Area report
Is Dunstable a good place to live?
Central Bedfordshire, East of England, England
Report completeness: 75%. Score is based on the categories with data loaded for this area.
In short
Dunstable scores 66 out of 100 overall, which places it below the median of the 539 UK areas we have scored. Its biggest lead is employment, scoring 82 against the English median of 61; its biggest shortfall is affordability, 43 against 64.
- Nearest scored area: Luton, about 5 miles away, scoring 64.
- 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: 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 Central Bedfordshire: 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, Heathrow, is 46 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 Dunstable home needs borrowing of 8.2 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 Central Bedfordshire, 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 Dunstable. The nearest Met Office historic station, Heathrow, is 46 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 Central Bedfordshire: 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: OpenStreetMapCounted from OpenStreetMap around this exact point; a nearby GP and pharmacy carry the most weight. How it is scored. Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Employment
Source: ONS / NOMISONS Annual Population Survey for Central Bedfordshire, 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: OpenStreetMapLifestyle data is being sourced. We only publish figures once they are loaded from OpenStreetMap, so nothing here is estimated or invented.
Who Dunstable suits
Dunstable is a markedly better fit for some households than others. It ranks in the top 15% of the 539 areas we have scored for young professionals, and the bottom 28% for students. That gap comes from the same twelve categories weighted differently, which is why one overall score can never answer the question on its own.
| Household | Score | Standing | What it weights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Young professionals | 71 | top 15% | Weighted towards employment, lifestyle, transport and broadband. |
| Families | 65 | top 41% | Weighted towards schools, safety, housing and healthcare. |
| Remote workers | 69 | bottom 49% | Weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather. |
| Retirees | 66 | bottom 44% | Weighted towards healthcare, safety, environment and cost of living. |
| Students | 63 | bottom 28% | 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
- Employment
- Housing
- Broadband
- Environment
Worth checking carefully
- Affordability
- Education
Built only from the categories with data; 3 are still to load for this area.
How Dunstable compares
| Category | Dunstable | England median | UK median | vs England median | UK position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 56 | 71 | 72 | -15 | bottom 23% |
| Affordability | 43 | 64 | 68 | -21 | bottom 19% |
| Employment | 82 | 61 | 59 | +21 | top 3% |
| Housing | 99 | 83 | 83 | +16 | top 3% |
| Transport | 65 | 75 | 75 | -10 | bottom 18% |
| Broadband | 87 | 88 | 88 | -1 | bottom 46% |
| Environment | 87 | 89 | 91 | -2 | bottom 32% |
| Healthcare | 66 | 54 | 52 | +12 | top 27% |
| Education | 33 | 39 | 40 | -6 | bottom 23% |
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 Dunstable does well. Measured against everywhere else in the index, the standouts are employment (82, 21 above the median), housing (99, 16 above the median) and healthcare (66, 12 above the median).
Where it falls short. Affordability (43, 21 below), cost of living (56, 15 below) and transport (65, 10 below).
Near Dunstable, and places like it
Dunstable scores higher than every one of the 6 scored areas within about 50 miles of it, at 66 out of 100.
| Area | Distance | Where | Overall | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luton | 4.5 miles | Luton, East of England, England | 64 | Good |
| Leighton Buzzard | 6.2 miles | Central Bedfordshire, East of England, England | 65 | Good |
| Hemel Hempstead | 9.6 miles | Dacorum, East of England, England | 57 | Good |
| Hitchin | 11 miles | North Hertfordshire, East of England, England | 56 | Good |
| St Albans | 12 miles | St Albans, East of England, England | 51 | Fair |
| Aylesbury | 13 miles | Buckinghamshire, South East, England | 58 | Good |
Straight-line distances, so roads are longer. Any place not listed can be searched directly.
| Area | Where | Overall | Average gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bicester | Cherwell, South East, England | 67 | 4 |
| Banbury | Cherwell, South East, England | 67 | 4.2 |
| Biggleswade | Central Bedfordshire, East of England, England | 67 | 4.6 |
| Bexhill-on-Sea | Rother, South East, England | 67 | 6.2 |
| Aldershot | Rushmoor, South East, England | 65 | 6.6 |
Average score gap across every category both areas have, so smaller is closer. Neighbouring areas are left out.
