TrackPostcode.UK

Area report

Is Burgess Hill a good place to live?

Mid Sussex, South East, England

59 / 100
GoodOverall score

Report completeness: 100%. Score is based on the categories with data loaded for this area.

62Remote workers
58Families
59Retirees
61Young professionals
57Students

In short

Burgess Hill scores 59 out of 100 overall, which places it below the median of the 539 UK areas we have scored. Its biggest lead is weather, scoring 89 against the English median of 72; its biggest shortfall is affordability, 23 against 64.

  • Nearest scored area: Haywards Heath, about 3 miles away, scoring 58.
  • Median overall score across the 539 areas in our index: 67 out of 100.
  • Report completeness 100 per cent: categories without data are excluded rather than estimated.

How detailed is this report?

Open data is published at different levels of detail, and this report always uses the most granular level available rather than pretending otherwise.

  • Point-level for this exact location: Weather (from the Met Office Eastbourne station, 37 km away); Crime (recorded within about one mile of this exact point); Lifestyle (amenities within about 2 km of this exact point); Healthcare (facilities within about 2 km, hospitals within about 8 km); Transport (stops within 800 m and the nearest railway station); Air quality (the 1 km grid cell containing this point).
  • Council-level, covering all of Mid Sussex: Cost of living, Affordability, Housing, Employment, Broadband, Education. Every postcode and town in the council shares these figures.

Research this area further with trusted open data: police.uk street-level crime map, HM Land Registry sold prices, ONS local area profiles, Ofcom broadband checker. This report is open-source intelligence: everything is built from published government and public datasets you can check yourself.

23 / 100
Very challengingAffordability score
£426,441Average price2026-06
10.9xPrice to earningsvs UK median full-time salary
£39,039Earnings assumedONS ASHE, updated annually

With a ten per cent deposit, the average Burgess Hill home needs borrowing of 9.8 times a single UK median full-time salary of £39,039, beyond the 4.5 times most lenders will go to, so it takes a second income or a larger deposit. Try your own figures below.

£
£

Guidance only, using standard lending multiples and typical outgoings. Not a mortgage offer or financial advice. TrackPostcode.UK is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority; always seek independent professional advice before financial decisions.

65 / 100
GoodHousing score
£426,441Average price2026-06
-0.9%Annual change

UK House Price Index for Mid Sussex, all property types. Steady growth scores best; sharp falls and overheating both score lower.

Crime and safety

Source: police.uk
56 / 100
GoodSafety score
37Violent crime
67Anti-social behaviour
5Vehicle crime
3Burglary
26Shoplifting
188All recorded

All recorded crime by type

CategoryRecorded (2026-08)
Anti social behaviour67
Violent crime37
Shoplifting26
Criminal damage arson14
Public order14
Other theft13
Vehicle crime5
Burglary3
Drugs3
Possession of weapons3
Other crime2
Bicycle theft1

In 2026-08, 188 crimes were recorded within about a mile of this point in Burgess Hill - a busy level of recorded crime, typical of urban centres. The most common headline category was anti-social behaviour. City and town centres naturally record more incidents than residential streets, so compare like for like.

Recorded crime within about one mile, 2026-08. Busy centres record more than quiet suburbs because more people pass through them than live there, so compare similar types of place. How safety is scored.

Weather and outdoors

Source: Met Office
89 / 100
ExcellentOutdoor score
1,815Sunshine hours/yr
729 mmRainfall/yr
21.4°CSummer high (avg)
5°CWinter low (avg)
8Air frost days/yr
EastbourneNearest weather station37 km away

Outdoor suitability

87Walking
88Running
88Cycling
91Gardening

Burgess Hill averages about 1,815 sunshine hours a year, towards the sunnier end of the UK range, with relatively low rainfall for the UK (about 729 mm a year). Summer days typically reach around 21.4°C and winter nights fall to about 5°C.

Averages over 6 years (2020-2025) from the Met Office Eastbourne station, 37 km away. How the outdoor score works. Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright.

