Town Pop. 24,318

Living in Thatcham: Liveability Score 56/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Thatcham scores 56/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Transport is where Thatcham most outperforms the national norm: 51/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. Safety falls furthest short: 69/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

No other settlement in the RG18 postcode district scores higher. Thatcham leads all 8. Notably, nothing falls below 42/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. On transport specifically, Thatcham sits 9 points above the RG18 district figure of 42/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the RG18 postcode district.

56
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.

Thatcham scores 56 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Thatcham.
Or compare:
RG18 0AA RG18 3AA RG18 4AA RG18 9AA RG18 RG19

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
69
82.1 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 879 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 334 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 149 crimes
↓ 22% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 133 crimes
↓ 19% below national average
Public order 114 crimes
↓ 28% below national average
other 388 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Hospital 216 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 99 crimes
  3. 3 Sports/Recreation Area 61 crimes

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

Environment
56
Air Quality NO₂ 6.5 · PM2.5 6.3 · PM10 10.1 µg/m³
74
Green Space 12
Parks Ample 19
Sports Pitches Ample 7
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 22

Services

Schools
52
9 schools in area · 13 within 4km
8Good1Requires Improvement
  • Fir Tree Primary School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Kennet SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Parsons Down Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Parsons Down Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Spurcroft Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Finian's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Thatcham Park CofE PrimaryPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Whitelands Park Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Francis Baily Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Requires Improvement

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

Healthcare
46
A&E departmentsBasingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital8.9 mi
Royal Berkshire Hospital11.9 mi
Great Western Hospital20.9 mi
Hospital waitsBerkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)4 wks
Treated within 18 weeks100%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99%
2 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,745 patients per GP
3dentists2pharmacies

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
75
Full fibre (FTTP)77.3%
available across West Berkshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
92.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
93.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.3%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 486 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
67
Employment rate65.5%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed65.5%Unemployed2.5%Retired20%Student3%Other inactive9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial40.3%Skilled & technical33.4%Routine & elementary26.3%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications15.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.3%Level 3 (A levels)18.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)30.8%Apprenticeship5.7%Other (incl. vocational)2.4%
Home ownership69.2%
Among the least-deprived 27% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
42
Council tax West Berkshire · 2026-27
A £1,670
B £1,948
C £2,227
D £2,505
E £3,062
F £3,618
G £4,175
H £5,010
Energy Southern England 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
51
Thatcham 0.9 mi
Newbury Racecourse 2.2 mi
Newbury 2.9 mi
J13 M4 4 mi
J13 M4 4.5 mi
J12 M4 8.5 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
47
Pubs & Bars Adequate 8
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 14
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 12
Retail Shopping Ample 61
Takeaways Ample 11
Fitness Ample 16

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £350,000 179
Detached £502,500 36
Semi-detached £355,250 64
Terraced £330,000 60
Flat / Maisonette £180,000 19
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£173k £295k £421k £543k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Ashmore Green 39 1.5 mi away ⇄
Upper Bucklebury 45 1.7 mi away ⇄
Cold Ash 50 2.2 mi away ⇄
Bishop's Green 46 2.2 mi away ⇄
Greenham 48 2.3 mi away ⇄
Newbury 55 2.9 mi away ⇄
Brimpton 38 3.0 mi away ⇄
Headley (Basingstoke and Deane) 39 3.2 mi away ⇄
Curridge 36 3.3 mi away ⇄
Woolhampton 37 3.5 mi away ⇄
Chapel Row 48 3.5 mi away ⇄
Hermitage 44 3.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Thatcham a nice place to live?

Thatcham is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Thatcham is 56/100, 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 Thatcham?

Thatcham has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 69/100. There were 1,997 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Thatcham?

Among the top-rated schools in Thatcham are Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery, Kennet School and Parsons Down Infant School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 9 rated schools in Thatcham in total.

What are house prices like in Thatcham?

The current median house price in Thatcham is £350,000, around 23% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £502,500, semi-detached £355,250, terraced £330,000, flat £180,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 9%. There were 179 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Thatcham in context

See where Thatcham ranks among the best places to live in Berkshire

Postcode districts in Thatcham

RG18 57 ⇄
RG19 53 ⇄

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