursery, Blenheim Primary School and Grove Wood Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 59 rated schools in Southend-on-Sea in total.

What are house prices like in Southend-on-Sea?

The current median house price in Southend-on-Sea is £352,250, around 24% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £515,000, semi-detached £407,000, terraced £330,000, flat £216,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 12%. There were 1,186 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Southend-on-Sea in context

See where Southend-on-Sea ranks among the best places to live in Essex

Postcode districts in Southend-on-Sea

SS0 66 ⇄
SS1 62 ⇄
SS2 64 ⇄
SS22 79 ⇄
SS3 56 ⇄
SS4 57 ⇄
SS6 61 ⇄
SS7 61 ⇄
SS9 72 ⇄
SS99 62 ⇄

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