TrackPostcode.UK

Area report

Is Cromer a good place to live?

North Norfolk, East of England, England

65 / 100
GoodOverall score

Report completeness: 90%. Score is based on the categories with data loaded for this area.

67Remote workers
64Families
66Retirees
62Young professionals
66Students

In short

Cromer scores 65 out of 100 overall, which places it below the median of the 539 UK areas we have scored. Its biggest lead is safety, scoring 69 against the English median of 52; its biggest shortfall is broadband, 64 against 88.

  • Nearest scored area: Norwich, about 21 miles away, scoring 70.
  • Median overall score across the 539 areas in our index: 67 out of 100.
  • Report completeness 90 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: 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 North Norfolk: 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, Cambridge NIAB, is 111 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.

59 / 100
GoodAffordability score
£300,273Average price2026-06
7.7xPrice to earningsvs UK median full-time salary
£39,039Earnings assumedONS ASHE, updated annually

With a ten per cent deposit, the average Cromer home needs borrowing of 6.9 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.

88 / 100
ExcellentHousing score
£300,273Average price2026-06
+1.7%Annual change

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

Crime and safety

Source: police.uk
69 / 100
GoodSafety score
23Violent crime
8Anti-social behaviour
0Vehicle crime
1Burglary
4Shoplifting
62All recorded

All recorded crime by type

CategoryRecorded (2026-08)
Violent crime23
Anti social behaviour8
Criminal damage arson8
Other theft6
Public order4
Shoplifting4
Drugs3
Possession of weapons3
Other crime2
Burglary1

In 2026-08, 62 crimes were recorded within about a mile of this point in Cromer - a moderate volume of recorded crime for a one-mile radius. The most common headline category was violent crime. 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

No weather score for Cromer. The nearest Met Office historic station, Cambridge NIAB, is 111 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.

64 / 100
GoodBroadband score
96%Superfast availabilitypremises with 30 Mbit/s or more
50.7%Gigabit availabilitypremises with 1 Gbit/s capable

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

38 / 100
ChallengingEducation score
46.1Attainment 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.

38 / 100
ChallengingHealthcare score
2GP surgerieswithin about 2 km
3Pharmacieswithin about 2 km
2Dentistswithin about 2 km
1Hospitalswithin 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.

48 / 100
FairEmployment score
72.8%Employment rateaged 16-64
NOMIS latest, retrieved Sep 2026Survey period

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

92 / 100
ExcellentEnvironment score
6.41 µg/m³PM2.5 annual meanWHO guideline: 5 µg/m³
5.07 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.

63 / 100
GoodTransport score
18Stops within 800 mbus, tram and metro
0.4 kmNearest railway stationCromer 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
79 / 100
Very goodCost of living score
£862Average monthly rentall property types
Jun-26Data period
26%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
42 / 100
FairLifestyle score
245Amenities nearbywithin about 2 km
69 + 123Food/drink + shops
37Parks and sport spots

What is nearby

CategoryCount
Food and drink69
Shops123
Health services7
Schools and learning6
Parks and sport37
Culture and community3

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

Who Cromer suits

Of the 4 profiles we score, Cromer suits retirees and students equally well, at 66 out of 100. The 4 profiles land within 4 points of each other here, so this is a mild lean rather than a strong fit.

Cromer is a markedly better fit for some households than others. It ranks in the top 50% of the 539 areas we have scored for families, and the bottom 22% for young professionals. That gap comes from the same twelve categories weighted differently, which is why one overall score can never answer the question on its own.

How Cromer ranks for each type of household
HouseholdScoreStandingWhat it weights
Families64top 50%Weighted towards schools, safety, housing and healthcare.
Retirees66bottom 44%Weighted towards healthcare, safety, environment and cost of living.
Students66bottom 41%Weighted towards cost of living, lifestyle, transport and safety.
Remote workers67bottom 31%Weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather.
Young professionals62bottom 22%Weighted towards employment, lifestyle, transport and broadband.

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

Stands out on

  • Housing
  • Environment

Worth checking carefully

  • Healthcare
  • Education
  • Lifestyle

Built only from the categories with data; 1 is still to load for this area.

