City Pop. 137,782

Living in York: Liveability Score 64/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

York scores 64/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Lifestyle is where York most outperforms the national norm: 91/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 30/100 versus a median of 88/100.

That is 14 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Environment (80) sits at 80/100 or above. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the YO1 postcode district.

64
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.

York scores 64 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with York.
Or compare:
YO1 0DQ YO1 6AB YO1 7AB YO1 8AA YO1 9AA YO1 YO10 YO19 YO23

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
30
120.6 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 5,204 crimes
↑ 14% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 4,313 crimes
↑ 106% above national average
Shoplifting 1,694 crimes
↑ 58% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 1,209 crimes
↑ 29% above national average
Public order 891 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 3,300 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 On or near 1,772 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 746 crimes
  3. 3 Parking Area 673 crimes

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

Environment
80
Air Quality NO₂ 8.1 · PM2.5 6 · PM10 10.5 µg/m³
74
Green Space 95
Parks Ample 81
Sports Pitches Ample 84
Allotments Ample 16
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Ample 35
Bowling Greens Ample 11
Playgrounds Ample 92

Services

Schools
72
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 46 in area
8Outstanding35Good3Ungraded
  • Acomb Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • All Saints Catholic School YorkSecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England AcademySecondary · inspected 2021
    Outstanding
  • Fulford SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Huntington SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Knavesmire Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Lord Deramore's Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Woodthorpe Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Applefields SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Archbishop of York's CofE Junior School, BishopthorpePrimary · inspected 2023
    Good

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

Healthcare
61
A&E departmentsYork District Hospitalin area
Harrogate District Hospital15.4 mi
Goole and District Hospital16.4 mi
Hospital waitsHarrogate And District NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)8 wks
Treated within 18 weeks76.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs78.8%
6 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,684 patients per GP
28dentists24pharmacies

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
61
Full fibre (FTTP)85.9%
available across York
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
91.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
93%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
97.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 3,124 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
69
Employment rate56.6%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed56.6%Unemployed3.4%Retired18.4%Student13.7%Other inactive7.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial42.8%Skilled & technical29.6%Routine & elementary27.5%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications12.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)7.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)10.7%Level 3 (A levels)23.6%Level 4+ (degree & above)38.8%Apprenticeship4.8%Other (incl. vocational)2%
Home ownership59%
Among the least-deprived 33% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
63
Council tax York · 2026-27
A £1,525
B £1,779
C £2,033
D £2,287
E £2,795
F £3,303
G £3,812
H £4,574
Energy Yorkshire region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Yorkshire Water
Average bill regional £437/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
79
York 0.1 mi
Poppleton 2.6 mi
Hammerton 8.3 mi
J46 A1(M) 11.4 mi
J46 A1(M) 11.7 mi
J47 A1(M) 12 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
91
Pubs & Bars Ample 180
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 355
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 109
Retail Shopping Ample 1049
Takeaways Ample 185
Fitness Ample 44

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £289,750 879
Detached £425,000 111
Semi-detached £305,000 260
Terraced £275,000 351
Flat / Maisonette £193,000 157
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£180k £348k £521k £688k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Heslington 67 2.1 mi away ⇄
Nether Poppleton 66 2.1 mi away ⇄
Osbaldwick 63 2.4 mi away ⇄
Huntington (York) 62 2.5 mi away ⇄
Bishopthorpe 60 2.7 mi away ⇄
Upper Poppleton 58 2.8 mi away ⇄
Skelton (York) 45 3.3 mi away ⇄
Murton 54 3.4 mi away ⇄
Copmanthorpe 63 3.5 mi away ⇄
Askham Bryan 49 3.7 mi away ⇄
Earswick 44 3.8 mi away ⇄
Haxby 62 3.9 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is York a nice place to live?

York is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for York is 64/100, 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 York?

York has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 30/100. There were 16,611 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in York?

Among the top-rated schools in York are Acomb Primary School, All Saints Catholic School York and Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 46 rated schools in York in total.

What are house prices like in York?

The current median house price in York is £289,750, in line with the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £425,000, semi-detached £305,000, terraced £275,000, flat £193,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 12%. There were 879 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

York in context

See where York ranks among the best places to live in North Yorkshire

Postcode districts in York

YO1 62 ⇄
YO10 63 ⇄
YO19 50 ⇄
YO23 62 ⇄
YO24 67 ⇄
YO26 60 ⇄
YO30 57 ⇄
YO31 64 ⇄
YO32 57 ⇄
YO41 38 ⇄
YO90 64 ⇄

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