87 / 100
ExcellentBroadband score
98.6%Superfast availabilitypremises with 30 Mbit/s or more
81.5%Gigabit availabilitypremises with 1 Gbit/s capable

Ofcom Connected Nations coverage for Mid Sussex: the share of premises that can get each service, not the share that has taken it up.

42 / 100
FairEducation score
47.1Attainment 8 average score202425
Council levelMeasured atshared by the whole local authority

Local authority average, key stage 4, state-funded schools. Source: Department for Education. Each nation publishes its own measure, so this compares within England only. How education is scored.

58 / 100
GoodHealthcare score
6GP surgerieswithin about 2 km
4Pharmacieswithin about 2 km
6Dentistswithin about 2 km
4Hospitalswithin about 8 km

Counted from OpenStreetMap around this exact point; a nearby GP and pharmacy carry the most weight. How it is scored. Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

66 / 100
GoodEmployment score
79.4%Employment rateaged 16-64
NOMIS latest, retrieved Sep 2026Survey period

ONS Annual Population Survey for Mid Sussex, via NOMIS. Most UK councils fall between about 62% and 82% employment.

89 / 100
ExcellentEnvironment score
6.77 µg/m³PM2.5 annual meanWHO guideline: 5 µg/m³
6.95 µg/m³NO2 annual meanWHO guideline: 10 µg/m³
2024Data year

Defra modelled background air for the 1 km grid cell around this point (Crown copyright), scored against the WHO 2021 guidelines.

77 / 100
Very goodTransport score
45Stops within 800 mbus, tram and metro
0.5 kmNearest railway stationBurgess Hill Rail Station
Point-levelMeasured atthis exact location

DfT NaPTAN stops around this exact point. Twelve or more stops within 800 m, and a station within 1 km, each earn full marks.

Cost of living

Source: ONS
46 / 100
FairCost of living score
£1,418Average monthly rentall property types
Jun-26Data period
44%Rent as share of payof UK median full-time gross pay

Average private rent, from the ONS Price Index of Private Rents. Rent stands in for cost of living because it is the largest living cost and the one that varies most between places.

Lifestyle and amenities

Source: OpenStreetMap
60 / 100
GoodLifestyle score
471Amenities nearbywithin about 2 km
67 + 189Food/drink + shops
175Parks and sport spots

What is nearby

CategoryCount
Food and drink67
Shops189
Health services16
Schools and learning16
Parks and sport175
Culture and community8

Counted from OpenStreetMap within about 2 km of this exact point; private gardens are not counted. Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Who Burgess Hill suits

Of the 5 profiles we score, Burgess Hill suits remote workers best, at 62 out of 100.

Burgess Hill suits most households about equally: from the bottom 18% for retirees to the bottom 15% for families of the 539 areas we have scored.

How Burgess Hill ranks for each type of household
HouseholdScoreStandingWhat it weights
Retirees59bottom 18%Weighted towards healthcare, safety, environment and cost of living.
Young professionals61bottom 18%Weighted towards employment, lifestyle, transport and broadband.
Remote workers62bottom 17%Weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather.
Students57bottom 16%Weighted towards cost of living, lifestyle, transport and safety.
Families58bottom 15%Weighted towards schools, safety, housing and healthcare.

The same twelve scores, weighted per household. Set your own weights in the relocation quiz.

Stands out on

  • Weather
  • Broadband
  • Environment

Worth checking carefully

  • Affordability
  • Education

How Burgess Hill compares

Burgess Hill compared with every other area we have scored
CategoryBurgess HillEngland medianUK medianvs England medianUK position
Cost of living467172-25bottom 15%
Affordability236468-41bottom 12%
Safety565252+4top 38%
Weather897272+17top 3%
Employment666159+5top 27%
Housing658383-18bottom 21%
Transport777575+2top 40%
Broadband878888-1bottom 46%
Environment8989910bottom 42%
Healthcare585452+4top 38%
Education423940+3top 40%
Lifestyle605654+4top 35%

Medians and positions are across the 539 areas in our index. Safety and education are measured differently in each nation, so read those two rows against the England median only.

