Town Pop. 26,546

Living in Wickford: Liveability Score 58/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Wickford comes out at 58/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 62/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 70/100 against a town median of 88/100.

Among the 9 scored places sharing the CM11 postcode district, Wickford ranks 2nd. That is 8 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 10% of all UK towns and villages. Wider context for the surrounding area: CM11 postcode district.

58
OUT OF 100
Average
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.

Wickford scores 58 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Wickford.
Or compare:
CM11 1AA CM11 2AA CM11 SS11 SS12

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
70
80.6 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 689 crimes
↓ 22% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 476 crimes
↑ 18% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 251 crimes
↑ 40% above national average
Vehicle crime 139 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 133 crimes
↓ 36% below national average
other 452 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 High Street 162 crimes
  2. 2 A129 135 crimes
  3. 3 Petrol Station 127 crimes

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

Environment
55
Air Quality NO₂ 10.8 · PM2.5 7.6 · PM10 12.2 µg/m³
67
Green Space 28
Parks Ample 11
Sports Pitches Adequate 3
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 11

Services

Schools
56
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 14 in area · 19 within 4km
1Outstanding10Good3Ungraded
  • The Wickford Church of England SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Abacus Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Castledon SchoolSpecial · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Children's Support ServiceAlternative provision · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Crays Hill Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Grange Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Hilltop Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • North Crescent Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Oakfield Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Runwell Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good

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
62
A&E departmentsBasildon University Hospital3.5 mi
Southend University Hospital6.7 mi
Broomfield Hospital10.4 mi
Hospital waitsMid And South Essex NHS Foundation Trust0.8 mi
Routine referral (median)17 wks
Treated within 18 weeks50.6%
A&E seen within 4 hrs68%
3 GP surgeries in area 7 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,858 patients per GP
1dentist7pharmacies

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
66
Full fibre (FTTP)73.7%
available across Basildon
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
94.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
94.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.3%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 530 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
68
Employment rate60.4%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed60.4%Unemployed2.6%Retired24.8%Student3.1%Other inactive9.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial38.8%Skilled & technical38.2%Routine & elementary22.9%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications18.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)12.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)17.6%Level 3 (A levels)18.7%Level 4+ (degree & above)22.8%Apprenticeship6.3%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership78.5%
Among the least-deprived 31% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
58
Council tax Basildon · 2026-27
A £1,551
B £1,810
C £2,068
D £2,327
E £2,844
F £3,361
G £3,878
H £4,654
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
51
Wickford 0.5 mi
Battlesbridge 2.1 mi
Pitsea 3.4 mi
J29 M25 10.5 mi
J29 M25 10.5 mi
J29 M25 10.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
26
Pubs & Bars None
Restaurants & Cafes Some 3
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 5
Retail Shopping Some 4
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness Adequate 2

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £370,000 191
Detached £500,000 48
Semi-detached £380,500 88
Terraced £320,000 40
Flat / Maisonette £220,000 15
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£192k £312k £437k £557k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Nevendon 44 1.0 mi away ⇄
Runwell 56 1.1 mi away ⇄
Ramsden Bellhouse 50 1.9 mi away ⇄
North Benfleet 45 2.1 mi away ⇄
Rawreth 44 2.2 mi away ⇄
Crays Hill 44 2.3 mi away ⇄
Downham 50 2.3 mi away ⇄
Brock Hill 45 2.3 mi away ⇄
Battlesbridge 35 2.5 mi away ⇄
Ramsden Heath 50 2.8 mi away ⇄
Coalhill 40 2.9 mi away ⇄
Rettendon 32 3.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Wickford a nice place to live?

Wickford is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Wickford is 58/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Wickford?

Wickford has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 70/100. There were 2,140 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Wickford?

Among the top-rated schools in Wickford are The Wickford Church of England School, Abacus Primary School and Castledon School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 14 rated schools in Wickford in total.

What are house prices like in Wickford?

The current median house price in Wickford is £370,000, around 30% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £500,000, semi-detached £380,500, terraced £320,000, flat £220,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 8%. There were 191 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Wickford in context

See where Wickford ranks among the best places to live in Essex

Postcode districts in Wickford

CM11 61 ⇄
SS11 57 ⇄
SS12 55 ⇄

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