Town Pop. 24,213

Living in St Austell: Liveability Score 46/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for St Austell is 46/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, transport stands out most: 62/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 42/100 against a town median of 88/100.

Among the 4 scored places sharing the PL25 postcode district, St Austell ranks 2nd. Also scoring 80 or better: environment (80). That puts St Austell in the middle half of the UK towns and villages we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: PL25 postcode district.

46
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.

St Austell scores 46 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with St Austell.
Or compare:
PL25 3AA PL25 4AB PL25 5AA PL25 9DP PL25 PL26

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
42
114.7 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 1,203 crimes
↑ 49% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 440 crimes
↑ 20% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 265 crimes
↑ 60% above national average
Shoplifting 197 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 191 crimes
↑ 27% above national average
other 481 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Parking Area 227 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 105 crimes
  3. 3 Shopping Area 87 crimes

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

Environment
80
Air Quality NO₂ 4.1 · PM2.5 5.4 · PM10 10.2 µg/m³
78
Green Space 83
Parks Ample 29
Sports Pitches Ample 17
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 30

Services

Schools
40
10 schools in area
1Outstanding6Good3Ungraded
  • Sandy Hill AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Bishop Bronescombe CofE SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Carclaze Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Poltair SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Pondhu Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Restormel AcademyAlternative provision · inspected 2021
    Good
  • St Mewan Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Charlestown Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Ungraded
  • Mount Charles SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded
  • Penrice AcademySecondary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded

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

Healthcare
27
A&E departmentsBodmin Hospital7.6 mi
The Duchy Hospital13.4 mi
Royal Cornwall Hospital13.4 mi
Hospital waitsCornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust0.1 mi
Routine referral (median)7 wks
Treated within 18 weeks97.8%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,154 patients per GP
7dentists5pharmacies

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
35
Full fibre (FTTP)62.7%
available across Cornwall
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
74.2%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
78.2%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
96.2%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 579 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
36
Employment rate53.3%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed53.3%Unemployed2.8%Retired27.7%Student3.4%Other inactive12.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial29.1%Skilled & technical36.2%Routine & elementary34.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications18.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)17.1%Level 3 (A levels)19.3%Level 4+ (degree & above)24.4%Apprenticeship7.1%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%
Home ownership64.5%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
30
Council tax Cornwall · 2026-27
A £1,727
B £2,015
C £2,303
D £2,591
E £3,167
F £3,743
G £4,318
H £5,182
Energy South West England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water South West Water
Average bill regional £600/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
62
St Austell 0.5 mi
Par 3.4 mi
Luxulyan 3.6 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
59
Pubs & Bars Ample 14
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 32
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 14
Retail Shopping Ample 166
Takeaways Ample 15
Fitness Ample 8

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £249,750 172
Detached £295,000 67
Semi-detached £257,500 51
Terraced £190,000 36
Flat / Maisonette £116,000 18
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£100k £196k £294k £389k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Duporth 55 1.1 mi away ⇄
Carlyon Bay 45 1.5 mi away ⇄
Trewoon 46 1.8 mi away ⇄
Tregrehan Mills 0 2.1 mi away ⇄
Penwithick 30 2.2 mi away ⇄
Polgooth 45 2.2 mi away ⇄
St Blazey 52 2.7 mi away ⇄
Stenalees 29 2.7 mi away ⇄
Lanjeth 44 3.0 mi away ⇄
Sticker 38 3.3 mi away ⇄
Par 0 3.3 mi away ⇄
Tywardreath Highway 46 3.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is St Austell a nice place to live?

St Austell has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for St Austell is 46/100, 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 St Austell?

St Austell has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 42/100. There were 2,777 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in St Austell?

Among the top-rated schools in St Austell are Sandy Hill Academy, Bishop Bronescombe CofE School and Carclaze Community Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 10 rated schools in St Austell in total.

What are house prices like in St Austell?

The current median house price in St Austell is £249,750, around 12% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £295,000, semi-detached £257,500, terraced £190,000, flat £116,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 4%. There were 172 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

St Austell in context

See where St Austell ranks among the best places to live in Cornwall

Postcode districts in St Austell

PL25 47 ⇄
PL26 40 ⇄

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