Town Pop. 1,513

Living in Sowerby: Liveability Score 53/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Sowerby is 53/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 55/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 56/100 versus a median of 88/100.

That is the highest score of the 12 places in the YO7 postcode district. The YO7 district averages 41/100, putting Sowerby 12 points above its own postcode area. Its healthcare score runs 30 points above the YO7 district's 25/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: YO7 postcode district.

53
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.

Sowerby scores 53 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Sowerby.
Or compare:
YO7 1AA YO7 2AA YO7 3AA YO7 4AA YO7 9AP YO7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
56
100.5 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Anti-social behaviour 53 crimes
↑ 130% above national average
Violence and sexual offences 43 crimes
↓ 15% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 20 crimes
↑ 94% above national average
Shoplifting 15 crimes
↑ 27% above national average
Public order 6 crimes
↓ 38% below national average
other 15 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 28 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 24 crimes
  3. 3 Chapel Street 19 crimes

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

Environment
57
Air Quality NO₂ 5.8 · PM2.5 5.5 · PM10 11.1 µg/m³
77
Green Space 10
Parks Ample 7
Sports Pitches Ample 6
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds None

Services

Schools
54
5 schools in area · 7 within 4km
5Good
  • All Saints Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Keeble Gateway AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Sowerby Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Thirsk Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Thirsk School & Sixth Form CollegeSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
55
A&E departmentsFriarage Hospital8.3 mi
Harrogate District Hospital16.7 mi
York District Hospital19.8 mi
Hospital waitsYork And Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust0.7 mi
Routine referral (median)15 wks
Treated within 18 weeks56.6%
A&E seen within 4 hrs71%
Nearest GP surgeryThirsk Doctors Surgery0.7 mi
GP capacity1,270 patients per GP
0dentists1pharmacy

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
95
Full fibre (FTTP)80.2%
available across North Yorkshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
97.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
97.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 133 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
69
Employment rate62.5%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed62.5%Unemployed1.9%Retired25.5%Student3.2%Other inactive6.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial41.1%Skilled & technical31.1%Routine & elementary27.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications13.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.2%Level 3 (A levels)17.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)37.3%Apprenticeship6.8%Other (incl. vocational)2.4%
Home ownership61.9%
Among the least-deprived 26% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
40
Council tax North Yorkshire · 2026-27
A £1,696
B £1,979
C £2,261
D £2,544
E £3,109
F £3,675
G £4,240
H £5,088
Energy Yorkshire region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Yorkshire Water
Average bill regional £437/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
17
Thirsk 1.1 mi
Northallerton 8.4 mi
Knaresborough 15.6 mi
J50 A1(M) 5.2 mi
J50 A1(M) 5.4 mi
J49 A1(M) 6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
51
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 2
Retail Shopping Adequate 9
Takeaways None
Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £265,000 55
Detached £380,000 15
Semi-detached £250,000 21
Terraced £226,500 15
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£179k £258k £341k £420k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Thirsk 51 0.8 mi away ⇄
Carlton Miniott 53 1.2 mi away ⇄
Thorpefield 35 2.1 mi away ⇄
Bagby 47 2.3 mi away ⇄
Dalton 39 3.3 mi away ⇄
Topcliffe 38 3.6 mi away ⇄
Knayton 33 4.2 mi away ⇄
Thornton-le-Moor 40 4.9 mi away ⇄
Rainton 41 5.0 mi away ⇄
Borrowby 33 5.1 mi away ⇄
Pickhill 32 5.2 mi away ⇄
Dishforth 39 6.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Sowerby a nice place to live?

Sowerby is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Sowerby is 53/100, 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 Sowerby?

Sowerby has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 56/100. There were 152 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Sowerby?

Among the top-rated schools in Sowerby are All Saints Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy, Keeble Gateway Academy and Sowerby Primary Academy, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 5 rated schools in Sowerby in total.

What are house prices like in Sowerby?

The current median house price in Sowerby is £265,000, around 7% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £380,000, semi-detached £250,000, terraced £226,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 14%. There were 55 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Sowerby in context

See the best places to live in North Yorkshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Sowerby

YO7 41 ⇄

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