Area report
Is East Cambridgeshire a good place to live?
East Cambridgeshire, East of England, England
Report completeness: 80%. Score is based on the categories with data loaded for this area.
In short
East Cambridgeshire scores 67 out of 100 overall, putting it in the top 49 per cent of the 539 UK areas we have scored. Its biggest lead is employment, scoring 83 against the English median of 61; its biggest shortfall is transport, 32 against 75.
- Nearest scored area: Ely, about 3 miles away, scoring 68.
- Median overall score across the 539 areas in our index: 67 out of 100.
- Report completeness 80 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 Cambridge NIAB station, 17 km away); 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 East Cambridgeshire: 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.
Affordability
Source: HM Land RegistryWith a ten per cent deposit, the average East Cambridgeshire home needs borrowing of 7.9 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.
Housing
Source: HM Land RegistryUK House Price Index for East Cambridgeshire, 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 OfficeOutdoor suitability
East Cambridgeshire has relatively low rainfall for the UK, about 598 mm a year. Summer days typically reach around 23.3°C and winter nights fall to about 2.8°C.
Averages over 6 years (2020-2025) from the Met Office Cambridge NIAB station, 17 km away. This station does not record sunshine, so the outdoor score here is calculated from rainfall and temperature only. How the outdoor score works. Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright.
Broadband and mobile
Source: Ofcom Connected NationsOfcom Connected Nations coverage for East Cambridgeshire: 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 East Cambridgeshire, 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 East Cambridgeshire suits
Of the 1 profiles we score, East Cambridgeshire suits remote workers best, at 71 out of 100.
East Cambridgeshire is a markedly better fit for some households than others. It ranks in the top 23% of the 539 areas we have scored for young professionals, and the bottom 46% 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 | 70 | top 23% | Weighted towards employment, lifestyle, transport and broadband. |
| Families | 66 | top 33% | Weighted towards schools, safety, housing and healthcare. |
| Remote workers | 71 | top 38% | Weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather. |
| Retirees | 67 | top 49% | Weighted towards healthcare, safety, environment and cost of living. |
| Students | 67 | bottom 46% | 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
- Broadband
- Environment
Worth checking carefully
- Transport
Built only from the categories with data; 3 are still to load for this area.
How East Cambridgeshire compares
| Category | East Cambridgeshire | England median | UK median | vs England median | UK position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 69 | 71 | 72 | -2 | bottom 38% |
| Affordability | 47 | 64 | 68 | -17 | bottom 21% |
| Weather | 78 | 72 | 72 | +6 | top 22% |
| Employment | 83 | 61 | 59 | +22 | top 3% |
| Housing | 72 | 83 | 83 | -11 | bottom 30% |
| Transport | 32 | 75 | 75 | -43 | bottom 4% |
| Broadband | 88 | 88 | 88 | 0 | top 50% |
| Environment | 88 | 89 | 91 | -1 | bottom 37% |
| Education | 51 | 39 | 40 | +12 | top 19% |
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 East Cambridgeshire does well. Measured against everywhere else in the index, the standouts are employment (83, 22 above the median) and education (51, 12 above the median).
Where it falls short. Transport (32, 43 below), affordability (47, 17 below) and housing (72, 11 below).
Near East Cambridgeshire, and places like it
Of the 6 scored areas within about 50 miles of East Cambridgeshire, 2 score higher: Huntingdon (70) and Ely (68). East Cambridgeshire scores 67. Huntingdon is ahead mainly on transport (+37), while East Cambridgeshire keeps the advantage on employment (+21).
| Area | Distance | Where | Overall | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ely | 3.3 miles | East Cambridgeshire, East of England, England | 68 | Good |
| Newmarket | 9.2 miles | West Suffolk, East of England, England | 65 | Good |
| Cambridge | 12 miles | Cambridge, East of England, England | 53 | Fair |
| Bury St Edmunds | 20 miles | West Suffolk, East of England, England | 67 | Good |
| Haverhill | 20 miles | West Suffolk, East of England, England | 62 | Good |
| Huntingdon | 20 miles | Huntingdonshire, East of England, England | 70 | Very good |
Straight-line distances, so roads are longer. Any place not listed can be searched directly.
| Area | Where | Overall | Average gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coalville | North West Leicestershire, East Midlands, England | 65 | 6.9 |
| Blandford Forum | Dorset, South West, England | 64 | 8.3 |
| Ilfracombe | North Devon, South West, England | 67 | 8.7 |
| Sidmouth | East Devon, South West, England | 66 | 8.8 |
| Droitwich Spa | Wychavon, West Midlands, England | 65 | 8.9 |
Average score gap across every category both areas have, so smaller is closer. Neighbouring areas are left out.
