Town Pop. 61,095

Living in Widnes: Liveability Score 60/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Widnes is 60/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 68/100 against a national town median of 18/100. Safety falls furthest short: 48/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

That makes it the 3rd highest-scoring of the 4 places in the WA5 postcode district. Notably, nothing falls below 44/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. That sits 10 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 10% of the towns and villages we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: WA5 postcode district.

60
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.

Widnes scores 60 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Widnes.
Or compare:
WA5 0AA WA5 1AB WA5 2AB WA5 3AA WA5 4AB WA5 7AA WA5 8AA WA5 9AB WA5 WA8 WA88

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
48
99 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 2,692 crimes
↑ 32% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 653 crimes
↓ 30% below national average
Public order 645 crimes
↑ 63% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 432 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 337 crimes
↓ 11% below national average
other 1,291 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Parking Area 231 crimes
  2. 2 Petrol Station 137 crimes
  3. 3 Supermarket 128 crimes

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

Environment
63
Air Quality NO₂ 10.6 · PM2.5 6.5 · PM10 10.7 µg/m³
70
Green Space 45
Parks Ample 45
Sports Pitches Ample 47
Allotments Ample 10
Golf Courses Ample 4
Tennis Courts Ample 12
Bowling Greens Ample 15
Playgrounds Ample 32

Services

Schools
70
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 34 in area · 35 within 4km
5Outstanding23Good6Ungraded
  • Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Warrington Road Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Brookfields SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Cronton Church of England Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • St Bede's Catholic Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Wade Deacon High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • All Saints Upton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Ashley High SchoolSpecial · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Ditton Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Birchfield Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Chesnut Lodge Special SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
    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
68
A&E departmentsWarrington Hospital2.6 mi
Royal Liverpool University Hospital7.7 mi
Aintree University Hospital8.7 mi
Hospital waitsMersey Care NHS Foundation Trust0.4 mi
Routine referral (median)2 wks
Treated within 18 weeks100%
A&E seen within 4 hrs96.5%
8 GP surgeries in area 10 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity3,133 patients per GP
9dentists14pharmacies

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
70
Full fibre (FTTP)88.7%
available across Halton
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
96.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,206 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
44
Employment rate57.9%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed57.9%Unemployed3%Retired22.3%Student3.7%Other inactive13.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial32.7%Skilled & technical33.1%Routine & elementary34.2%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications20.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16.6%Level 3 (A levels)18.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)25.5%Apprenticeship5.7%Other (incl. vocational)2.4%
Home ownership65%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
56
Council tax Halton · 2026-27
A £1,578
B £1,841
C £2,104
D £2,367
E £2,893
F £3,419
G £3,945
H £4,734
Energy North West England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water United Utilities
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
58
Widnes 0.6 mi
Hough Green 1.8 mi
Runcorn 2.2 mi
J7 M62 2.4 mi
J7 M62 2.5 mi
J1 M57 3.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
54
Pubs & Bars Ample 40
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 26
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 25
Retail Shopping Ample 190
Takeaways Ample 34
Fitness Ample 10

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £190,000 327
Detached £343,625 74
Semi-detached £212,000 109
Terraced £150,000 123
Flat / Maisonette £100,000 21
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£89k £182k £278k £372k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Cronton 65 1.8 mi away ⇄
Hale Bank 43 2.3 mi away ⇄
Runcorn 56 3.1 mi away ⇄
Hale (Halton) 52 3.7 mi away ⇄
Prescot 72 4.1 mi away ⇄
Moore 46 4.2 mi away ⇄
Daresbury 42 4.5 mi away ⇄
St Helens (St. Helens) 61 5.3 mi away ⇄
Burtonwood 53 5.3 mi away ⇄
Frodsham 57 5.4 mi away ⇄
Huyton with Roby 70 5.6 mi away ⇄
Warrington 68 6.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Widnes a nice place to live?

Widnes is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Widnes is 60/100, 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 Widnes?

Widnes has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 48/100. There were 6,050 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Widnes?

Among the top-rated schools in Widnes are Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Warrington Road Nursery School, Brookfields School and Cronton Church of England Primary Academy, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 34 rated schools in Widnes in total.

What are house prices like in Widnes?

The current median house price in Widnes is £190,000, around 33% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £343,625, semi-detached £212,000, terraced £150,000, flat £100,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 20%. There were 327 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Widnes in context

See where Widnes ranks among the best places to live in Cheshire

Postcode districts in Widnes

WA5 62 ⇄
WA8 60 ⇄
WA88 62 ⇄

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