Town Pop. 31,440

Living in Whitstable: Liveability Score 47/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Whitstable comes out at 47/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 54/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Safety falls furthest short: 49/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

On the national picture that lands Whitstable in the middle half of all the places we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the CT5 postcode district.

47
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.

Whitstable scores 47 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Whitstable.
Or compare:
CT5 1AB CT5 2AB CT5 3AA CT5 4AA CT5 9BQ CT5

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
49
93.9 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 891 crimes
↓ 15% below national average
Shoplifting 646 crimes
↑ 163% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 451 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Criminal damage and arson 236 crimes
↑ 10% above national average
Other theft 174 crimes
↓ 11% below national average
other 555 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 576 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 107 crimes
  3. 3 High Street 67 crimes

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

Environment
62
Air Quality NO₂ 7.4 · PM2.5 6.7 · PM10 10.6 µg/m³
72
Green Space 39
Parks Ample 29
Sports Pitches Ample 22
Allotments Adequate 3
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Ample 13
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 25

Services

Schools
44
8 schools in area
1Outstanding6Good1Ungraded
  • Whitstable and Seasalter Endowed Church of England Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Joy Lane Primary Foundation SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St Alphege Church of England Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St Mary's Catholic Primary School, WhitstablePrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Swalecliffe Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • The Whitstable SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Whitstable Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Westmeads Community Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Healthcare
21
A&E departmentsEstuary View Medical Centrein area
WIlliam Harvey Hospital13.9 mi
William Harvey Hospital14 mi
Hospital waitsKent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust0.4 mi
Routine referral (median)5 wks
Treated within 18 weeks99.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.1%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Outstanding'
GP capacity1,752 patients per GP
5dentists7pharmacies

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
56
Full fibre (FTTP)73.4%
available across Canterbury
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
81.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
81.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.5%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 885 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
60
Employment rate51%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed51%Unemployed2.6%Retired33.6%Student3.7%Other inactive9.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial41.1%Skilled & technical35.7%Routine & elementary23.2%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications18.3%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.9%Level 3 (A levels)15.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)32.6%Apprenticeship6.3%Other (incl. vocational)2.9%
Home ownership76.9%
Among the least-deprived 34% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
44
Council tax Canterbury · 2026-27
A £1,613
B £1,881
C £2,150
D £2,419
E £2,957
F £3,494
G £4,032
H £4,838
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
48
Whitstable 0.4 mi
Chestfield & Swalecliffe 1.3 mi
Herne Bay 3.5 mi
J7 M2 5.9 mi
J7 M2 6.4 mi
J6 M2 7.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
54
Pubs & Bars Ample 27
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 61
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 20
Retail Shopping Ample 168
Takeaways Ample 18
Fitness Ample 27

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £385,000 227
Detached £500,000 81
Semi-detached £365,000 75
Terraced £347,500 40
Flat / Maisonette £215,000 31
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£194k £332k £473k £611k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Yorkletts 51 2.6 mi away ⇄
Waterham 0 3.1 mi away ⇄
Blean 45 3.2 mi away ⇄
Tyler Hill 44 3.4 mi away ⇄
Herne 56 3.8 mi away ⇄
Herne Bay 49 4.1 mi away ⇄
Rough Common 51 4.3 mi away ⇄
Broad Oak (Canterbury) 29 4.3 mi away ⇄
Upper Harbledown 40 4.7 mi away ⇄
Dunkirk 39 4.9 mi away ⇄
Sturry 40 5.1 mi away ⇄
Canterbury 50 5.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Whitstable a nice place to live?

Whitstable has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Whitstable is 47/100, 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 Whitstable?

Whitstable has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 49/100. There were 2,953 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Whitstable?

Among the top-rated schools in Whitstable are Whitstable and Seasalter Endowed Church of England Junior School, Joy Lane Primary Foundation School and St Alphege Church of England Infant School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 8 rated schools in Whitstable in total.

What are house prices like in Whitstable?

The current median house price in Whitstable is £385,000, around 35% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £500,000, semi-detached £365,000, terraced £347,500, flat £215,000. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 5%. There were 227 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Whitstable in context

See the best places to live in Kent, ranked

Postcode districts in Whitstable

CT5 46 ⇄

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