Town Pop. 5,545

Living in St Ives (Cornwall): Liveability Score 44/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for St Ives (Cornwall) is 44/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 60/100 against a national town median of 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 39/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Of the 3 places sharing the TR26 postcode district, St Ives (Cornwall) scores lowest. On lifestyle specifically, St Ives (Cornwall) sits 11 points above the TR26 district figure of 49/100. That puts St Ives (Cornwall) in the middle half of the UK towns and villages we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the TR26 postcode district.

44
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 Ives (Cornwall) scores 44 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with St Ives (Cornwall).
Or compare:
TR26 1AB TR26 2AA TR26 3AA TR26 9AQ TR26

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
39
124.3 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 327 crimes
↑ 77% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 132 crimes
↑ 57% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 69 crimes
↑ 82% above national average
Other theft 45 crimes
↑ 31% above national average
Public order 29 crimes
↓ 20% below national average
other 87 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Parking Area 48 crimes
  2. 2 Trenwith Place 35 crimes
  3. 3 Market Strand 28 crimes

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

Environment
62
Air Quality NO₂ 3 · PM2.5 4.9 · PM10 9 µg/m³
81
Green Space 19
Parks Ample 5
Sports Pitches Ample 6
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Adequate 5
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Adequate 3

Services

Schools
34
3 schools in area · 4 within 4km
2Good1Requires Improvement
  • St Ives Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St Ives SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Ives Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Requires Improvement

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

Healthcare
44
A&E departmentsRoyal Cornwall Hospital17.3 mi
The Duchy Hospital17.3 mi
Bodmin Hospital36.8 mi
Hospital waitsRoyal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)8 wks
Treated within 18 weeks73.7%
A&E seen within 4 hrs79.6%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Outstanding'
GP capacity1,377 patients per GP
2dentists1pharmacy

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
38
Full fibre (FTTP)62.7%
available across Cornwall
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
54.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
54.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
95.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 326 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
39
Employment rate49.3%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed49.3%Unemployed2.7%Retired31.1%Student3.4%Other inactive13.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial32.1%Skilled & technical38%Routine & elementary29.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications17%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.4%Level 3 (A levels)17%Level 4+ (degree & above)31.8%Apprenticeship7%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership59.4%
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
47
St Ives 0.4 mi
Carbis Bay 1.3 mi
Lelant 2.9 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
60
Pubs & Bars Ample 14
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 61
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 8
Retail Shopping Ample 132
Takeaways Adequate 10
Fitness Adequate 3

Places like St Ives (Cornwall) Pro

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £310,000 40
Terraced £335,000 23
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£232k £383k £539k £691k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Carbis Bay 48 1.2 mi away ⇄
Lelant 45 2.7 mi away ⇄
The Towans 48 2.9 mi away ⇄
Canon's Town 36 3.2 mi away ⇄
Rose-an-Grouse 38 3.4 mi away ⇄
Hayle 42 3.7 mi away ⇄
St Erth 37 3.9 mi away ⇄
Crowlas 35 4.3 mi away ⇄
Connor Downs 31 5.2 mi away ⇄
Longrock 45 5.6 mi away ⇄
Marazion 46 5.8 mi away ⇄
Goldsithney 38 6.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is St Ives (Cornwall) a nice place to live?

St Ives (Cornwall) has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for St Ives (Cornwall) is 44/100, 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 Ives (Cornwall)?

St Ives (Cornwall) has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 39/100. There were 689 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in St Ives (Cornwall)?

Among the top-rated schools in St Ives (Cornwall) are St Ives Infant School and St Ives School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in St Ives (Cornwall) in total.

What are house prices like in St Ives (Cornwall)?

The current median house price in St Ives (Cornwall) is £310,000, around 9% above the England and Wales average. By property type: terraced £335,000. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 13%. There were 40 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

St Ives (Cornwall) in context

See where St Ives (Cornwall) ranks among the best places to live in Cornwall

Postcode districts in St Ives (Cornwall)

TR26 43 ⇄

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