City Pop. 49,433

Living in Winchester: Liveability Score 59/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Winchester comes out at 59/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Transport is where Winchester most outperforms the national norm: 65/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 53/100 versus a median of 88/100.

No other settlement in the SO20 postcode district scores higher. Winchester leads all 11. Notably, nothing falls below 50/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. Against the wider SO20 district average of 38/100, that is 21 points above. Wider context for the surrounding area: SO20 postcode district.

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.

Winchester scores 59 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Winchester.

Or compare:

SO20 6AA SO20 8AA SO20 SO21 SO22 SO23

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

93.2 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 2,009 crimes

↑ 22% above national average

Shoplifting 500 crimes

↑ 29% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 364 crimes

↓ 51% below national average

Public order 358 crimes

↑ 11% above national average

Drugs 309 crimes

↑ 91% above national average

other 1,066 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Shopping Area 231 crimes
2 Parking Area 206 crimes
3 West Hill Drive 199 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 8.1 · PM2.5 6.2 · PM10 10.1 µg/m³

Green Space 79

Parks Ample 21

Sports Pitches Ample 29

Allotments Ample 13

Golf Courses Ample 4

Tennis Courts Ample 26

Bowling Greens Adequate 3

Playgrounds Ample 33

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 16 in area · 17 within 4km

4Outstanding9Good3Ungraded

Barton Farm Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Lanterns Nursery School and Extended ServicesNursery · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Osborne SchoolSpecial · inspected 2022
Outstanding
The Westgate SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
All Saints Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Harestock Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Henry Beaufort SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
Good
Kings' SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
Good
Oliver's Battery Primary and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
Good
St Faith's Church of England 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

A&E departmentsRoyal Hampshire County Hospitalin area

Southampton General Hospital8.1 mi

Royal South Hants Urgent Treatment Centre8.9 mi

Hospital waitsHampshire And Isle Of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi

Routine referral (median)9 wks

Treated within 18 weeks70%

A&E seen within 4 hrs99.3%

2 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'

GP capacity1,621 patients per GP

9dentists6pharmacies

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

Full fibre (FTTP)45.6%

available across Winchester

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

79.7%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

79.7%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

98.6%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,140 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate54.9%

Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+

Economic activity (16+)

Employed54.9%Unemployed3.4%Retired21.2%Student11.7%Other inactive8.8%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial54.2%Skilled & technical27.3%Routine & elementary18.6%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications10.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)6.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)11.4%Level 3 (A levels)20.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)47%Apprenticeship2.9%Other (incl. vocational)1.9%

Home ownership57.2%

Among the least-deprived 25% of areas in England

Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD

Bills

Council tax Winchester · 2026-27

A £1,573

B £1,836

C £2,098

D £2,360

E £2,884

F £3,409

G £3,933

H £4,720

Energy Southern England region

Typical bill regional £1,641/yr

Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026

Typical home efficiency local EPC band C

Water Wessex Water

Average bill regional £581/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Winchester 0.3 mi

Shawford 2.8 mi

Chandler's Ford 6.1 mi

J9 M3 1.4 mi

J10 M3 1.5 mi

J9 M3 1.6 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 34

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 79

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 17

Retail Shopping Ample 153

Takeaways Ample 28

Fitness Ample 25

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£505,000	313
Detached	£850,000	69
Semi-detached	£545,000	69
Terraced	£477,500	110
Flat / Maisonette	£300,000	65

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Winchester a nice place to live?

Winchester is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Winchester is 59/100, 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 Winchester?

Winchester has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 53/100. There were 4,606 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Winchester?

Among the top-rated schools in Winchester are Barton Farm Primary Academy, Lanterns Nursery School and Extended Services and Osborne School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 16 rated schools in Winchester in total.

What are house prices like in Winchester?

The current median house price in Winchester is £505,000, around 77% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £850,000, semi-detached £545,000, terraced £477,500, flat £300,000. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 3%. There were 313 sales recorded in the past 12 months.