Town Pop. 9,095

Living in Swanage: Liveability Score 51/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Swanage comes out at 51/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, lifestyle stands out most: 51/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. Bills falls furthest short: 25/100 where the typical UK town reaches 47/100.

No other settlement in the BH19 postcode district scores higher. Swanage leads all 5. Also scoring 80 or better: safety (91). That puts Swanage in the top quarter of the UK towns and villages we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: BH19 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.

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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.

Swanage scores 51 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Swanage.
Or compare:
BH19 1AA BH19 2AA BH19 3AA BH19 9BE BH19

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
91
53.2 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 193 crimes
↓ 36% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 99 crimes
↓ 28% below national average
Shoplifting 43 crimes
↓ 40% below national average
Other theft 39 crimes
↓ 31% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 38 crimes
↓ 38% below national average
other 72 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 26 crimes
  2. 2 Commercial Road 25 crimes
  3. 3 Holmes Road 22 crimes

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

Environment
78
Air Quality NO₂ 4.9 · PM2.5 5.2 · PM10 8.6 µg/m³
79
Green Space 78
Parks Adequate 4
Sports Pitches Ample 10
Allotments None
Golf Courses Ample 3
Tennis Courts Ample 7
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 5

Services

Schools
33
5 schools in area
5Good
  • St George's Church of England Primary School, Langton MatraversPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • St Mary's Catholic Primary School, SwanagePrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Swanage Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2019
    Good
  • Swanage St Mark's Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • The Swanage SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
Healthcare
30
A&E departmentsPoole General Hospital6.4 mi
Royal Bournemouth Hospital10.2 mi
Hythe Hospital29.1 mi
Hospital waitsUniversity Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust0.6 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks67.5%
A&E seen within 4 hrs67.7%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,057 patients per GP
3dentists3pharmacies

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
52
Full fibre (FTTP)70.9%
available across Dorset
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
75%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
75%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.2%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 400 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
47
Employment rate45.4%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed45.4%Unemployed2.3%Retired40.1%Student2.6%Other inactive9.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial37.2%Skilled & technical36.6%Routine & elementary26.3%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.4%Level 3 (A levels)15.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)32.3%Apprenticeship7.2%Other (incl. vocational)3%
Home ownership70.7%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
25
Council tax Dorset · 2026-27
A £1,843
B £2,151
C £2,458
D £2,765
E £3,379
F £3,994
G £4,608
H £5,530
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 Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
27
Poole 7.5 mi
Parkstone 7.7 mi
Hamworthy 8.2 mi
J1 M27 26.7 mi
J1 M27 27.3 mi
J2 M27 29.7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
51
Pubs & Bars Ample 13
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 36
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 9
Retail Shopping Ample 95
Takeaways Adequate 9
Fitness Ample 8

Places like Swanage Pro

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £360,000 100
Detached £601,000 34
Semi-detached £369,500 16
Terraced £338,000 15
Flat / Maisonette £245,000 35
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£218k £399k £585k £766k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Langton Matravers 41 1.6 mi away ⇄
Studland 34 2.2 mi away ⇄
Harman's Cross 41 2.6 mi away ⇄
Worth Matravers 39 3.4 mi away ⇄
Corfe Castle 37 4.2 mi away ⇄
Ridge 41 7.2 mi away ⇄
Stoborough 38 7.5 mi away ⇄
Poole 67 8.3 mi away ⇄
Wareham 48 8.5 mi away ⇄
Sandford (Dorset) 47 8.8 mi away ⇄
Holton Heath 38 8.9 mi away ⇄
Upton (Dorset) 52 9.1 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Swanage a nice place to live?

Swanage is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Swanage 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 Swanage?

Swanage is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 91/100. There were 484 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Swanage?

Among the top-rated schools in Swanage are St George's Church of England Primary School, Langton Matravers, St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage and Swanage Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 5 rated schools in Swanage in total.

What are house prices like in Swanage?

The current median house price in Swanage is £360,000, around 26% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £601,000, semi-detached £369,500, terraced £338,000, flat £245,000. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 5%. There were 100 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Swanage in context

See where Swanage ranks among the best places to live in Dorset

Postcode districts in Swanage

BH19 49 ⇄

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