Town

Living in West Calder: Liveability Score 46/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

West Calder scores 46/100 overall, across 8 scored categories. Measured against other towns, bills stands out most: 77/100 where the typical UK town scores 47/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is economic health: 50/100 versus a median of 67/100.

That makes it the 4th highest-scoring of the 5 places in the EH55 postcode district. On the national picture that lands West Calder in the middle half of all the places we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: EH55 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.

West Calder scores 46 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with West Calder.
Or compare:
EH55 8AA EH55

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
—

Crime is scored from the last 12 months of police street-level data. Police Scotland does not publish this, and there is no Scottish equivalent of the Police UK open data service, so crime has been left out of the score for this area. This is a gap in published data, not a sign of low crime.

Environment
65
Air Quality NO₂ 4.434 · PM2.5 4.475 · PM10 7.712 µg/m³
82
Green Space 27
Parks Ample 7
Sports Pitches Adequate 3
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Adequate 5

Services

Schools
35
3 schools in area · 10 within 4km
3Good
  • Parkhead Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2010
    Good
  • St Mary's RC Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2010
    Good
  • West Calder High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2016
    Good

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

Healthcare
39
A&E departmentsCumberland Infirmary70 mi
Community Paramedic Service74.5 mi
Hexham General Hospital83.8 mi
Hospital waitsThe Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust61 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks72.5%
A&E seen within 4 hrs78.5%
1 GP surgery in area
GP capacity1,582 patients per GP

A&E, dentist and pharmacy data, and CQC ratings, are currently available for England only, not Scotland.

Broadband
48
Full fibre (FTTP)77.2%
available across West Lothian
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
92%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
92%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 77 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
50
Employment rate58.7%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed58.8%Unemployed2.1%Retired25.1%Student3.4%Other inactive10.5%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial40.1%Skilled & technical32.9%Routine & elementary27%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications28.2%
Home ownership60.8%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
77
Council tax West Lothian · 2025-26
A £1,010
B £1,178
C £1,347
D £1,515
E £1,991
F £2,462
G £2,967
H £3,712
Energy South Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
36
West Calder 0.3 mi
Addiewell 1.5 mi
Livingston South 3 mi
J3A M8 3.2 mi
J3A M8 3.3 mi
J4 M8 3.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
36
Pubs & Bars Adequate 4
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 6
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 4
Retail Shopping Ample 22
Takeaways Some 3
Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for West Calder. HM Land Registry's Price Paid dataset covers England and Wales only. Scottish sales are recorded separately by Registers of Scotland, which we don't yet include. This is a gap in the data we hold, not a sign of an inactive market.

Nearby places

Mossend 46 0.6 mi away ⇄
Polbeth 51 1.0 mi away ⇄
Addiewell 47 1.3 mi away ⇄
Seafield 49 2.0 mi away ⇄
Blackburn (West Lothian) 56 2.6 mi away ⇄
Stoneyburn 48 2.6 mi away ⇄
Livingston 64 3.3 mi away ⇄
East Whitburn 56 3.7 mi away ⇄
Bathgate 61 4.0 mi away ⇄
Longridge (West Lothian) 51 4.2 mi away ⇄
Whitburn (West Lothian) 58 4.7 mi away ⇄
Fauldhouse 51 5.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is West Calder a nice place to live?

West Calder has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for West Calder 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.

What are the best schools in West Calder?

Among the top-rated schools in West Calder are Parkhead Primary School, St Mary's RC Primary School and West Calder High School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in West Calder in total.

Postcode districts in West Calder

EH55 45 ⇄

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