Town Pop. 135

Living in West Stour: Liveability Score 40/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for West Stour is 40/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, broadband stands out most: 96/100 where the typical UK town scores 60/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is bills: 20/100 versus a median of 47/100.

Among the 8 scored places sharing the SP8 postcode district, West Stour ranks 4th. Its categories are unusually uneven: 93 points separate broadband (96) from transport (3), a wider spread than about nine in ten UK towns. It scores 5 points below the SP8 postcode district as a whole, which averages 45/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the SP8 postcode district.

40
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 Stour scores 40 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with West Stour.
Or compare:
SP8 4AA SP8 5AA SP8 9AL SP8

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
94
407.4 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 22 crimes
↑ 389% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 14 crimes
↑ 582% above national average
Burglary 6 crimes
↑ 1169% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 4 crimes
↑ 335% above national average
Vehicle crime 4 crimes
↑ 517% above national average
other 5 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Bleax Close 9 crimes
  2. 2 Stour Close 8 crimes
  3. 3 Sports/Recreation Area 5 crimes

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

Environment
60
Air Quality NO₂ 3.8 · PM2.5 5.6 · PM10 10.3 µg/m³
78
Green Space 18
Parks None
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds None

Services

Schools
5

School inspection data is not available for this area.

Healthcare
3
A&E departmentsYeovil Hospital14.5 mi
Salisbury District Hospital22.6 mi
Poole General Hospital24.2 mi
Hospital waitsOxleas NHS Foundation Trust4 mi
Routine referral (median)13 wks
Treated within 18 weeks55.7%
Nearest GP surgeryGillingham Medical Practice2.8 mi
GP capacity2,822 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
96
Full fibre (FTTP)70.9%
available across Dorset
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
98.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
98.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 7 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
78
Employment rate52.3%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed52.3%Unemployed2%Retired35.9%Student1.9%Other inactive7.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial39.9%Skilled & technical43.4%Routine & elementary16.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications13.3%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15%Level 3 (A levels)15.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)37.7%Apprenticeship5.7%Other (incl. vocational)3.2%
Home ownership81.9%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
20
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 Southern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band E
Water Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
3
Gillingham 2.6 mi
Templecombe 4.8 mi
Bruton 9.6 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
9
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping Some 3
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in West Stour in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

East Stour 40 1.0 mi away ⇄
Kington Magna 40 1.3 mi away ⇄
Buckhorn Weston 40 2.2 mi away ⇄
Marnhull 38 2.3 mi away ⇄
Stour Row 41 2.5 mi away ⇄
Henstridge Marsh 35 2.7 mi away ⇄
Gillingham (Dorset) 45 2.8 mi away ⇄
Milton on Stour 43 3.6 mi away ⇄
Motcombe 42 4.2 mi away ⇄
Henstridge 33 4.2 mi away ⇄
Stalbridge 38 4.3 mi away ⇄
Templecombe 34 4.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is West Stour a nice place to live?

West Stour has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for West Stour is 40/100, 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 Stour?

West Stour is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 94/100. There were 55 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

West Stour in context

See the best places to live in Dorset, ranked

Postcode districts in West Stour

SP8 45 ⇄

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