Town Pop. 10,779

Living in Wantage: Liveability Score 58/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Wantage comes out at 58/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is broadband: 98/100 against a national town median of 60/100. That is the highest score of the 10 places in the OX12 postcode district.

It scores 9 points above the OX12 postcode district as a whole, which averages 49/100. Its broadband score runs 49 points above the OX12 district's 49/100. That is 8 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 10% of all UK towns and villages. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the OX12 postcode district.

58
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.

Wantage scores 58 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Wantage.
Or compare:
OX12 0AA OX12 2DA OX12 7AA OX12 8AB OX12 9AA OX12

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
81
100.4 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 477 crimes
↑ 33% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 159 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Public order 99 crimes
↑ 42% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 86 crimes
↑ 18% above national average
Other theft 79 crimes
↑ 18% above national average
other 182 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Dakota Drive 65 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 58 crimes
  3. 3 Elder Way 39 crimes

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

Environment
72
Air Quality NO₂ 6.3 · PM2.5 6.4 · PM10 10.6 µg/m³
74
Green Space 68
Parks Ample 23
Sports Pitches Ample 8
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Adequate 4
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 22

Services

Schools
39
7 schools in area · 10 within 4km
2Outstanding4Good1Ungraded
  • Fitzwaryn SchoolSpecial · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Wantage Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Charlton Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • King Alfred'sSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Nicholas CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Wantage Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Stockham Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    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
40
A&E departmentsGreat Western Hospital12.7 mi
John Radcliffe Hospital13.6 mi
Royal Berkshire Hospital21.4 mi
Hospital waitsBerkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust0.6 mi
Routine referral (median)4 wks
Treated within 18 weeks100%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99%
2 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,029 patients per GP
5dentists3pharmacies

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
98
Full fibre (FTTP)66.3%
available across Vale of White Horse
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
87.3%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
87%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 341 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
63
Employment rate62.7%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed62.7%Unemployed2.1%Retired23.8%Student3.2%Other inactive8.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial46%Skilled & technical31.7%Routine & elementary22.3%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications13.3%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.8%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13%Level 3 (A levels)16.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)39.3%Apprenticeship5.5%Other (incl. vocational)2.3%
Home ownership68.9%
Among the least-deprived 30% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
35
Council tax Vale of White Horse · 2026-27
A £1,718
B £2,004
C £2,291
D £2,577
E £3,150
F £3,722
G £4,295
H £5,154
Energy Southern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Thames Water
Average bill regional £489/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
36
Didcot Parkway 7.9 mi
Appleford 8.4 mi
Culham 9.1 mi
J14 M4 9.8 mi
J14 M4 10 mi
J13 M4 10.5 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
52
Pubs & Bars Ample 11
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 19
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 7
Retail Shopping Ample 87
Takeaways Adequate 10
Fitness Ample 8

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £335,000 105
Detached £542,500 24
Semi-detached £360,625 34
Terraced £315,000 25
Flat / Maisonette £203,500 22
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£172k £309k £449k £586k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Grove (Vale of White Horse) 55 1.2 mi away ⇄
East Challow 43 1.2 mi away ⇄
Letcombe Regis 43 1.6 mi away ⇄
Childrey 39 2.5 mi away ⇄
West Hanney 41 2.9 mi away ⇄
West Hendred 45 3.0 mi away ⇄
East Hanney 42 3.2 mi away ⇄
Sparsholt (Vale of White Horse) 41 3.3 mi away ⇄
East Hendred 39 3.7 mi away ⇄
Steventon 36 4.6 mi away ⇄
Chilton (Vale of White Horse) 42 4.9 mi away ⇄
Stanford in the Vale 35 5.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Wantage a nice place to live?

Wantage is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Wantage is 58/100, 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 Wantage?

Wantage is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 81/100. There were 1,082 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Wantage?

Among the top-rated schools in Wantage are Fitzwaryn School and Wantage Primary Academy, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 7 rated schools in Wantage in total.

What are house prices like in Wantage?

The current median house price in Wantage is £335,000, around 18% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £542,500, semi-detached £360,625, terraced £315,000, flat £203,500. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 6%. There were 105 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Wantage in context

See where Wantage ranks among the best places to live in Oxfordshire

Postcode districts in Wantage

OX12 49 ⇄

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