Area report
Is Cannock a good place to live?
Cannock Chase, West Midlands, England
Report completeness: 75%. Score is based on the categories with data loaded for this area.
In short
Cannock scores 77 out of 100 overall, putting it in the top 1 per cent of the 539 UK areas we have scored. Its biggest lead is affordability, scoring 79 against the English median of 64; its biggest shortfall is lifestyle, 47 against 56.
- Nearest scored area: Rugeley, about 6 miles away, scoring 71.
- Median overall score across the 539 areas in our index: 67 out of 100.
- Report completeness 75 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: Lifestyle (amenities within about 2 km of this exact point); 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 Cannock Chase: Cost of living, Affordability, Housing, Employment, Broadband, Education. Every postcode and town in the council shares these figures.
- Not scored here: Weather (the nearest Met Office historic station, Shawbury, is 44 km away), too far to describe this location, so it is left out of the overall score.
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.
Affordability
Source: HM Land RegistryWith a ten per cent deposit, the average Cannock home needs borrowing of 5.3 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.
Housing
Source: HM Land RegistryUK House Price Index for Cannock Chase, all property types. Steady growth scores best; sharp falls and overheating both score lower.
Crime and safety
Source: police.ukCrime data could not be loaded for this location.
Weather and outdoors
Source: Met OfficeNo weather score for Cannock. The nearest Met Office historic station, Shawbury, is 44 km away, beyond the 40 km we accept, so its climate would describe somewhere else. Weather is left out of the overall score here rather than borrowed. Why.
Broadband and mobile
Source: Ofcom Connected NationsOfcom Connected Nations coverage for Cannock Chase: the share of premises that can get each service, not the share that has taken it up.
Schools and education
Source: DfE and devolved governmentsLocal 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.
Healthcare
Source: OpenStreetMapHealthcare data is being sourced. We only publish figures once they are loaded from OpenStreetMap, so nothing here is estimated or invented.
Employment
Source: ONS / NOMISONS Annual Population Survey for Cannock Chase, via NOMIS. Most UK councils fall between about 62% and 82% employment.
Environment
Source: Defra UK-AIRDefra modelled background air for the 1 km grid cell around this point (Crown copyright), scored against the WHO 2021 guidelines.
Transport
Source: DfT NaPTANDfT 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: ONSAverage 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: OpenStreetMapWhat is nearby
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Food and drink | 50 |
| Shops | 147 |
| Health services | 9 |
| Schools and learning | 18 |
| Parks and sport | 51 |
| Culture and community | 2 |
Counted from OpenStreetMap within about 2 km of this exact point; private gardens are not counted. Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Who Cannock suits
Of the 2 profiles we score, Cannock suits young professionals best, at 77 out of 100.
Cannock suits most households about equally: from the top 1% for remote workers to the top 8% for students of the 539 areas we have scored.
| Household | Score | Standing | What it weights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remote workers | 80 | top 1% | Weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather. |
| Families | 74 | top 1% | Weighted towards schools, safety, housing and healthcare. |
| Retirees | 80 | top 1% | Weighted towards healthcare, safety, environment and cost of living. |
| Young professionals | 77 | top 1% | Weighted towards employment, lifestyle, transport and broadband. |
| Students | 75 | top 8% | Weighted towards cost of living, lifestyle, transport and safety. |
The same twelve scores, weighted per household. Set your own weights in the relocation quiz.
Stands out on
- Housing
- Broadband
- Environment
Worth checking carefully
- Education
Built only from the categories with data; 3 are still to load for this area.
How Cannock compares
| Category | Cannock | England median | UK median | vs England median | UK position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 79 | 71 | 72 | +8 | top 38% |
| Affordability | 79 | 64 | 68 | +15 | top 38% |
| Employment | 74 | 61 | 59 | +13 | top 11% |
| Housing | 96 | 83 | 83 | +13 | top 12% |
| Transport | 72 | 75 | 75 | -3 | bottom 39% |
| Broadband | 98 | 88 | 88 | +10 | top 3% |
| Environment | 88 | 89 | 91 | -1 | bottom 37% |
| Education | 34 | 39 | 40 | -5 | bottom 26% |
| Lifestyle | 47 | 56 | 54 | -9 | bottom 31% |
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 Cannock does well. Measured against everywhere else in the index, the standouts are affordability (79, 15 above the median), employment (74, 13 above the median) and housing (96, 13 above the median).
Where it falls short. Lifestyle (47, 9 below).
Near Cannock, and places like it
Cannock scores higher than every one of the 6 scored areas within about 50 miles of it, at 77 out of 100.
| Area | Distance | Where | Overall | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rugeley | 6.4 miles | Cannock Chase, West Midlands, England | 71 | Very good |
| Willenhall | 7.4 miles | Walsall, West Midlands, England | 65 | Good |
| Walsall | 7.5 miles | Walsall, West Midlands, England | 71 | Very good |
| Wolverhampton | 8.2 miles | Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England | 66 | Good |
| Lichfield | 8.6 miles | Lichfield, West Midlands, England | 63 | Good |
| Stafford | 8.7 miles | Stafford, West Midlands, England | 69 | Good |
Straight-line distances, so roads are longer. Any place not listed can be searched directly.
| Area | Where | Overall | Average gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Eaton | Erewash, East Midlands, England | 75 | 2.8 |
| Ilkeston | Erewash, East Midlands, England | 75 | 3.8 |
| Livingston | West Lothian, Scotland | 75 | 4.3 |
| Tamworth | Tamworth, West Midlands, England | 74 | 4.8 |
| Goole | East Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber, England | 73 | 5.1 |
Average score gap across every category both areas have, so smaller is closer. Neighbouring areas are left out.
