Town Pop. 1,878

Living in Wateringbury: Liveability Score 46/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Wateringbury is 46/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 41/100 against a national town median of 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 72/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Among the 5 scored places sharing the ME18 postcode district, Wateringbury ranks 3rd. It scores 6 points above the ME18 postcode district as a whole, which averages 40/100. Its healthcare score runs 10 points above the ME18 district's 31/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the ME18 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.

Wateringbury scores 46 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Wateringbury.
Or compare:
ME18 5AA ME18 6AA ME18

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
72
206.1 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 117 crimes
↑ 87% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 71 crimes
↑ 149% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 56 crimes
↑ 338% above national average
Vehicle crime 44 crimes
↑ 387% above national average
Other theft 42 crimes
↑ 261% above national average
other 57 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Parking Area 31 crimes
  2. 2 Petrol Station 20 crimes
  3. 3 East Farleigh 16 crimes

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

Environment
57
Air Quality NO₂ 7.8 · PM2.5 7 · PM10 11.4 µg/m³
71
Green Space 26
Parks Adequate 3
Sports Pitches Adequate 3
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Adequate 3
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Adequate 4

Services

Schools
23
1 school in area · 6 within 4km
1Ungraded
  • Wateringbury Church of England 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
41
A&E departmentsMaidstone Hospital2.7 mi
Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury7.8 mi
Tunbridge Wells Nuffield Hospital9.6 mi
Hospital waitsKent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)5 wks
Treated within 18 weeks99.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.1%
1 GP surgery in area 3 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,157 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

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
50
Full fibre (FTTP)76.4%
available across Tonbridge and Malling
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
71%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
71%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 71 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
68
Employment rate54.2%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed54.2%Unemployed1.9%Retired32.5%Student3.7%Other inactive7.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial45%Skilled & technical34.9%Routine & elementary20%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15%Level 3 (A levels)17.7%Level 4+ (degree & above)32.3%Apprenticeship5.7%Other (incl. vocational)2.5%
Home ownership80.7%
Among the least-deprived 35% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
39
Council tax Tonbridge and Malling · 2026-27
A £1,648
B £1,923
C £2,197
D £2,472
E £3,021
F £3,571
G £4,120
H £4,944
Energy South East England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Southern Water
Average bill regional £683/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
34
Wateringbury 0.2 mi
Yalding 1.8 mi
East Malling 2.4 mi
J4 M20 3.8 mi
J4 M20 4 mi
J5 M20 4.1 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
25
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes Some 2
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 2
Retail Shopping Adequate 7
Takeaways Some 1
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 £334,500 10
5-year monthly trend
All
£340k £399k £460k £519k 2022 2023 2024 2025

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

Nearby places

Teston 49 0.9 mi away ⇄
Kings Hill 55 1.5 mi away ⇄
Yalding 36 2.0 mi away ⇄
Hale Street 36 2.5 mi away ⇄
East Farleigh 50 2.8 mi away ⇄
East Peckham 37 3.1 mi away ⇄
West Malling 42 3.1 mi away ⇄
Benover 30 3.1 mi away ⇄
Offham 38 3.3 mi away ⇄
Larkfield 56 3.5 mi away ⇄
Hadlow 51 4.1 mi away ⇄
Addington 37 4.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Wateringbury a nice place to live?

Wateringbury has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Wateringbury 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 Wateringbury?

Wateringbury has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 72/100. There were 387 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are house prices like in Wateringbury?

The current median house price in Wateringbury is £334,500, around 17% above the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 14%.

Wateringbury in context

See the best places to live in Kent, ranked

Postcode districts in Wateringbury

ME18 40 ⇄

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