Best UK cities for families
Cities where schools are strong, the streets are safe, a 3-bed home is within reach, greenspace is close, and the air is clean — scored with a synergy bonus when schools and safety both excel.
Top 25 cities for families
Score is 0–100, computed by min-max normalising each weighted metric across UK cities. Larger cities (50k+ residents) only — keeps the ranking representative.
- 1.TewkesburySouth West85.9 / 100
- 100% good schools
- Crime 47.4/1k
- 3-bed £950/mo
- 2.BolsoverEast Midlands75.3 / 100
- 60% good schools
- Crime 82.9/1k
- 3-bed £731/mo
- 3.WarringtonNorth West73.5 / 100
- 47% good schools
- Crime 51.3/1k
- 3-bed £993/mo
- 4.Barrow-in-FurnessNorth West72.0 / 100
- 40% good schools
- Crime 68.1/1k
- 3-bed £920/mo
- 5.WiganNorth West71.6 / 100
- 40% good schools
- Crime 0.7/1k
- 3-bed £821/mo
- 6.PlymouthSouth West71.4 / 100
- 51% good schools
- Crime 79.9/1k
- 3-bed £1,042/mo
- 7.LancasterNorth West71.3 / 100
- 43% good schools
- Crime 74.4/1k
- 3-bed £900/mo
- 8.TorbaySouth West71.2 / 100
- 44% good schools
- Crime 72.5/1k
- 3-bed £972/mo
- 9.Wyre ForestWest Midlands70.7 / 100
- 57% good schools
- Crime 58.8/1k
- 3-bed £923/mo
- 10.BoltonNorth West70.5 / 100
- 38% good schools
- Crime 0.6/1k
- 3-bed £969/mo
- 11.GatesheadNorth East70.5 / 100
- 38% good schools
- Crime 80.5/1k
- 3-bed £823/mo
- 12.Newcastle-under-LymeWest Midlands70.4 / 100
- 38% good schools
- Crime 61.3/1k
- 3-bed £884/mo
- 13.Stoke-on-TrentWest Midlands70.1 / 100
- 36% good schools
- Crime 109.7/1k
- 3-bed £787/mo
- 14.Malvern HillsWest Midlands70.1 / 100
- 50% good schools
- Crime 46.8/1k
- 3-bed £1,075/mo
- 15.GloucesterSouth West70.0 / 100
- 50% good schools
- Crime 76.8/1k
- 3-bed £1,192/mo
- 16.Redcar and ClevelandNorth East69.9 / 100
- 44% good schools
- Crime 105.9/1k
- 3-bed £719/mo
- 17.TraffordNorth West69.8 / 100
- 44% good schools
- Crime 0.7/1k
- 3-bed £1,469/mo
- 18.Hinckley and BosworthEast Midlands69.7 / 100
- 50% good schools
- Crime 51.9/1k
- 3-bed £1,013/mo
- 19.TamesideNorth West69.7 / 100
- 39% good schools
- Crime 0.7/1k
- 3-bed £1,045/mo
- 20.CheltenhamSouth West69.6 / 100
- 50% good schools
- Crime 74.2/1k
- 3-bed £1,323/mo
- 21.Bath and North East SomersetSouth West69.5 / 100
- 56% good schools
- Crime 59.3/1k
- 3-bed £1,796/mo
- 22.CopelandNorth West69.5 / 100
- 33% good schools
- Crime 48.3/1k
- 3-bed £759/mo
- 23.KirkleesYorkshire and The Humber69.5 / 100
- 42% good schools
- Crime 81.0/1k
- 3-bed £839/mo
- 24.North TynesideNorth East69.3 / 100
- 38% good schools
- Crime 75.7/1k
- 3-bed £875/mo
- 25.CarlisleNorth West69.1 / 100
- 33% good schools
- Crime 71.4/1k
- 3-bed £759/mo
How the ranking works
Each metric is min-max normalised across the peer set, then combined with the weights below. Lower-is-better metrics (rent, crime, distance to GP) are inverted before combining.
- 1.Schools Good/Outstanding (convex)
- 2.Safety (convex penalty)
- 3.3-bed rent
- 4.Greenspace
- 5.GP access
- 6.Air quality (PM2.5)
Source data: ONS PIPR (rent), ONS ASHE (salary), data.police.uk (crime), Ofsted (schools), DfT/NaPTAN (rail), NHS ODS (GP), DEFRA (PM2.5), Ofcom (broadband), ONS access-to-greenspace 2020.
Different life stage?
The ranking changes when the priorities change.