Town Pop. 6,729

Living in West Mersea: Liveability Score 39/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for West Mersea is 39/100, built from 9 categories. Broadband falls furthest short: 14/100 where the typical UK town reaches 60/100. West Mersea places 8th of 9 in the CO5 postcode district.

That is 11 points below the national benchmark of 50, the middle half of all UK towns and villages. Also scoring 80 or better: safety (90). Healthcare (3), schools (16) and transport (22) all fall below 30/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: CO5 postcode district.

39
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 Mersea scores 39 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with West Mersea.
Or compare:
CO5 0AA CO5 1AA CO5 7AA CO5 8AA CO5 9AA CO5

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
90
48.9 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 161 crimes
↓ 28% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 39 crimes
↓ 15% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 32 crimes
↓ 68% below national average
Other theft 28 crimes
↓ 32% below national average
Public order 23 crimes
↓ 48% below national average
other 46 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Parking Area 23 crimes
  2. 2 Church Road 15 crimes
  3. 3 Carrington Court 11 crimes

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

Environment
54
Air Quality NO₂ 6.4 · PM2.5 6.6 · PM10 10.7 µg/m³
74
Green Space 8
Parks Adequate 3
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Adequate 6
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Adequate 5

Services

Schools
16
1 school in area
1Good
  • Mersea Island SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
Healthcare
3
A&E departmentsColchester General Hospital8.6 mi
Southend University Hospital17.8 mi
Broomfield Hospital18.6 mi
Hospital waitsEast Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks60.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs76.7%
Nearest GP surgeryThe Tollesbury Practice4.1 mi
GP capacity780 patients per GP
1dentist3pharmacies

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
14
Full fibre (FTTP)62.6%
available across Colchester
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
19.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
19.9%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 216 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
67
Employment rate46.4%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed46.4%Unemployed2.2%Retired40.3%Student2.7%Other inactive8.4%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial39.6%Skilled & technical38.3%Routine & elementary22.1%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications18.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.4%Level 3 (A levels)16.6%Level 4+ (degree & above)28.8%Apprenticeship6.9%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership81.3%
Among the least-deprived 36% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
61
Council tax Colchester · 2026-27
A £1,522
B £1,776
C £2,029
D £2,283
E £2,790
F £3,298
G £3,805
H £4,566
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
22
Wivenhoe 5.6 mi
Alresford 6.2 mi
Hythe (Colchester) 7.4 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
32
Pubs & Bars Adequate 4
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 10
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 5
Retail Shopping Adequate 7
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness Ample 40

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £435,000 41
Detached £460,000 30
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Flat
£167k £307k £451k £590k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

East Mersea 0 2.4 mi away ⇄
Peldon 38 2.7 mi away ⇄
Tollesbury 48 3.8 mi away ⇄
Langenhoe and Abberton 44 3.8 mi away ⇄
Fingringhoe 44 4.2 mi away ⇄
High Park Corner 42 5.0 mi away ⇄
Brightlingsea 43 5.1 mi away ⇄
Point Clear 24 5.3 mi away ⇄
Tolleshunt D'Arcy 41 5.3 mi away ⇄
Layer-de-la-Haye 53 5.4 mi away ⇄
Rowhedge 49 5.4 mi away ⇄
Layer Breton 42 5.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is West Mersea a nice place to live?

West Mersea has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for West Mersea is 39/100, 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 West Mersea?

West Mersea is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 90/100. There were 329 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in West Mersea?

Among the top-rated schools in West Mersea is Mersea Island School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in West Mersea in total.

What are house prices like in West Mersea?

The current median house price in West Mersea is £435,000, around 53% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £460,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 7%. There were 41 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

West Mersea in context

See the best places to live in Essex, ranked

Postcode districts in West Mersea

CO5 43 ⇄

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