Town Pop. 281,444

Living in Southwark: Liveability Score 72/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Southwark is 72/100, built from 9 categories. Healthcare is where Southwark most outperforms the national norm: 95/100 against a median of 18/100 across UK towns. Safety falls furthest short: 19/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

That sits 22 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. Schools (99), transport (96) and lifestyle (93) also clear 80/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: SE1 postcode district.

72
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.

Southwark scores 72 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Southwark.
Or compare:
SE1 0AA SE1 1AA SE1 2AD SE1 3AA SE1 4AA SE1 5AA SE1 6AD SE1 7AA SE1 SE11 SE14 SE15

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
19
165.2 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 9,782 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 8,783 crimes
↑ 105% above national average
Theft from the person 6,744 crimes
↑ 1233% above national average
Other theft 4,877 crimes
↑ 179% above national average
Shoplifting 2,701 crimes
↑ 23% above national average
other 13,598 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Shopping Area 1,779 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 1,662 crimes
  3. 3 Parking Area 874 crimes

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

Environment
64
Air Quality NO₂ 21.4 · PM2.5 9.4 · PM10 15.3 µg/m³
53
Green Space 92
Parks Ample 427
Sports Pitches Ample 300
Allotments Ample 24
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Ample 131
Bowling Greens Ample 5
Playgrounds Ample 214

Services

Schools
99
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 188 in area
36Outstanding123Good5Requires Improvement1Inadequate23Ungraded
  • Angel Oak AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Ashmole Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Beormund Primary SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Boutcher Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Charles Dickens Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Chelwood Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2021
    Outstanding
  • Crampton PrimaryPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Dulwich Hamlet Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Dulwich Village Church of England Infants' SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Ethelred Nursery School and Children's CentreNursery · inspected 2024
    Outstanding

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

Healthcare
95
A&E departmentsKing's College Hospital Emergency Department0 mi
King's College Hospital0.1 mi
Evelina London Children's Hospital0.3 mi
Hospital waitsGuy's And St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)10 wks
Treated within 18 weeks68.5%
A&E seen within 4 hrs74.4%
27 GP surgeries in area 61 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,334 patients per GP
51dentists54pharmacies

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
69
Full fibre (FTTP)81.4%
available across Southwark
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
88.8%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
89%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
97.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 5,347 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
42
Employment rate65.3%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed65.3%Unemployed5.5%Retired8.9%Student8.1%Other inactive12.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial53.7%Skilled & technical24.8%Routine & elementary21.5%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications13.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)6.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)7.9%Level 3 (A levels)12.3%Level 4+ (degree & above)55.1%Apprenticeship2.5%Other (incl. vocational)2.3%
Home ownership29.9%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
73
Council tax Southwark · 2026-27
A £1,311
B £1,530
C £1,748
D £1,967
E £2,404
F £2,841
G £3,278
H £3,934
Energy London region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Thames Water
Average bill regional £489/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
96
Peckham Rye 0.4 mi
Queens Road Peckham 0.8 mi
Denmark Hill 0.8 mi
J1 M4 8.8 mi
J1 M1 9.4 mi
J2 M4 9.5 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
93
Pubs & Bars Ample 287
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 729
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 282
Retail Shopping Ample 1094
Takeaways Ample 280
Fitness Ample 96

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £525,000 1,259
Detached £1,480,000 14
Semi-detached £1,370,000 67
Terraced £870,750 269
Flat / Maisonette £450,000 909
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£447k £1.0m £1.6m £2.2m 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Lambeth 71 2.4 mi away ⇄
City and County of the City of London 67 2.8 mi away ⇄
Lewisham 71 2.9 mi away ⇄
Tower Hamlets 68 3.3 mi away ⇄
City of Westminster 70 4.5 mi away ⇄
Wandsworth 75 5.0 mi away ⇄
Islington 71 5.3 mi away ⇄
Hackney 72 5.3 mi away ⇄
Kensington and Chelsea 72 5.3 mi away ⇄
Greenwich 71 5.5 mi away ⇄
Camden 70 5.8 mi away ⇄
Newham 72 6.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Southwark a nice place to live?

Yes, Southwark is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Southwark is 72/100, 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 Southwark?

Crime levels in Southwark are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 19/100. There were 46,485 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Southwark?

Among the top-rated schools in Southwark are Angel Oak Academy, Ashmole Primary School and Beormund Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 188 rated schools in Southwark in total.

What are house prices like in Southwark?

The current median house price in Southwark is £525,000, around 84% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £1,480,000, semi-detached £1,370,000, terraced £870,750, flat £450,000. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 5%. There were 1,259 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Southwark in context

See where Southwark ranks among the best places to live in Greater London

Postcode districts in Southwark

SE1 70 ⇄
SE11 70 ⇄
SE14 72 ⇄
SE15 72 ⇄
SE16 74 ⇄
SE17 71 ⇄
SE19 73 ⇄
SE1P 70 ⇄
SE21 76 ⇄
SE22 78 ⇄
SE23 74 ⇄
SE24 74 ⇄
SE26 70 ⇄
SE4 78 ⇄
SE5 72 ⇄
SE8 72 ⇄

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