Town Pop. 4,996

Living in Wool: Liveability Score 37/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Wool scores 37/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Broadband falls furthest short: 14/100 where the typical UK town reaches 60/100. Wool places 8th of 11 in the BH20 postcode district.

That is 13 points below the national benchmark of 50, the bottom quarter of all UK towns and villages. Transport (14), lifestyle (18), schools (24), bills (25) and healthcare (26) all fall below 30/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the BH20 postcode district.

37
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.

Wool scores 37 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Wool.
Or compare:
BH20 4AA BH20 5AA BH20 6AA BH20 7AA BH20 9BY BH20 DT2

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
74
85.9 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Anti-social behaviour 158 crimes
↑ 108% above national average
Violence and sexual offences 145 crimes
↓ 13% below national average
Public order 29 crimes
↓ 11% below national average
Other theft 27 crimes
↓ 13% below national average
Criminal damage and arson 23 crimes
↓ 32% below national average
other 47 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Giddy Green Lane 132 crimes
  2. 2 Pigeon Close 25 crimes
  3. 3 High Street 18 crimes

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

Environment
66
Air Quality NO₂ 4 · PM2.5 5.2 · PM10 8.5 µg/m³
80
Green Space 33
Parks Some 1
Sports Pitches Adequate 2
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Adequate 4
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Ample 13

Services

Schools
24
4 schools in area
3Good1Requires Improvement
  • Bovington AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Harbour School DorsetSpecial · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Wool Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Requires Improvement
Healthcare
26
A&E departmentsPoole General Hospital11 mi
Royal Bournemouth Hospital17.9 mi
Yeovil Hospital23.3 mi
Hospital waitsDorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust5.6 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.7%
A&E seen within 4 hrs61.2%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,208 patients per GP
2dentists1pharmacy

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
14
Full fibre (FTTP)70.9%
available across Dorset
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
30.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
30.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
94.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 104 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
54
Employment rate59.2%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed59.2%Unemployed2.5%Retired25.5%Student3%Other inactive9.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial37.9%Skilled & technical37.4%Routine & elementary24.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications14.3%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.8%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16%Level 3 (A levels)20.7%Level 4+ (degree & above)28.8%Apprenticeship6.8%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%
Home ownership61.4%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
25
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 South 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 Wessex Water
Average bill regional £581/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
14
Wool 1 mi
Moreton 3.4 mi
Wareham 5.5 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
18
Pubs & Bars Adequate 3
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 4
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 4
Retail Shopping Adequate 7
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £300,000 25
5-year monthly trend
All Detached
£268k £313k £360k £405k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Winfrith Newburgh 34 2.5 mi away ⇄
Briantspuddle 31 3.4 mi away ⇄
Burngate 33 4.1 mi away ⇄
Crossways 36 4.1 mi away ⇄
Owermoigne 32 4.3 mi away ⇄
Bere Regis 41 4.3 mi away ⇄
West Lulworth 33 4.5 mi away ⇄
Tolpuddle 36 4.7 mi away ⇄
Wareham 48 5.5 mi away ⇄
Stoborough 38 6.0 mi away ⇄
West Knighton 42 6.1 mi away ⇄
Puddletown 37 6.1 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Wool a nice place to live?

Wool has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Wool is 37/100, 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 Wool?

Wool has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 74/100. There were 429 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Wool?

Among the top-rated schools in Wool are Bovington Academy, Harbour School Dorset and Wool Church of England Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 4 rated schools in Wool in total.

What are house prices like in Wool?

The current median house price in Wool is £300,000, around 5% above the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 5%. There were 25 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Wool in context

See where Wool ranks among the best places to live in Dorset

Postcode districts in Wool

BH20 40 ⇄
DT2 36 ⇄

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