What Burgess Hill does well. Measured against everywhere else in the index, the standouts are weather (89, 17 above the median).

Where it falls short. Affordability (23, 41 below), cost of living (46, 25 below) and housing (65, 18 below).

Near Burgess Hill, and places like it

Of the 6 scored areas within about 50 miles of Burgess Hill, 3 score higher: Crawley (66), Lewes (64) and Newhaven (62). Burgess Hill scores 59. Crawley is ahead mainly on employment (+29), while Burgess Hill keeps the advantage on safety (+14).

Scored areas within about 50 miles of Burgess Hill
AreaDistanceWhereOverallBand
Haywards Heath3.1 milesMid Sussex, South East, England58Good
Lewes8.5 milesLewes, South East, England64Good
Brighton9.3 milesBrighton and Hove, South East, England56Good
Horsham11 milesHorsham, South East, England57Good
Crawley11 milesCrawley, South East, England66Good
Newhaven14 milesLewes, South East, England62Good

Straight-line distances, so roads are longer. Any place not listed can be searched directly.

Areas with the most similar scoring profile to Burgess Hill
AreaWhereOverallAverage gap
BasingstokeBasingstoke and Deane, South East, England584.5
Abingdon-on-ThamesVale of White Horse, South East, England584.9
LetchworthNorth Hertfordshire, East of England, England595.3
BasildonBasildon, East of England, England575.3
NewburyWest Berkshire, South East, England605.3

Average score gap across every category both areas have, so smaller is closer. Neighbouring areas are left out.

Crime in Burgess Hill: what kind, not just how much

Source: police.uk

What is distinctive about the mix here: anti-social behaviour makes up 36 per cent of recorded crime here against 18 per cent typically and violence and sexual offences is proportionally lower, at 20 per cent against 34. Shares are the useful comparison because they are unaffected by how busy an area is, which is the thing that otherwise dominates a raw crime count.

Recorded crime in Burgess Hill by type, August 2026
Offence typeCountShareTypical shareDifference
Anti-social behaviour6735.6%17.9%+17.7
Violence and sexual offences3719.7%34.0%-14.3
Shoplifting2613.8%10.5%+3.3
Criminal damage and arson147.4%7.0%+0.4
Public order147.4%7.4%+0.0
Other theft136.9%5.6%+1.3
Vehicle crime52.7%2.9%-0.2
Burglary31.6%2.5%-0.9

188 offences recorded within about a mile of this point in August 2026, from police.uk. Counts are of offences reported to the police, so they reflect both crime and the willingness to report it. "Typical share" is the median across the areas in our index that have a breakdown, which is England and Wales only: Police Scotland does not publish to police.uk.

What a home in Burgess Hill actually costs

Source: HM Land Registry UK HPI

The average home in Burgess Hill is £426,441, 58 per cent above the median of the areas we have scored. With a ten per cent deposit of £42,644, repaying the rest costs about £2,473 a month, £1,055 more than renting at the local average of £1,418, and needs a household income of about £85,300 to borrow.

The cost of buying in Burgess Hill
MeasureFigure
Average property price£426,441 (June 2026)
Change over 12 months-0.9%, falling
Against our index median58% above the £270,569 median across every area we have scored
10% deposit£42,644
15% deposit£63,966
Price to earnings10.9 times UK median full-time earnings of £39,039
Monthly repayment£2,473 on a £383,797 mortgage (10% deposit, 6% over 25 years)
Against renting£1,055 more than the £1,418 average monthly rent
Income to borrow itAbout £85,300 a year at 4.5 times income

Council-wide average across all property types; the multiple uses UK median full-time earnings (April 2025 (ONS ASHE)). Illustrative arithmetic, not a mortgage assessment or financial advice; TrackPostcode.UK is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Air quality in Burgess Hill, against the limits

Source: Defra modelled background maps

Fine particulates, at 6.8, sit inside the UK 2040 target of 10 but above the World Health Organization guideline of 5, as in most of Britain. Nitrogen dioxide, at 7.0, is well inside the UK limit of 40 and inside the WHO guideline of 10.

