Town Pop. 16,855

Living in Swanley: Liveability Score 53/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Swanley comes out at 53/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, lifestyle stands out most: 75/100 where the typical UK town scores 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 48/100 versus a median of 88/100.

That makes it the 2nd highest-scoring of the 4 places in the BR8 postcode district. On the national picture that lands Swanley in the top quarter of all the places we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the BR8 postcode district.

53
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.

Swanley scores 53 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Swanley.
Or compare:
BR8 7AA BR8 8AA BR8 9AD BR8

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
48
102.1 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 605 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 316 crimes
↑ 23% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 178 crimes
↑ 56% above national average
Shoplifting 125 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Vehicle crime 108 crimes
↑ 33% above national average
other 389 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Shopping Area 112 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 100 crimes
  3. 3 Lilac Gardens 64 crimes

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

Environment
71
Air Quality NO₂ 12.8 · PM2.5 7.9 · PM10 13.3 µg/m³
64
Green Space 85
Parks Ample 15
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 6

Services

Schools
56
10 schools in area · 19 within 4km
8Good1Requires Improvement1Ungraded
  • Hextable Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • High Firs Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Horizon Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Orchards AcademySecondary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Parkwood Hall Co-Operative AcademySpecial · inspected 2025
    Good
  • St Bartholomew's Catholic Primary School, SwanleyPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Pauls' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Downsview Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Requires Improvement
  • Crockenhill Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Ungraded

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

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

Healthcare
35
A&E departmentsDarent Valley Hospital3.4 mi
Princess Royal University Hospital4.6 mi
University Hospital Lewisham8.1 mi
Hospital waitsKent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)5 wks
Treated within 18 weeks99.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.1%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,528 patients per GP
4dentists3pharmacies

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
74
Full fibre (FTTP)64.8%
available across Sevenoaks
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
87.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
87.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 298 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
44
Employment rate58%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed58%Unemployed3.3%Retired22.2%Student3.6%Other inactive12.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial35.6%Skilled & technical36.2%Routine & elementary28.2%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications22.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.4%Level 3 (A levels)15.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)25.9%Apprenticeship5.6%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%
Home ownership63.8%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
40
Council tax Sevenoaks · 2026-27
A £1,681
B £1,962
C £2,242
D £2,522
E £3,082
F £3,643
G £4,203
H £5,044
Energy London region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Thames Water
Average bill regional £489/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
49
Swanley 0.4 mi
Farningham Road 2.7 mi
Eynsford 2.8 mi
J1 M20 0.8 mi
J3 M25 1.1 mi
J3 M25 1.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
75
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 20
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 12
Retail Shopping Ample 73
Takeaways Ample 12
Fitness Ample 5

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £415,000 103
Semi-detached £450,000 48
Terraced £364,250 32
Flat / Maisonette £220,000 17
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£184k £324k £468k £607k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Hextable 57 1.0 mi away ⇄
Swanley Village 43 1.1 mi away ⇄
Crockenhill 46 1.1 mi away ⇄
Joyden's Wood 58 1.9 mi away ⇄
Farningham 37 2.5 mi away ⇄
Eynsford 42 2.6 mi away ⇄
Hawley (Dartford) 52 2.8 mi away ⇄
South Darenth and Sutton at Hone 43 3.0 mi away ⇄
Horton Kirby 38 3.1 mi away ⇄
Well Hill 48 3.1 mi away ⇄
Darenth 43 3.9 mi away ⇄
Dartford 60 4.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Swanley a nice place to live?

Swanley is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Swanley is 53/100, 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 Swanley?

Swanley has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 48/100. There were 1,721 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Swanley?

Among the top-rated schools in Swanley are Hextable Primary School, High Firs Primary School and Horizon Primary Academy, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 10 rated schools in Swanley in total.

What are house prices like in Swanley?

The current median house price in Swanley is £415,000, around 46% above the England and Wales average. By property type: semi-detached £450,000, terraced £364,250, flat £220,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 14%. There were 103 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Swanley in context

See where Swanley ranks among the best places to live in Kent

Postcode districts in Swanley

BR8 51 ⇄

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