Town Pop. 5,985

Living in Swaffham: Liveability Score 51/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Swaffham scores 51/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Healthcare is where Swaffham most outperforms the national norm: 60/100 against a median of 18/100 across UK towns. Economic health falls furthest short: 41/100 where the typical UK town reaches 67/100.

That is the highest score of the 3 places in the PE37 postcode district. It scores 7 points above the PE37 postcode district as a whole, which averages 44/100. Its healthcare score runs 20 points above the PE37 district's 40/100. For the surrounding area, see PE37 postcode district.

51
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.

Loading map…

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.

Swaffham scores 51 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Swaffham.
Or compare:
PE37 7AA PE37 8AD PE37

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
74
61.5 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 163 crimes
↓ 18% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 61 crimes
↓ 33% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 32 crimes
↓ 22% below national average
Other theft 31 crimes
↓ 16% below national average
Public order 29 crimes
↓ 26% below national average
other 52 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Norwich Road 34 crimes
  2. 2 Manor Way 30 crimes
  3. 3 Box'S Lane 21 crimes

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

Environment
67
Air Quality NO₂ 4.6 · PM2.5 6.9 · PM10 12.4 µg/m³
73
Green Space 52
Parks Ample 26
Sports Pitches Ample 6
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 6

Services

Schools
37
4 schools in area
3Good1Inadequate
  • Heartwood CofE VC Primary & Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Swaffham CofE Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • The Nicholas Hamond AcademySecondary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, SwaffhamPrimary · inspected 2024
    Inadequate
Healthcare
60
A&E departmentsRAF Lakenheath Medical Hospital17.5 mi
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital21.7 mi
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital:Emergency Department21.8 mi
Hospital waitsEast Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust4.9 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks60.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs76.7%
3 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,834 patients per GP
2dentists3pharmacies

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
47
Full fibre (FTTP)66.1%
available across Breckland
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
75%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
74.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 260 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
41
Employment rate43.4%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed43.4%Unemployed2.7%Retired41.2%Student1.9%Other inactive10.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial31.2%Skilled & technical34%Routine & elementary34.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications24.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.6%Level 3 (A levels)15.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)21.6%Apprenticeship7.1%Other (incl. vocational)3.3%
Home ownership69.1%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
48
Council tax Breckland · 2026-27
A £1,629
B £1,901
C £2,172
D £2,444
E £2,987
F £3,530
G £4,073
H £4,888
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
15
Watlington 13.1 mi
Brandon 13.5 mi
Downham Market 13.9 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
59
Pubs & Bars Adequate 5
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 15
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 8
Retail Shopping Ample 79
Takeaways Adequate 9
Fitness Adequate 4

Places like Swaffham Pro

Pick the categories you want to beat. Pro members see the most similar settlements that score higher in all of them.

Find somewhere like Swaffham, but with a higher score in …

ProSimilar settlements is a Pro featureUpgrade to Pro

House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £251,000 82
Detached £329,000 34
Semi-detached £206,250 28
Terraced £200,000 16
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£134k £211k £291k £368k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

North Pickenham 0 2.2 mi away ⇄
Sporle 32 2.4 mi away ⇄
Necton 36 3.7 mi away ⇄
Castle Acre 33 4.1 mi away ⇄
Beachamwell 32 4.7 mi away ⇄
Ashill 33 4.8 mi away ⇄
Narborough 31 5.2 mi away ⇄
Gooderstone 32 5.4 mi away ⇄
Marham 34 5.9 mi away ⇄
Bradenham 38 6.3 mi away ⇄
Saham Toney 40 6.4 mi away ⇄
Foulden 32 6.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Swaffham a nice place to live?

Swaffham is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Swaffham is 51/100, 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 Swaffham?

Swaffham has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 74/100. There were 368 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Swaffham?

Among the top-rated schools in Swaffham are Heartwood CofE VC Primary & Nursery School, Swaffham CofE Primary Academy and The Nicholas Hamond Academy, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 4 rated schools in Swaffham in total.

What are house prices like in Swaffham?

The current median house price in Swaffham is £251,000, around 12% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £329,000, semi-detached £206,250, terraced £200,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 8%. There were 82 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Swaffham in context

See where Swaffham ranks among the best places to live in Norfolk

Postcode districts in Swaffham

PE37 44 ⇄

Check your exact postcode

Get a personalised score for any UK postcode, tailored to what matters most to you.

Score my postcode