Modelled background air quality in Burgess Hill, micrograms per cubic metre
PollutantBurgess HillUK objectiveWHO guidelineStanding
Fine particulates (PM2.5)6.8105Inside the UK target, above the WHO guideline
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)7.04010Inside both

Neighbourhood background levels from the Defra 1 km model; readings beside a busy road are higher. UK figures are the legal limit (NO₂) and 2040 target (PM2.5); WHO figures are health guidelines, not law.

Questions about Burgess Hill

Is Burgess Hill a good place to live?

Burgess Hill has an overall liveability score of 59 out of 100 (good) on TrackPostcode.UK, based on 100% of categories currently loaded. It scores best on weather and broadband. The score combines cost, affordability, safety, weather and more from open government data.

What is the crime rate in Burgess Hill?

About 188 crimes were recorded within roughly a mile of Burgess Hill in 2026-08 (police.uk), giving a safety score of 56 out of 100. Town and city centres naturally record more than residential streets.

What is the weather like in Burgess Hill?

Burgess Hill averages 1,815 sunshine hours and about 729 mm of rain a year, giving an outdoor score of 89 out of 100. Summer highs average 21.4°C and winter lows 5°C. Based on the Met Office Eastbourne station, 37 km away.

How expensive is it to live in Burgess Hill?

Average private rent in the Mid Sussex area is about £1,418 a month (Jun-26, ONS), giving Burgess Hill a cost-of-living score of 46 out of 100. Use the affordability calculator to estimate what you could comfortably afford here.

What are house prices like in Burgess Hill?

The average property price in Mid Sussex is about £426,441 (2026-06, HM Land Registry). Prices changed -0.9% over the year. See the affordability section for how that compares to local earnings.

Is Burgess Hill safe?

Burgess Hill scores 56 out of 100 for safety - good - measured from recorded crime within about a mile of this point for the latest published month (police.uk). That puts it in the top 38% of every area in our index. A safety score is a comparison with other areas rather than a guarantee about a street. Town and city centres record more crime than residential suburbs largely because more people pass through them, so compare places of a similar type before drawing a conclusion.

Can I afford to buy a house in Burgess Hill?

The average property in Mid Sussex costs about £426,441, which is 10.9 times earnings against assumed full-time earnings of £39,039 a year (ONS ASHE), giving an affordability score of 23 out of 100. Mainstream lenders usually cap borrowing at around four to four and a half times income, so a ratio above that generally means a larger deposit, a second income or a cheaper property than the local average. With a ten per cent deposit, repaying the rest costs about £2,473 a month at 6% over 25 years, £1,055 more than the £1,418 average local rent. The affordability calculator on this page estimates it from your own salary and savings.

How fast is broadband in Burgess Hill?

About 98.6% of premises in Mid Sussex can get superfast broadband of 30 Mbit/s or more, and 81.5% can get a gigabit-capable connection, giving a broadband score of 87 out of 100 (Ofcom Connected Nations). These are council-area availability figures - the share of premises able to order each service, not the speed any single line achieves - so check the exact address with the Ofcom broadband checker before committing to it.

What is the job market like in Burgess Hill?

79.4% of 16 to 64 year olds in Mid Sussex are in work (NOMIS latest, retrieved Sep 2026, ONS Annual Population Survey via NOMIS), giving an employment score of 66 out of 100. UK local authorities typically range from about 62% to 82%. This is a whole-authority figure, so it describes the local labour market rather than any one town within it.

Are the schools good in Burgess Hill?

Mid Sussex records 47.1 on Attainment 8 average score (202425), giving an education score of 42 out of 100. Each nation publishes its own attainment measure and they are not interchangeable, so education scores compare within England, Scotland or Wales and not across them. Attainment is published for the whole council or county rather than for a school catchment, so check individual schools with the inspectorate before deciding.