How Cromer compares

Cromer compared with every other area we have scored
CategoryCromerEngland medianUK medianvs England medianUK position
Cost of living797172+8top 38%
Affordability596468-5bottom 36%
Safety695252+17top 4%
Employment486159-13bottom 22%
Housing888383+5top 31%
Transport637575-12bottom 14%
Broadband648888-24bottom 5%
Environment928991+3top 44%
Healthcare385452-16bottom 23%
Education383940-1bottom 42%
Lifestyle425654-14bottom 22%

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 Cromer does well. Measured against everywhere else in the index, the standouts are safety (69, 17 above the median) and cost of living (79, 8 above the median).

Where it falls short. Broadband (64, 24 below), healthcare (38, 16 below) and lifestyle (42, 14 below).

Near Cromer, and places like it

Of the 6 scored areas within about 50 miles of Cromer, 5 score higher: Great Yarmouth (71), Norwich (70), Lowestoft (70) and 2 others. Cromer scores 65. Great Yarmouth is ahead mainly on broadband (+26), while Cromer keeps the advantage on safety (+27).

Scored areas within about 50 miles of Cromer
AreaDistanceWhereOverallBand
Norwich21 milesNorwich, East of England, England70Very good
Dereham23 milesBreckland, East of England, England69Good
Great Yarmouth29 milesGreat Yarmouth, East of England, England71Very good
Lowestoft37 milesEast Suffolk, East of England, England70Very good
Diss39 milesSouth Norfolk, East of England, England67Good
King's Lynn40 milesKing's Lynn and West Norfolk, East of England, England63Good

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

Areas with the most similar scoring profile to Cromer
AreaWhereOverallAverage gap
SandbachCheshire East, North West, England656.1
RedruthCornwall, South West, England666.1
St IvesCornwall, South West, England696.4
NewquayCornwall, South West, England666.5
SaltashCornwall, South West, England676.5

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

Crime in Cromer: what kind, not just how much

Source: police.uk

What is distinctive about the mix here: criminal damage and arson makes up 13 per cent of recorded crime here against 7 per cent typically, other theft makes up 10 per cent of recorded crime here against 6 per cent typically and anti-social behaviour is proportionally lower, at 13 per cent against 18. 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 Cromer by type, August 2026
Offence typeCountShareTypical shareDifference
Violence and sexual offences2337.1%34.0%+3.1
Anti-social behaviour812.9%17.9%-5.0
Criminal damage and arson812.9%7.0%+5.9
Other theft69.7%5.6%+4.1
Public order46.5%7.4%-0.9
Shoplifting46.5%10.5%-4.0
Drugs34.8%2.5%+2.3
Possession of weapons34.8%0.9%+3.9

62 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 Cromer actually costs

Source: HM Land Registry UK HPI

The average home in Cromer is £300,273, 11 per cent above the median of the areas we have scored. With a ten per cent deposit of £30,027, repaying the rest costs about £1,741 a month, £879 more than renting at the local average of £862, and needs a household income of about £60,100 to borrow.

The cost of buying in Cromer
MeasureFigure
Average property price£300,273 (June 2026)
Change over 12 months+1.7%, rising
Against our index median11% above the £270,569 median across every area we have scored
10% deposit£30,027
15% deposit£45,041
Price to earnings7.7 times UK median full-time earnings of £39,039
Monthly repayment£1,741 on a £270,246 mortgage (10% deposit, 6% over 25 years)
Against renting£879 more than the £862 average monthly rent
Income to borrow itAbout £60,100 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 Cromer, against the limits

Source: Defra modelled background maps

Fine particulates, at 6.4, 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 5.1, is well inside the UK limit of 40 and inside the WHO guideline of 10.

Modelled background air quality in Cromer, micrograms per cubic metre
PollutantCromerUK objectiveWHO guidelineStanding
Fine particulates (PM2.5)6.4105Inside the UK target, above the WHO guideline
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)5.14010Inside 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 Cromer

Is Cromer a good place to live?

