Town Pop. 532

Living in Teston: Liveability Score 49/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Teston scores 49/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 42/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is broadband, at 45/100 against a town median of 60/100.

That makes it the 2nd highest-scoring of the 5 places in the ME18 postcode district. Against the wider ME18 district average of 40/100, that is 9 points above. Its healthcare score runs 11 points above the ME18 district's 31/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: ME18 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.

Teston scores 49 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Teston.
Or compare:
ME18 5AA ME18 6AA ME18

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
77
274.4 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Anti-social behaviour 46 crimes
↑ 469% above national average
Violence and sexual offences 42 crimes
↑ 137% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 16 crimes
↑ 343% above national average
Vehicle crime 12 crimes
↑ 371% above national average
Other theft 8 crimes
↑ 142% above national average
other 22 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 East Farleigh 16 crimes
  2. 2 Carpenters Close 13 crimes
  3. 3 Priorsdean Close 13 crimes

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

Environment
57
Air Quality NO₂ 8.2 · PM2.5 7.1 · PM10 11.3 µg/m³
71
Green Space 25
Parks Adequate 2
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
31

School inspection data is not available for this area.

Healthcare
42
A&E departmentsMaidstone Hospital2.2 mi
Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury9 mi
Medway Maritime Hospital9.4 mi
Hospital waitsKent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust0.6 mi
Routine referral (median)5 wks
Treated within 18 weeks99.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.1%
Nearest GP surgeryWateringbury Surgery0.6 mi
GP capacity2,157 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

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
45
Full fibre (FTTP)72.2%
available across Maidstone
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
75.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
75.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
97.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 19 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
81
Employment rate50.5%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed50.5%Unemployed1.7%Retired38.3%Student2.8%Other inactive6.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial44.6%Skilled & technical35.2%Routine & elementary20.2%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.2%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.1%Level 3 (A levels)16.6%Level 4+ (degree & above)33%Apprenticeship5.8%Other (incl. vocational)3.3%
Home ownership90.1%
Among the least-deprived 17% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
35
Council tax Maidstone · 2026-27
A £1,669
B £1,947
C £2,225
D £2,503
E £3,059
F £3,615
G £4,172
H £5,006
Energy South East England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Southern Water
Average bill regional £683/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
41
Wateringbury 0.9 mi
East Farleigh 1.9 mi
East Malling 2.1 mi
J5 M20 3.4 mi
J6 M20 3.4 mi
J4 M20 3.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
27
Pubs & Bars None
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Teston in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Wateringbury 46 0.9 mi away ⇄
Kings Hill 55 1.8 mi away ⇄
East Farleigh 50 2.0 mi away ⇄
Yalding 36 2.1 mi away ⇄
Larkfield 56 3.1 mi away ⇄
Hale Street 36 3.1 mi away ⇄
Benover 30 3.2 mi away ⇄
West Malling 42 3.2 mi away ⇄
Coxheath 50 3.5 mi away ⇄
East Peckham 37 3.7 mi away ⇄
Offham 38 3.7 mi away ⇄
Maidstone 61 3.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Teston a nice place to live?

Teston has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Teston 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 Teston?

Teston is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 77/100. There were 146 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

Teston in context

See the best places to live in Kent, ranked

Postcode districts in Teston

ME18 40 ⇄

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