Town Pop. 5,239

Living in Waterbeach: Liveability Score 46/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Waterbeach comes out at 46/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 38/100 against a national town median of 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 70/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Among the 9 scored places sharing the CB25 postcode district, Waterbeach ranks 2nd. On lifestyle specifically, Waterbeach sits 11 points above the CB25 district figure of 27/100. Below 30/100: schools (21) and healthcare (21). The same breakdown for the wider area is on the CB25 postcode district.

46
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.

Waterbeach scores 46 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Waterbeach.
Or compare:
CB25 0AA CB25 9AA CB25

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
70
82.8 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 164 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 85 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Criminal damage and arson 43 crimes
↑ 21% above national average
Vehicle crime 36 crimes
↑ 44% above national average
Other theft 32 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 74 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Park/Open Space 29 crimes
  2. 2 Petrol Station 18 crimes
  3. 3 Waddelow Road 17 crimes

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

Environment
57
Air Quality NO₂ 6 · PM2.5 7.1 · PM10 12.1 µg/m³
72
Green Space 25
Parks Ample 25
Sports Pitches Adequate 4
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 8

Services

Schools
21
1 school in area · 4 within 4km
1Good
  • Waterbeach Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good

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

Healthcare
21
A&E departmentsUrgent Care Cambridge3.4 mi
Cambridge Biomedical Campus6.4 mi
RAF Lakenheath Medical Hospital16.6 mi
Hospital waitsCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust1.2 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs71.1%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Requires improvement'
GP capacity1,713 patients per GP
0dentists2pharmacies

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)58.3%
available across South Cambridgeshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
93.2%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
93.2%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 91 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
70
Employment rate66.6%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed66.6%Unemployed1.8%Retired19.7%Student2.8%Other inactive9.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial49.9%Skilled & technical29.2%Routine & elementary20.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications13.2%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)7.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)10.6%Level 3 (A levels)14.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)46.4%Apprenticeship5.6%Other (incl. vocational)2.2%
Home ownership64%
Among the least-deprived 32% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
44
Council tax South Cambridgeshire · 2026-27
A £1,691
B £1,972
C £2,254
D £2,536
E £3,100
F £3,663
G £4,227
H £5,072
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
37
Waterbeach 1 mi
Cambridge North 3.7 mi
Cambridge 6 mi
J14 M11 5.8 mi
J31 M11 5.8 mi
J13 M11 6.5 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
38
Pubs & Bars Adequate 3
Restaurants & Cafes Some 3
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 4
Retail Shopping Adequate 9
Takeaways Some 3
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 £415,000 39
Detached £525,000 14
Semi-detached £397,500 13
Terraced £345,000 12
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£321k £409k £500k £588k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Landbeach 35 1.3 mi away ⇄
Horningsea 29 2.4 mi away ⇄
Milton (South Cambridgeshire) 51 2.5 mi away ⇄
Cottenham 43 2.7 mi away ⇄
Chittering 0 3.2 mi away ⇄
Lode 41 3.5 mi away ⇄
Histon and Impington 59 3.7 mi away ⇄
Fen Ditton 39 3.8 mi away ⇄
Stow cum Quy 36 4.1 mi away ⇄
Rampton (South Cambridgeshire) 41 4.2 mi away ⇄
Swaffham Bulbeck 40 4.7 mi away ⇄
Bottisham 46 4.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Waterbeach a nice place to live?

Waterbeach has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Waterbeach is 46/100, 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 Waterbeach?

Waterbeach has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 70/100. There were 434 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Waterbeach?

Among the top-rated schools in Waterbeach is Waterbeach Community Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Waterbeach in total.

What are house prices like in Waterbeach?

The current median house price in Waterbeach is £415,000, around 46% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £525,000, semi-detached £397,500, terraced £345,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 18%. There were 39 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Waterbeach in context

See where Waterbeach ranks among the best places to live in Cambridgeshire

Postcode districts in Waterbeach

CB25 42 ⇄

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