Town

Living in Stow (Scottish Borders): Liveability Score 40/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Stow (Scottish Borders) scores 40/100 overall, across 8 scored categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 50/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. Broadband falls furthest short: 13/100 where the typical UK town reaches 60/100.

That places it last of the 3 scored places in the TD1 postcode district. It scores 17 points below the TD1 postcode district as a whole, which averages 57/100. Its healthcare score runs 19 points below the TD1 district's 69/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: TD1 postcode district.

40
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.

Stow (Scottish Borders) scores 40 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Stow (Scottish Borders).
Or compare:
TD1 1AA TD1 2AD TD1 3AA TD1 9AJ TD1

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
—

Crime is scored from the last 12 months of police street-level data. Police Scotland does not publish this, and there is no Scottish equivalent of the Police UK open data service, so crime has been left out of the score for this area. This is a gap in published data, not a sign of low crime.

Environment
61
Air Quality NO₂ 1.515 · PM2.5 4.117 · PM10 6.509 µg/m³
85
Green Space 58
Parks None
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
22
1 school in area
1Good
  • Stow Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2019
    Good
Healthcare
50
A&E departmentsCommunity Paramedic Service45.5 mi
Cumberland Infirmary55 mi
Hexham General Hospital58.2 mi
Hospital waitsThe Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust33.7 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks72.5%
A&E seen within 4 hrs78.5%
Nearest GP surgeryStow & Lauder Health0.2 mi
GP capacity1,324 patients per GP

A&E, dentist and pharmacy data, and CQC ratings, are currently available for England only, not Scotland.

Broadband
13
Full fibre (FTTP)68.6%
available across Scottish Borders
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
17.8%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
17.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 24 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
67
Employment rate57.9%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed58.1%Unemployed1.6%Retired29.3%Student3.1%Other inactive7.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial54.9%Skilled & technical26.1%Routine & elementary19%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications49.8%
Home ownership81.4%
Among the least-deprived 30% of areas in Scotland
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
67
Council tax Scottish Borders · 2025-26
A £995
B £1,160
C £1,326
D £1,492
E £1,960
F £2,425
G £2,922
H £3,655
Energy South Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
28
Stow 0.2 mi
Galashiels 5.7 mi
Tweedbank 7.3 mi
J1 M8 23.7 mi
J2 M8 26 mi
J1 M9 26.8 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
17
Pubs & Bars None
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Stow (Scottish Borders). HM Land Registry's Price Paid dataset covers England and Wales only. Scottish sales are recorded separately by Registers of Scotland, which we don't yet include. This is a gap in the data we hold, not a sign of an inactive market.

Nearby places

Lauder 41 4.7 mi away ⇄
Clovenfords 41 5.2 mi away ⇄
Galashiels 61 6.2 mi away ⇄
Walkerburn 38 7.7 mi away ⇄
Gattonside 49 8.0 mi away ⇄
Darnick 45 8.1 mi away ⇄
Earlston 43 8.3 mi away ⇄
Melrose 48 8.6 mi away ⇄
Innerleithen 43 9.3 mi away ⇄
Selkirk 55 10.0 mi away ⇄
Cardrona Village 47 10 mi away ⇄
Newtown St Boswells 44 11 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Stow (Scottish Borders) a nice place to live?

Stow (Scottish Borders) has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Stow (Scottish Borders) is 40/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

What are the best schools in Stow (Scottish Borders)?

Among the top-rated schools in Stow (Scottish Borders) is Stow Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Stow (Scottish Borders) in total.

Postcode districts in Stow (Scottish Borders)

TD1 57 ⇄

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