What a home in Dunstable actually costs
Source: HM Land Registry UK HPIThe average home in Dunstable is £356,453, 32 per cent above the median of the areas we have scored. With a ten per cent deposit of £35,645, repaying the rest costs about £2,067 a month, £817 more than renting at the local average of £1,250, and needs a household income of about £71,300 to borrow.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average property price | £356,453 (June 2026) |
| Change over 12 months | +2.9%, rising |
| Against our index median | 32% above the £270,569 median across every area we have scored |
| 10% deposit | £35,645 |
| 15% deposit | £53,468 |
| Price to earnings | 9.1 times UK median full-time earnings of £39,039 |
| Monthly repayment | £2,067 on a £320,808 mortgage (10% deposit, 6% over 25 years) |
| Against renting | £817 more than the £1,250 average monthly rent |
| Income to borrow it | About £71,300 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 Dunstable, against the limits
Source: Defra modelled background mapsFine particulates, at 7.2, 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 8.7, is well inside the UK limit of 40 and inside the WHO guideline of 10.
| Pollutant | Dunstable | UK objective | WHO guideline | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine particulates (PM2.5) | 7.2 | 10 | 5 | Inside the UK target, above the WHO guideline |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 8.7 | 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 Dunstable
Is Dunstable a good place to live?
Dunstable has an overall liveability score of 66 out of 100 (good) on TrackPostcode.UK, based on 75% of categories currently loaded. It scores best on housing and broadband. The score combines cost, affordability, safety, weather and more from open government data.
What is the crime rate in Dunstable?
Recorded crime for Dunstable 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 Dunstable?
The weather section shows annual sunshine, rainfall and typical temperatures for Dunstable from Met Office climate data for the location.
How expensive is it to live in Dunstable?
Average private rent in the Central Bedfordshire area is about £1,250 a month (Jun-26, ONS), giving Dunstable a cost-of-living score of 56 out of 100. Use the affordability calculator to estimate what you could comfortably afford here.
What are house prices like in Dunstable?
The average property price in Central Bedfordshire is about £356,453 (2026-06, HM Land Registry). Prices changed +2.9% over the year. See the affordability section for how that compares to local earnings.
Can I afford to buy a house in Dunstable?
The average property in Central Bedfordshire costs about £356,453, which is 9.1 times earnings against assumed full-time earnings of £39,039 a year (ONS ASHE), giving an affordability score of 43 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 £2,067 a month at 6% over 25 years, £817 more than the £1,250 average local rent. The affordability calculator on this page estimates it from your own salary and savings.
How fast is broadband in Dunstable?
About 97.8% of premises in Central Bedfordshire can get superfast broadband of 30 Mbit/s or more, and 83.8% 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 Dunstable?
85.4% of 16 to 64 year olds in Central Bedfordshire are in work (NOMIS latest, retrieved Sep 2026, ONS Annual Population Survey via NOMIS), giving an employment score of 82 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 Dunstable?
Central Bedfordshire records 44.8 on Attainment 8 average score (202425), giving an education score of 33 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 Dunstable?
For the 1 km grid square containing Dunstable, fine particulates (PM2.5) average 7.21 µg/m³ against a World Health Organization guideline of 5 and nitrogen dioxide averages 8.71 µg/m³ against a guideline of 10 (2024, Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, Crown copyright). That gives an environment score of 87 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.
Are there GPs and dentists near Dunstable?
Within about two kilometres of this point there are 6 GP surgeries, 10 pharmacies and 4 dentists. 6 hospitals are within about eight kilometres. That gives a healthcare score of 66 out of 100. Facilities are counted from OpenStreetMap and the score describes how close services are, not waiting times, capacity or clinical quality.
Does Dunstable have good transport links?
The nearest railway station is Leagrave Rail Station, about 4.8 km away, and there are 44 bus, tram or metro stops within an 800 metre walk, giving a transport score of 65 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 Dunstable in?
Dunstable is in the Central Bedfordshire local authority, East of England, England. It falls within the Dunstable Central ward and the Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard 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 Central Bedfordshire shares them. Weather, crime, amenities, healthcare, transport and air quality are measured for this point instead.
How does Dunstable compare with the rest of England?
Dunstable sits in the bottom 44% 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 employment, housing and healthcare. It is furthest below on affordability, cost of living and transport. 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 Dunstable?
Of the areas we have scored within about 50 miles of Dunstable, the highest are Leighton Buzzard (65 out of 100, about 6 miles away), Luton (64 out of 100, about 5 miles away) and Aylesbury (58 out of 100, about 13 miles away). Dunstable itself scores 66. Distances are straight-line from this point, and each of those names links to its own full report.
Which places are most similar to Dunstable?
Across the twelve category scores, the closest matches elsewhere in Britain are Bicester (Cherwell, South East, England), Banbury (Cherwell, South East, England) and Biggleswade (Central Bedfordshire, 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 Central Bedfordshire 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.