Best Areas for Families in England 2026 — Schools, Crime & Affordability

How the family score is calculated

40%

Schools

% of Ofsted-inspected schools rated Good or Outstanding (Jan 2026 data)

35%

Safety

Recorded crime rate per 1,000 residents (Police.uk 2024–25)

25%

Affordability

Average house price vs the £600k cap (Land Registry 2023–25)

Only districts with 5+ schools and real Police.uk crime data are included. Minimum 30 transactions required.

Top 30 Districts for Families

Ranked by combined score across schools, crime, and affordability.

Rank	District	Area	Schools	Crime/1k	Avg Price
1	HX4	west yorkshire	100% Good+ (5)	8.2	£267,437
2	IP27	suffolk	80% Good+ (5)	5.0	£249,172
3	DN6	south yorkshire	73% Good+ (15)	14.9	£177,035
4	HX7	west yorkshire	80% Good+ (10)	14.3	£275,116
5	SP9	wiltshire	80% Good+ (5)	17.6	£271,166
6	M43	greater manchester	67% Good+ (9)	5.0	£222,555
7	IP25	suffolk	75% Good+ (8)	5.0	£306,408
8	CH63	cheshire	80% Good+ (15)	23.2	£274,271
9	DN12	south yorkshire	75% Good+ (12)	39.4	£142,843
10	WR15	worcestershire	80% Good+ (5)	5.0	£375,139
11	LN3	lincolnshire	67% Good+ (6)	5.0	£256,079
12	GL15	gloucestershire	67% Good+ (12)	5.0	£334,498
13	NE16	tyne and wear	60% Good+ (10)	12.9	£229,734
14	DH6	county durham	47% Good+ (15)	5.0	£142,589
15	PE7	cambridgeshire	70% Good+ (20)	14.9	£315,477
16	DL8	county durham	69% Good+ (16)	5.0	£362,394
17	DL9	county durham	57% Good+ (7)	17.3	£191,982
18	M18	greater manchester	50% Good+ (10)	5.0	£190,631
19	OL7	greater manchester	50% Good+ (6)	5.0	£191,218
20	WF14	west yorkshire	75% Good+ (8)	40.3	£252,307
21	CW3	cheshire	67% Good+ (6)	5.0	£355,530
22	S32	south yorkshire	80% Good+ (5)	5.0	£486,115
23	TS12	teesside	60% Good+ (10)	23.7	£197,624
24	DN11	south yorkshire	50% Good+ (14)	5.0	£207,728
25	PE37	cambridgeshire	67% Good+ (6)	16.2	£318,779
26	BH19	dorset	80% Good+ (5)	11.6	£476,992
27	CO16	essex	60% Good+ (10)	5.0	£321,030
28	PE13	cambridgeshire	57% Good+ (23)	15.1	£236,075
29	OL1	greater manchester	47% Good+ (15)	5.0	£194,385
30	M46	greater manchester	45% Good+ (11)	5.0	£189,604

Under £300,000

Top-scoring affordable districts.

District	Schools	Price
HX4 west yorkshire	100%	£267,437
IP27 suffolk	80%	£249,172
DN6 south yorkshire	73%	£177,035
HX7 west yorkshire	80%	£275,116
SP9 wiltshire	80%	£271,166
M43 greater manchester	67%	£222,555
CH63 cheshire	80%	£274,271
DN12 south yorkshire	75%	£142,843
LN3 lincolnshire	67%	£256,079
NE16 tyne and wear	60%	£229,734

£300,000–£600,000

Mid-range districts with strong family credentials.

District	Schools	Price
IP25 suffolk	75%	£306,408
WR15 worcestershire	80%	£375,139
GL15 gloucestershire	67%	£334,498
PE7 cambridgeshire	70%	£315,477
DL8 county durham	69%	£362,394
CW3 cheshire	67%	£355,530
S32 south yorkshire	80%	£486,115
PE37 cambridgeshire	67%	£318,779
BH19 dorset	80%	£476,992
CO16 essex	60%	£321,030

What makes a good family area?

The rankings above combine three measurable factors, but the right balance depends on your priorities. Some families prioritise schools above everything; others weight safety or commute time more heavily.

A few things the ranking cannot measure: the quality of local parks and green space, the strength of community, ease of commuting to your workplace, or how the area feels day to day. Always visit before you commit.

Note that Ofsted ratings are a lagging indicator — a school rated Good in 2023 may have improved or declined since. Check the individual school's most recent inspection on the Ofsted website.

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See schools, crime, broadband, council tax, and house prices for any UK postcode district.