Town Pop. 5,841

Living in Thirsk: Liveability Score 51/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Thirsk is 51/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 48/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 71/100 against a town median of 88/100.

That makes it the 3rd highest-scoring of the 12 places in the YO7 postcode district. Against the wider YO7 district average of 41/100, that is 10 points above. Its healthcare score runs 23 points above the YO7 district's 25/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the YO7 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.

Thirsk scores 51 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Thirsk.
Or compare:
YO7 1AA YO7 2AA YO7 3AA YO7 4AA YO7 9AP YO7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
71
114.5 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 248 crimes
↑ 28% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 206 crimes
↑ 132% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 64 crimes
↑ 62% above national average
Shoplifting 34 crimes
↓ 26% below national average
Public order 30 crimes
↓ 22% below national average
other 87 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Parking Area 88 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 53 crimes
  3. 3 Millgate 28 crimes

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

Environment
57
Air Quality NO₂ 5.7 · PM2.5 5.4 · PM10 10.3 µg/m³
77
Green Space 11
Parks Ample 7
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Ample 8

Services

Schools
38
4 schools in area · 7 within 4km
4Good
  • All Saints Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Sowerby Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Thirsk Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Thirsk School & Sixth Form CollegeSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good

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

Healthcare
48
A&E departmentsFriarage Hospital7.8 mi
Harrogate District Hospital17.2 mi
York District Hospital20 mi
Hospital waitsYork And Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)15 wks
Treated within 18 weeks56.6%
A&E seen within 4 hrs71%
2 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,270 patients per GP
1dentist1pharmacy

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
81
Full fibre (FTTP)80.2%
available across North Yorkshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
90.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
90.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 179 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
64
Employment rate58.1%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed58.1%Unemployed1.7%Retired28.5%Student2.9%Other inactive8.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial35.4%Skilled & technical34.6%Routine & elementary29.9%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications18.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.1%Level 3 (A levels)16.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)32.8%Apprenticeship7.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.3%
Home ownership61.3%
Among the least-deprived 38% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
40
Council tax North Yorkshire · 2026-27
A £1,696
B £1,979
C £2,261
D £2,544
E £3,109
F £3,675
G £4,240
H £5,088
Energy Yorkshire region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Yorkshire Water
Average bill regional £437/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
19
Thirsk 1.4 mi
Northallerton 8 mi
Cattal 16.3 mi
J50 A1(M) 5.9 mi
J50 A1(M) 6.1 mi
J49 A1(M) 6.8 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
45
Pubs & Bars Ample 13
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 18
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 9
Retail Shopping Ample 87
Takeaways Ample 12
Fitness Adequate 3

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £240,000 59
Detached £352,500 11
Semi-detached £245,000 17
Terraced £200,000 19
Flat / Maisonette £79,250 12
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£112k £202k £294k £383k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Sowerby 53 0.8 mi away ⇄
Carlton Miniott 53 1.6 mi away ⇄
Bagby 47 2.2 mi away ⇄
Thorpefield 35 2.8 mi away ⇄
Knayton 33 3.5 mi away ⇄
Dalton 39 4.0 mi away ⇄
Topcliffe 38 4.3 mi away ⇄
Borrowby 33 4.4 mi away ⇄
Thornton-le-Moor 40 4.5 mi away ⇄
Pickhill 32 5.4 mi away ⇄
Rainton 41 5.7 mi away ⇄
Dishforth 39 7.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Thirsk a nice place to live?

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

Thirsk has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 71/100. There were 669 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Thirsk?

Among the top-rated schools in Thirsk are All Saints Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy, Sowerby Primary Academy and Thirsk Community Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 4 rated schools in Thirsk in total.

What are house prices like in Thirsk?

The current median house price in Thirsk is £240,000, around 16% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £352,500, semi-detached £245,000, terraced £200,000, flat £79,250. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 5%. There were 59 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Thirsk in context

See where Thirsk ranks among the best places to live in North Yorkshire

Postcode districts in Thirsk

YO7 41 ⇄

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