What is the air quality like in Burgess Hill?

For the 1 km grid square containing Burgess Hill, fine particulates (PM2.5) average 6.77 µg/m³ against a World Health Organization guideline of 5 and nitrogen dioxide averages 6.95 µg/m³ against a guideline of 10 (2024, Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, Crown copyright). That gives an environment score of 89 out of 100; an area meeting both guideline levels scores 100. These are modelled background concentrations for the square, not a reading taken at the roadside.

What is there to do in Burgess Hill?

Within about two kilometres of this point there are 471 mapped amenities, including 67 places to eat and drink, 189 shops, 175 parks and sports facilities and 8 cultural and community venues, giving a lifestyle score of 60 out of 100. Counts come from OpenStreetMap and are measured at this exact location rather than averaged across the council, so they reflect how well served this particular spot is. Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Are there GPs and dentists near Burgess Hill?

Within about two kilometres of this point there are 6 GP surgeries, 4 pharmacies and 6 dentists. 4 hospitals are within about eight kilometres. That gives a healthcare score of 58 out of 100. Facilities are counted from OpenStreetMap and the score describes how close services are, not waiting times, capacity or clinical quality.

Does Burgess Hill have good transport links?

The nearest railway station is Burgess Hill Rail Station, about 0.5 km away, and there are 45 bus, tram or metro stops within an 800 metre walk, giving a transport score of 77 out of 100. Stops come from the DfT NaPTAN dataset and are counted for this exact point, so the figure measures access rather than how frequently anything runs.

Which council area is Burgess Hill in?

Burgess Hill is in the Mid Sussex local authority, South East, England. It falls within the Burgess Hill Meeds & Hammonds ward and the Mid Sussex parliamentary constituency. Cost of living, housing, affordability, employment, broadband and education figures in this report are published at local-authority level, so every postcode and town inside Mid Sussex shares them. Weather, crime, amenities, healthcare, transport and air quality are measured for this point instead.

Is Burgess Hill a good place for remote workers?

Burgess Hill scores 62 out of 100 on our remote workers profile, which is weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather. That is 3 points above its general score of 59, because this profile weights the twelve categories differently. Every area we score is ranked on this basis at /best-places-for-remote-workers/.

Is Burgess Hill a good place for young professionals?

Burgess Hill scores 61 out of 100 on our young professionals profile, which is weighted towards employment, lifestyle, transport and broadband. That is close to its general score of 59, so the weighting neither flatters nor penalises this area.

How does Burgess Hill compare with the rest of England?

Burgess Hill sits in the bottom 16% of the 539 UK areas we have scored. The median area in the index scores 67 out of 100. It is furthest above the benchmark for its nation on weather. It is furthest below on affordability, cost of living and housing. Categories are compared against the area's own nation where the samples allow it, because crime and school attainment are measured differently either side of the border.

What are the best places to live near Burgess Hill?

Of the areas we have scored within about 50 miles of Burgess Hill, the highest are Crawley (66 out of 100, about 11 miles away), Lewes (64 out of 100, about 9 miles away) and Newhaven (62 out of 100, about 14 miles away). Burgess Hill itself scores 59. Distances are straight-line from this point, and each of those names links to its own full report.

Which places are most similar to Burgess Hill?

Across the twelve category scores, the closest matches elsewhere in Britain are Basingstoke (Basingstoke and Deane, South East, England), Abingdon-on-Thames (Vale of White Horse, South East, England) and Letchworth (North Hertfordshire, East of England, England). Similarity is the average gap across every category both areas have data for, with immediate neighbours excluded, so these are places that score alike rather than places that look alike or sit nearby.

What area does this report cover?

Weather, crime, local amenities, healthcare access, transport access and air quality are measured for this exact point. Cost of living, affordability, housing, employment and broadband come from official statistics for the Mid Sussex council area, so nearby postcodes and towns in the same council share those figures. Education comes from the local authority, or from the county where attainment is only published at county level. The "How detailed is this report" section explains each level.