What a home in East Cambridgeshire actually costs
Source: HM Land Registry UK HPIThe average home in East Cambridgeshire is £344,211, 27 per cent above the median of the areas we have scored. With a ten per cent deposit of £34,421, repaying the rest costs about £1,996 a month, £967 more than renting at the local average of £1,029, and needs a household income of about £68,800 to borrow.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average property price | £344,211 (June 2026) |
| Change over 12 months | +6.1%, rising |
| Against our index median | 27% above the £270,569 median across every area we have scored |
| 10% deposit | £34,421 |
| 15% deposit | £51,632 |
| Price to earnings | 8.8 times UK median full-time earnings of £39,039 |
| Monthly repayment | £1,996 on a £309,790 mortgage (10% deposit, 6% over 25 years) |
| Against renting | £967 more than the £1,029 average monthly rent |
| Income to borrow it | About £68,800 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 East Cambridgeshire, 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 5.1, is well inside the UK limit of 40 and inside the WHO guideline of 10.
| Pollutant | East Cambridgeshire | UK objective | WHO guideline | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine particulates (PM2.5) | 7.0 | 10 | 5 | Inside the UK target, above the WHO guideline |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 5.1 | 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 East Cambridgeshire
Is East Cambridgeshire a good place to live?
East Cambridgeshire has an overall liveability score of 67 out of 100 (good) on TrackPostcode.UK, based on 80% of categories currently loaded. It scores best on broadband and employment. The score combines cost, affordability, safety, weather and more from open government data.
What is the crime rate in East Cambridgeshire?
Recorded crime for East Cambridgeshire 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 East Cambridgeshire?
East Cambridgeshire averages about 598 mm of rain a year, giving an outdoor score of 78 out of 100. Summer highs average 23.3°C and winter lows 2.8°C. The station records no sunshine series, so that score is built from rainfall and temperature alone. Based on the Met Office Cambridge NIAB station, 17 km away.
How expensive is it to live in East Cambridgeshire?
Average private rent in the East Cambridgeshire area is about £1,029 a month (Jun-26, ONS), giving East Cambridgeshire a cost-of-living score of 69 out of 100. Use the affordability calculator to estimate what you could comfortably afford here.
What are house prices like in East Cambridgeshire?
The average property price in East Cambridgeshire is about £344,211 (2026-06, HM Land Registry). Prices changed +6.1% over the year. See the affordability section for how that compares to local earnings.
Can I afford to buy a house in East Cambridgeshire?
The average property in East Cambridgeshire costs about £344,211, which is 8.8 times earnings against assumed full-time earnings of £39,039 a year (ONS ASHE), giving an affordability score of 47 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 £1,996 a month at 6% over 25 years, £967 more than the £1,029 average local rent. The affordability calculator on this page estimates it from your own salary and savings.
How fast is broadband in East Cambridgeshire?
About 98.1% of premises in East Cambridgeshire can get superfast broadband of 30 Mbit/s or more, and 85.1% can get a gigabit-capable connection, giving a broadband score of 88 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 East Cambridgeshire?
85.6% of 16 to 64 year olds in East Cambridgeshire are in work (NOMIS latest, retrieved Sep 2026, ONS Annual Population Survey via NOMIS), giving an employment score of 83 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 East Cambridgeshire?
East Cambridgeshire records 49.3 on Attainment 8 average score (202425), giving an education score of 51 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 East Cambridgeshire?
For the 1 km grid square containing East Cambridgeshire, fine particulates (PM2.5) average 6.97 µg/m³ against a World Health Organization guideline of 5 and nitrogen dioxide averages 5.06 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.
Does East Cambridgeshire have good transport links?
The nearest railway station is Soham, about 3.7 km away, and there are 0 bus, tram or metro stops within an 800 metre walk, giving a transport score of 32 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 East Cambridgeshire in?
East Cambridgeshire is in the East Cambridgeshire local authority, East of England, England. It falls within the Soham North ward and the Ely and East Cambridgeshire 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 East Cambridgeshire shares them. Weather, crime, amenities, healthcare, transport and air quality are measured for this point instead.
Is East Cambridgeshire a good place for remote workers?
East Cambridgeshire scores 71 out of 100 on our remote workers profile, which is weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather. That is 4 points above its general score of 67, because this profile weights the twelve categories differently. Every area we score is ranked on this basis at /best-places-for-remote-workers/.
How does East Cambridgeshire compare with the rest of England?
East Cambridgeshire sits in the top 49% 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 and education. It is furthest below on transport, affordability 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 East Cambridgeshire?
Of the areas we have scored within about 50 miles of East Cambridgeshire, the highest are Huntingdon (70 out of 100, about 20 miles away), Ely (68 out of 100, about 3 miles away) and Bury St Edmunds (67 out of 100, about 20 miles away). East Cambridgeshire itself scores 67. Distances are straight-line from this point, and each of those names links to its own full report.
Which places are most similar to East Cambridgeshire?
Across the twelve category scores, the closest matches elsewhere in Britain are Coalville (North West Leicestershire, East Midlands, England), Blandford Forum (Dorset, South West, England) and Ilfracombe (North Devon, 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 East Cambridgeshire 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.