Town Pop. 1,914

Living in Wardle (Rochdale): Liveability Score 51/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Wardle (Rochdale) comes out at 51/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, schools stands out most: 63/100 where the typical UK town scores 23/100. Safety falls furthest short: 18/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

Among the 3 scored places sharing the OL12 postcode district, Wardle (Rochdale) ranks 2nd. Against the wider OL12 district average of 58/100, that is 7 points below. On schools specifically, Wardle (Rochdale) sits 12 points below the OL12 district figure of 75/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the OL12 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.

Wardle (Rochdale) scores 51 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Wardle (Rochdale).
Or compare:
OL12 0AA OL12 6AA OL12 7AA OL12 8AA OL12 9AA OL12

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
18
111.1 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents · year ending Dec 2025

The police force covering this area doesn't publish street-level crime data, so this is a district-level estimate based on Home Office recorded-crime totals for Rochdale. It's a different source from the rest of the map and can't be broken down by location or crime type.

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

Environment
61
Air Quality NO₂ 8.002 · PM2.5 6.483 · PM10 9.698 µg/m³
73
Green Space 34
Parks Some 1
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments Adequate 2
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
63
3 schools in area · 28 within 4km
3Good
  • St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St James' Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Wardle AcademySecondary · 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
53
A&E departmentsFairfield Hospital5.8 mi
The Royal Oldham Hospital6.4 mi
North Manchester General Hospital9.6 mi
Hospital waitsManchester University NHS Foundation Trust0.8 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks63.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs77.5%
Nearest GP surgeryDr Devadeep Gupta1.3 mi
GP capacity1,942 patients per GP
1dentist0pharmacies

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
97
Full fibre (FTTP)74.2%
available across Rochdale
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
97%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
99%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 47 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
55
Employment rate62.3%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed62.3%Unemployed2.6%Retired22.1%Student3.4%Other inactive9.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial40.4%Skilled & technical34.6%Routine & elementary25%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.7%Level 3 (A levels)19.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)30.1%Apprenticeship7.6%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%
Home ownership77.4%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
34
Council tax Rochdale · 2026-27
A £1,734
B £2,023
C £2,312
D £2,601
E £3,179
F £3,757
G £4,335
H £5,202
Energy North 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 United Utilities
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
59
Smithy Bridge 1.3 mi
Littleborough 1.6 mi
Rochdale 2.7 mi
J21 M62 3.2 mi
J21 M62 3.5 mi
J4 A627(M) 3.7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
30
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £225,000 11
5-year monthly trend
All Terraced
£159k £191k £225k £257k 2022 2023 2024 2025

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

Nearby places

Littleborough 50 1.3 mi away ⇄
Whitworth 44 1.9 mi away ⇄
Summit 46 2.2 mi away ⇄
Rochdale 61 2.6 mi away ⇄
Milnrow 58 2.7 mi away ⇄
Newhey 56 3.6 mi away ⇄
Bacup 40 4.4 mi away ⇄
Todmorden 46 4.7 mi away ⇄
Shaw (Oldham) 61 4.9 mi away ⇄
Trub 54 5.0 mi away ⇄
Denshaw 44 5.5 mi away ⇄
Royton 66 5.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Wardle (Rochdale) a nice place to live?

Wardle (Rochdale) is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Wardle (Rochdale) 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 Wardle (Rochdale)?

Crime levels in Wardle (Rochdale) are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 18/100. There were 24,843 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Wardle (Rochdale)?

Among the top-rated schools in Wardle (Rochdale) are St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Nursery, St James' Church of England Primary School and Wardle Academy, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in Wardle (Rochdale) in total.

What are house prices like in Wardle (Rochdale)?

The current median house price in Wardle (Rochdale) is £225,000, around 21% below the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 32%.

Wardle (Rochdale) in context

See the best places to live in Greater Manchester, ranked

Postcode districts in Wardle (Rochdale)

OL12 58 ⇄

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