Town Pop. 62,636

Living in Taunton: Liveability Score 59/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Taunton comes out at 59/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 90/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 24/100 against a town median of 88/100.

That is 9 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 10% of all UK towns and villages. Environment (81) also clears 80/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: TA1 postcode district.

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.

Taunton scores 59 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Taunton.

Or compare:

TA1 1AA TA1 2AA TA1 3AA TA1 4AA TA1 5AA TA1 9BA TA1 TA2 TA3 TA4

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

138.9 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 3,668 crimes

↑ 76% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 1,231 crimes

↑ 30% above national average

Public order 947 crimes

↑ 132% above national average

Shoplifting 890 crimes

↑ 82% above national average

Criminal damage and arson 557 crimes

↑ 31% above national average

other 1,408 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Supermarket 461 crimes
2 Shopping Area 388 crimes
3 Parking Area 297 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 6.7 · PM2.5 5.7 · PM10 9.6 µg/m³

Green Space 95

Parks Ample 69

Sports Pitches Ample 37

Allotments Ample 7

Golf Courses Ample 3

Tennis Courts Ample 13

Bowling Greens None

Playgrounds Ample 61

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 28 in area

1Outstanding20Good1Requires Improvement2Inadequate4Ungraded

The Castle SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Bishop Fox's SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
Good
Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, TauntonPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Bishops Hull Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Blackbrook Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Cheddon Fitzpaine Church SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Holway Park Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
Good
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Lyngford Park Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Nerrols Primary School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2023
Good

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

Healthcare

A&E departmentsMusgrove Park Hospitalin area

Yeovil Hospital19.3 mi

Weston General Hospital19.9 mi

Hospital waitsSomerset NHS Foundation Trust0 mi

Routine referral (median)10 wks

Treated within 18 weeks65.4%

A&E seen within 4 hrs72.8%

7 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'

GP capacity1,654 patients per GP

17dentists12pharmacies

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

Full fibre (FTTP)73.5%

available across Somerset

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

87.6%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

89%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

99.6%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,435 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate58.7%

Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+

Economic activity (16+)

Employed58.7%Unemployed2.5%Retired25.2%Student3.6%Other inactive10.1%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial38.4%Skilled & technical32.2%Routine & elementary29.5%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications16.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.6%Level 3 (A levels)17.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)33%Apprenticeship5.8%Other (incl. vocational)2.9%

Home ownership60.6%

Around the England average for deprivation

Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD

Bills

Council tax Somerset · 2026-27

A £1,707

B £1,992

C £2,276

D £2,561

E £3,130

F £3,699

G £4,268

H £5,122

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

Taunton 0.4 mi

Bridgwater 9.1 mi

Tiverton Parkway 13.2 mi

J25 M5 1.6 mi

J25 M5 1.9 mi

J26 M5 4.7 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 37

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 91

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 48

Retail Shopping Ample 448

Takeaways Ample 62

Fitness Ample 25

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£260,000	470
Detached	£395,000	112
Semi-detached	£273,500	134
Terraced	£232,500	155
Flat / Maisonette	£142,000	69

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Taunton a nice place to live?

Taunton is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Taunton is 59/100, 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 Taunton?

Crime levels in Taunton are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 24/100. There were 8,701 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Taunton?

Among the top-rated schools in Taunton are The Castle School, Bishop Fox's School and Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 28 rated schools in Taunton in total.

What are house prices like in Taunton?

The current median house price in Taunton is £260,000, around 9% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £395,000, semi-detached £273,500, terraced £232,500, flat £142,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 13%. There were 470 sales recorded in the past 12 months.