Town Pop. 23,770

Living in Sudbury: Liveability Score 49/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Sudbury scores 49/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 53/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Safety falls furthest short: 68/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

Among the 14 scored places sharing the CO10 postcode district, Sudbury ranks 2nd. On lifestyle specifically, Sudbury sits 15 points above the CO10 district figure of 38/100. That puts Sudbury in the middle half of the UK towns and villages we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: CO10 postcode district.

49
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.

Sudbury scores 49 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Sudbury.
Or compare:
CO10 0AA CO10 1AA CO10 2AA CO10 3BS CO10 5AA CO10 7AB CO10 8AA CO10 9AA CO10

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
68
87 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 1,052 crimes
↑ 33% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 201 crimes
↑ 25% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 179 crimes
↓ 51% below national average
Public order 151 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 129 crimes
↓ 31% below national average
other 357 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Nightclub 92 crimes
  2. 2 Market Hill 65 crimes
  3. 3 Petrol Station 65 crimes

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

Environment
62
Air Quality NO₂ 7.3 · PM2.5 7.2 · PM10 12.2 µg/m³
71
Green Space 41
Parks Ample 28
Sports Pitches Ample 12
Allotments Adequate 2
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens Ample 5
Playgrounds Ample 35

Services

Schools
46
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 11 in area · 14 within 4km
1Outstanding8Good2Requires Improvement
  • Hillside Special SchoolSpecial · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Acton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Pot Kiln Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Gregory Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Thomas Gainsborough SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Tudor Church of England Primary School, SudburyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Wells Hall Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Woodhall Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Chalk HillSpecial · 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
31
A&E departmentsColchester General Hospital9.7 mi
Ipswich Hospital18.6 mi
Broomfield Hospital20.4 mi
Hospital waitsWest Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust0.1 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks66%
A&E seen within 4 hrs78.1%
2 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,949 patients per GP
6dentists5pharmacies

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
48
Full fibre (FTTP)72.1%
available across Babergh
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
81.3%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
81.3%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 537 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
49
Employment rate55%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55%Unemployed3.3%Retired28.1%Student3.1%Other inactive10.4%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial33.4%Skilled & technical35.2%Routine & elementary31.4%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications20.3%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.7%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16.5%Level 3 (A levels)16.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)24.7%Apprenticeship6.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership65.3%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
56
Council tax Babergh · 2026-27
A £1,561
B £1,822
C £2,082
D £2,342
E £2,862
F £3,383
G £3,903
H £4,684
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
35
Sudbury 0.3 mi
Bures 4.9 mi
Chappel and Wakes Colne 7.9 mi
J9A M11 23.4 mi
J9 M11 23.4 mi
J9A M11 23.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
53
Pubs & Bars Ample 17
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 38
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 14
Retail Shopping Ample 180
Takeaways Ample 18
Fitness Ample 9

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £273,500 191
Detached £389,000 44
Semi-detached £263,500 58
Terraced £240,000 67
Flat / Maisonette £159,250 22
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£134k £246k £362k £474k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Great Waldingfield 49 1.9 mi away ⇄
Newton (Babergh) 38 2.3 mi away ⇄
Acton 44 2.3 mi away ⇄
Long Melford 46 2.8 mi away ⇄
Little Waldingfield 42 3.5 mi away ⇄
Lamarsh 43 3.6 mi away ⇄
Assington 37 4.0 mi away ⇄
Wickham St Paul 38 4.4 mi away ⇄
Bures 35 4.9 mi away ⇄
Pebmarsh 42 5.1 mi away ⇄
Boxford (Babergh) 42 5.2 mi away ⇄
Glemsford 43 5.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Sudbury a nice place to live?

Sudbury has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Sudbury is 49/100, 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 Sudbury?

Sudbury has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 68/100. There were 2,069 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Sudbury?

Among the top-rated schools in Sudbury are Hillside Special School, Acton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School and Pot Kiln Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 11 rated schools in Sudbury in total.

What are house prices like in Sudbury?

The current median house price in Sudbury is £273,500, in line with the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £389,000, semi-detached £263,500, terraced £240,000, flat £159,250. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 8%. There were 191 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Sudbury in context

See where Sudbury ranks among the best places to live in Suffolk

Postcode districts in Sudbury

CO10 46 ⇄

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