What a home in Cannock actually costs
Source: HM Land Registry UK HPIThe average home in Cannock is £230,601, 15 per cent below the median of the areas we have scored. With a ten per cent deposit of £23,060, repaying the rest costs about £1,337 a month, £483 more than renting at the local average of £854, and needs a household income of about £46,100 to borrow.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average property price | £230,601 (June 2026) |
| Change over 12 months | +3.5%, rising |
| Against our index median | 15% below the £270,569 median across every area we have scored |
| 10% deposit | £23,060 |
| 15% deposit | £34,590 |
| Price to earnings | 5.9 times UK median full-time earnings of £39,039 |
| Monthly repayment | £1,337 on a £207,541 mortgage (10% deposit, 6% over 25 years) |
| Against renting | £483 more than the £854 average monthly rent |
| Income to borrow it | About £46,100 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 Cannock, against the limits
Source: Defra modelled background mapsFine particulates, at 7.0, 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 8.9, is well inside the UK limit of 40 and inside the WHO guideline of 10.
| Pollutant | Cannock | UK objective | WHO guideline | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine particulates (PM2.5) | 7.0 | 10 | 5 | Inside the UK target, above the WHO guideline |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 8.9 | 40 | 10 | Inside 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 Cannock
Is Cannock a good place to live?
Cannock has an overall liveability score of 77 out of 100 (very good) on TrackPostcode.UK, based on 75% of categories currently loaded. It scores best on broadband and housing. The score combines cost, affordability, safety, weather and more from open government data.
What is the crime rate in Cannock?
Recorded crime for Cannock is shown in the crime and safety section, from police.uk for England and Wales or Scottish Government statistics for Scotland.
What is the weather like in Cannock?
The weather section shows annual sunshine, rainfall and typical temperatures for Cannock from Met Office climate data for the location.
How expensive is it to live in Cannock?
Average private rent in the Cannock Chase area is about £854 a month (Jun-26, ONS), giving Cannock a cost-of-living score of 79 out of 100. Use the affordability calculator to estimate what you could comfortably afford here.
What are house prices like in Cannock?
The average property price in Cannock Chase is about £230,601 (2026-06, HM Land Registry). Prices changed +3.5% over the year. See the affordability section for how that compares to local earnings.
Can I afford to buy a house in Cannock?
The average property in Cannock Chase costs about £230,601, which is 5.9 times earnings against assumed full-time earnings of £39,039 a year (ONS ASHE), giving an affordability score of 79 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 £1,337 a month at 6% over 25 years, £483 more than the £854 average local rent. The affordability calculator on this page estimates it from your own salary and savings.
How fast is broadband in Cannock?
About 99.8% of premises in Cannock Chase can get superfast broadband of 30 Mbit/s or more, and 97.5% can get a gigabit-capable connection, giving a broadband score of 98 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 Cannock?
82.3% of 16 to 64 year olds in Cannock Chase are in work (NOMIS latest, retrieved Sep 2026, ONS Annual Population Survey via NOMIS), giving an employment score of 74 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 Cannock?
Cannock Chase records 45.2 on Attainment 8 average score (202425), giving an education score of 34 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 Cannock?
For the 1 km grid square containing Cannock, fine particulates (PM2.5) average 7.03 µg/m³ against a World Health Organization guideline of 5 and nitrogen dioxide averages 8.87 µg/m³ against a guideline of 10 (2024, Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, Crown copyright). That gives an environment score of 88 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 Cannock?
Within about two kilometres of this point there are 277 mapped amenities, including 50 places to eat and drink, 147 shops, 51 parks and sports facilities and 2 cultural and community venues, giving a lifestyle score of 47 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.
Does Cannock have good transport links?
The nearest railway station is Cannock Rail Station, about 0.8 km away, and there are 35 bus, tram or metro stops within an 800 metre walk, giving a transport score of 72 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 Cannock in?
Cannock is in the Cannock Chase local authority, West Midlands, England. It falls within the Cannock Longford & Bridgtown ward and the Cannock Chase 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 Cannock Chase shares them. Weather, crime, amenities, healthcare, transport and air quality are measured for this point instead.
Is Cannock a good place for young professionals?
Cannock scores 77 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 77, so the weighting neither flatters nor penalises this area.
Is Cannock a good place for students?
Cannock scores 75 out of 100 on our students profile, which is weighted towards cost of living, lifestyle, transport and safety. That is close to its general score of 77, so the weighting neither flatters nor penalises this area. Every area we score is ranked on this basis at /best-places-for-students/.
How does Cannock compare with the rest of England?
Cannock sits in the top 1% 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 affordability, employment and housing. It is furthest below on lifestyle. 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 Cannock?
Of the areas we have scored within about 50 miles of Cannock, the highest are Rugeley (71 out of 100, about 6 miles away), Walsall (71 out of 100, about 7 miles away) and Stafford (69 out of 100, about 9 miles away). Cannock itself scores 77. Distances are straight-line from this point, and each of those names links to its own full report.
Which places are most similar to Cannock?
Across the twelve category scores, the closest matches elsewhere in Britain are Long Eaton (Erewash, East Midlands, England), Ilkeston (Erewash, East Midlands, England) and Livingston (West Lothian, Scotland). 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 Cannock Chase 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.