Cromer has an overall liveability score of 65 out of 100 (good) on TrackPostcode.UK, based on 90% of categories currently loaded. It scores best on housing and cost of living. The score combines cost, affordability, safety, weather and more from open government data.

What is the crime rate in Cromer?

About 62 crimes were recorded within roughly a mile of Cromer in 2026-08 (police.uk), giving a safety score of 69 out of 100. Town and city centres naturally record more than residential streets.

What is the weather like in Cromer?

The weather section shows annual sunshine, rainfall and typical temperatures for Cromer from Met Office climate data for the location.

How expensive is it to live in Cromer?

Average private rent in the North Norfolk area is about £862 a month (Jun-26, ONS), giving Cromer 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 Cromer?

The average property price in North Norfolk is about £300,273 (2026-06, HM Land Registry). Prices changed +1.7% over the year. See the affordability section for how that compares to local earnings.

Is Cromer safe?

Cromer scores 69 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 4% 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 Cromer?

The average property in North Norfolk costs about £300,273, which is 7.7 times earnings against assumed full-time earnings of £39,039 a year (ONS ASHE), giving an affordability score of 59 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 £1,741 a month at 6% over 25 years, £879 more than the £862 average local rent. The affordability calculator on this page estimates it from your own salary and savings.

How fast is broadband in Cromer?

About 96% of premises in North Norfolk can get superfast broadband of 30 Mbit/s or more, and 50.7% can get a gigabit-capable connection, giving a broadband score of 64 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 Cromer?

72.8% of 16 to 64 year olds in North Norfolk are in work (NOMIS latest, retrieved Sep 2026, ONS Annual Population Survey via NOMIS), giving an employment score of 48 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 Cromer?

North Norfolk records 46.1 on Attainment 8 average score (202425), giving an education score of 38 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 Cromer?

For the 1 km grid square containing Cromer, fine particulates (PM2.5) average 6.41 µg/m³ against a World Health Organization guideline of 5 and nitrogen dioxide averages 5.07 µg/m³ against a guideline of 10 (2024, Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, Crown copyright). That gives an environment score of 92 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 Cromer?

Within about two kilometres of this point there are 245 mapped amenities, including 69 places to eat and drink, 123 shops, 37 parks and sports facilities and 3 cultural and community venues, giving a lifestyle score of 42 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 Cromer?

Within about two kilometres of this point there are 2 GP surgeries, 3 pharmacies and 2 dentists. 1 hospital is within about eight kilometres. That gives a healthcare score of 38 out of 100. Facilities are counted from OpenStreetMap and the score describes how close services are, not waiting times, capacity or clinical quality.

Does Cromer have good transport links?

The nearest railway station is Cromer Rail Station, about 0.4 km away, and there are 18 bus, tram or metro stops within an 800 metre walk, giving a transport score of 63 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 Cromer in?

Cromer is in the North Norfolk local authority, East of England, England. It falls within the Cromer Town ward and the North Norfolk 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 North Norfolk shares them. Weather, crime, amenities, healthcare, transport and air quality are measured for this point instead.

Is Cromer a good place to retire?

Cromer scores 66 out of 100 on our retirees profile, which is weighted towards healthcare, safety, environment and cost of living. That is close to its general score of 65, so the weighting neither flatters nor penalises this area. Every area we score is ranked on this basis at /best-for-retirement/.

Is Cromer a good place for students?

Cromer scores 66 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 65, 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 Cromer compare with the rest of England?

Cromer sits in the bottom 37% 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 safety and cost of living. It is furthest below on broadband, healthcare and 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 Cromer?

Of the areas we have scored within about 50 miles of Cromer, the highest are Great Yarmouth (71 out of 100, about 29 miles away), Norwich (70 out of 100, about 21 miles away) and Lowestoft (70 out of 100, about 37 miles away). Cromer itself scores 65. Distances are straight-line from this point, and each of those names links to its own full report.

Which places are most similar to Cromer?

Across the twelve category scores, the closest matches elsewhere in Britain are Sandbach (Cheshire East, North West, England), Redruth (Cornwall, South West, England) and St Ives (Cornwall, South West, 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 North Norfolk 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.