Town Pop. 5,861

Living in Wareham: Liveability Score 48/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Wareham is 48/100, built from 9 categories. Healthcare is where Wareham most outperforms the national norm: 42/100 against a median of 18/100 across UK towns. Bills falls furthest short: 25/100 where the typical UK town reaches 47/100.

That is the highest score of the 11 places in the BH20 postcode district. It scores 8 points above the BH20 postcode district as a whole, which averages 40/100. Its healthcare score runs 14 points above the BH20 district's 28/100. For the surrounding area, see BH20 postcode district.

48
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.

Wareham scores 48 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Wareham.
Or compare:
BH20 4AA BH20 5AA BH20 6AA BH20 7AA BH20 9BY BH20

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
78
57.7 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 106 crimes
↓ 46% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 83 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Criminal damage and arson 35 crimes
↓ 12% below national average
Shoplifting 31 crimes
↓ 32% below national average
Other theft 30 crimes
↓ 18% below national average
other 53 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Supermarket 52 crimes
  2. 2 Pride Place 17 crimes
  3. 3 Christmas Close 15 crimes

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

Environment
60
Air Quality NO₂ 5.1 · PM2.5 5.4 · PM10 8.7 µg/m³
78
Green Space 16
Parks Adequate 4
Sports Pitches Adequate 2
Allotments None
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Adequate 5

Services

Schools
26
3 schools in area · 4 within 4km
2Good1Ungraded
  • Stoborough Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Wareham St Mary Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • The Purbeck SchoolSecondary · 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
42
A&E departmentsPoole General Hospital6 mi
Royal Bournemouth Hospital12.8 mi
Salisbury District Hospital27.7 mi
Hospital waitsDorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.7%
A&E seen within 4 hrs61.2%
1 GP surgery in area 2 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,000 patients per GP
1dentist2pharmacies

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
55
Full fibre (FTTP)70.9%
available across Dorset
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
84.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
84.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 197 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
45
Employment rate50.3%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed50.3%Unemployed2.2%Retired35.5%Student2.2%Other inactive9.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial35%Skilled & technical35.1%Routine & elementary29.9%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications18.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.5%Level 3 (A levels)17.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)28.4%Apprenticeship7.3%Other (incl. vocational)3.1%
Home ownership65.8%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
25
Council tax Dorset · 2026-27
A £1,843
B £2,151
C £2,458
D £2,765
E £3,379
F £3,994
G £4,608
H £5,530
Energy South 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 Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
39
Wareham 0.2 mi
Holton Heath 2.2 mi
Wool 4.7 mi
J1 M27 27.7 mi
J1 M27 28.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
30
Pubs & Bars Adequate 8
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 9
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 4
Retail Shopping Adequate 11
Takeaways Some 3
Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £372,500 46
Detached £440,000 12
Semi-detached £355,000 13
Terraced £329,500 16
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Terraced Flat
£206k £320k £437k £551k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Stoborough 38 1.3 mi away ⇄
Ridge 41 1.3 mi away ⇄
Sandford (Dorset) 47 1.3 mi away ⇄
Holton Heath 38 2.5 mi away ⇄
Post Green 40 4.2 mi away ⇄
Corfe Castle 37 4.7 mi away ⇄
Lytchett Matravers 38 4.9 mi away ⇄
Upton (Dorset) 52 4.9 mi away ⇄
Wool 37 5.5 mi away ⇄
Beacon Hill 0 5.7 mi away ⇄
Harman's Cross 41 6.2 mi away ⇄
Bere Regis 41 6.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Wareham a nice place to live?

Wareham has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Wareham is 48/100, 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 Wareham?

Wareham is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 78/100. There were 338 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Wareham?

Among the top-rated schools in Wareham are Stoborough Church of England Primary School and Wareham St Mary Church of England Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in Wareham in total.

What are house prices like in Wareham?

The current median house price in Wareham is £372,500, around 31% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £440,000, semi-detached £355,000, terraced £329,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 9%. There were 46 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Wareham in context

See where Wareham ranks among the best places to live in Dorset

Postcode districts in Wareham

BH20 40 ⇄

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