Understanding the Liveable Score

How the Score is Calculated

The Liveable Score focuses on what makes a place fundamentally good to live in. Factors that matter to almost everyone, such as low crime, prosperity, and stable communities.

Scoring is a multiple step process:

First, we collect millions of local data points from government and public sources.

Then, we analyse the data, giving greater weight to the factors that most affect quality of life.

Finally, we standardize all the scores so you can compare over 17,000 villages, suburbs and towns.

The Scoring Scale

A+ areas are the very best in the country, while B areas are perfectly decent and typical of most places.

Approximately 70% of places in the UK are rated as Good or Very Good.

Distribution of Scores Across England & Wales

A+
Outstanding
2%
A
Excellent
14%
B+
Very Good
34%
B
Good
34%
C+
Passable
14%
C
Challenged
2%

Most areas fall in the middle grades (B and B+), with fewer achieving top or bottom scores

Key Scoring Factors

The algorithm considers dozens of factors, each weighted based on their impact on quality of life. Here are some of the most important positive and negative factors:

Positive Factors

  • Positive factor
    Home Ownership

    Higher rates of home ownership typically indicate area stability and investment

  • Positive factor
    Education Level

    Higher education levels correlate with better schools and community resources

  • Positive factor
    Professional Occupations

    Full-time professional or administrative roles ranked higher than routine occupations

Negative Factors

  • Negative factor
    Crime Levels

    High crime rates impact safety and quality of life

  • Negative factor
    Unemployment

    High unemployment rates affect local economy and community services

  • Negative factor
    High Deprivation

    Households meeting ONS official deprivation criteria in 3+ dimensionsLearn more

What's Not Included (And Why)

The overall Liveable score does not include Outdoor Spaces, Amenities, Transport Links and Schools. These are excluded because they are not important to everyone. Schools may be crucial for young families but not for retirees.

Instead, these factors are graded separately (also from C to A+) for each place.

Outdoor SpacesOutdoor Spaces

Scoring considers both the number of outdoor spaces and size of outdoor spaces. The score attempts to reward places where you're never too far from an outdoor space such as parks, playgrounds and sport fields.

AmenitiesAmenities

Scoring considers all amenity types but less value is given to takeaways and more value is given to restaurants and cafes as these are stronger indicators of a good area.

Transport LinksTransport Links

Scoring considers proximity to train stations and motorways, with closer options weighted more heavily. Places with both rail and road connections score highest.

SchoolsSchools

Scoring looks at nearby schools within walking distance, using Ofsted ratings to assess quality. Areas with both primary and secondary schools score highest, especially those rated Good or Outstanding.

Data Sources

The platform uses authoritative, official data sources to ensure accuracy and reliability. All data comes from trusted government agencies and established open data platforms:

  • Office for National Statistics (ONS) - Census data, population demographics, employment statistics, and socioeconomic indicators
  • Ordnance Survey (OS) - Geographic boundaries, mapping data, and location information
  • data.police.uk - Crime statistics, anti-social behaviour incidents, and outcomes data for England and Wales
  • Ofsted - School inspection ratings and performance data for England
  • Food Standards Agency - Food hygiene ratings for restaurants, cafes, pubs, and shops
  • Department for Transport - Train station locations and transport connectivity data
  • OpenStreetMap - Additional mapping data, points of interest, and amenity locations

All public sector information is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0, ensuring transparency and accountability in data usage.

Important Notes

The scoring system aims to be objective and data-driven, though what makes an area "liveable" can be highly personal.

The Liveable score provides a starting point for research, highlighting areas that perform well across multiple quality-of-life metrics. Prospective residents are encouraged to visit areas in person and consider individual priorities when making decisions about where to live.

The methodology is continuously refined based on new data sources and community feedback. Suggestions for improving the scoring system are always welcome.

All data and scores are provided for informational purposes only.

While the platform strives for accuracy using official government sources, the completeness or current accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed. Data is updated periodically and may not reflect recent changes.

Users should independently verify information from primary sources before making important decisions about where to live.