Area report
Is Forest of Dean a good place to live?
Forest of Dean, South West, England
Report completeness: 85%. Score is based on the categories with data loaded for this area.
In short
Forest of Dean scores 65 out of 100 overall, which places it below the median of the 539 UK areas we have scored. Its biggest lead is education, scoring 60 against the English median of 39; its biggest shortfall is transport, 18 against 75.
- Nearest scored area: Ross-on-Wye, about 8 miles away, scoring 67.
- Median overall score across the 539 areas in our index: 67 out of 100.
- Report completeness 85 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 Ross-on-Wye station, 13 km away); 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 Forest of Dean: 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 Forest of Dean home needs borrowing of 6.7 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 Forest of Dean, 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
Forest of Dean averages about 1,461 sunshine hours a year, around the middle of the UK range, with typical rainfall for the UK (about 812 mm a year). Summer days typically reach around 22.3°C and winter nights fall to about 3.2°C.
Averages over 6 years (2020-2025) from the Met Office Ross-on-Wye station, 13 km away. How the outdoor score works. Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright.
Broadband and mobile
Source: Ofcom Connected NationsOfcom Connected Nations coverage for Forest of Dean: 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 Forest of Dean, 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 Forest of Dean suits
Of the 1 profiles we score, Forest of Dean suits remote workers best, at 70 out of 100.
Forest of Dean is a markedly better fit for some households than others. It ranks in the top 41% 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.
| Household | Score | Standing | What it weights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Families | 65 | top 41% | Weighted towards schools, safety, housing and healthcare. |
| Remote workers | 70 | top 44% | Weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather. |
| Students | 68 | top 49% | Weighted towards cost of living, lifestyle, transport and safety. |
| Retirees | 63 | bottom 28% | Weighted towards healthcare, safety, environment and cost of living. |
| Young professionals | 62 | bottom 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
- Cost of living
- Housing
- Broadband
- Environment
Worth checking carefully
- Transport
- Healthcare
Built only from the categories with data; 2 are still to load for this area.
How Forest of Dean compares
| Category | Forest of Dean | England median | UK median | vs England median | UK position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 81 | 71 | 72 | +10 | top 29% |
| Affordability | 62 | 64 | 68 | -2 | bottom 39% |
| Weather | 68 | 72 | 72 | -4 | bottom 38% |
| Employment | 50 | 61 | 59 | -11 | bottom 27% |
| Housing | 90 | 83 | 83 | +7 | top 29% |
| Transport | 18 | 75 | 75 | -57 | bottom 1% |
| Broadband | 80 | 88 | 88 | -8 | bottom 22% |
| Environment | 96 | 89 | 91 | +7 | top 31% |
| Healthcare | 9 | 54 | 52 | -45 | bottom 1% |
| Education | 60 | 39 | 40 | +21 | top 14% |
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 Forest of Dean does well. Measured against everywhere else in the index, the standouts are education (60, 21 above the median) and cost of living (81, 10 above the median).
Where it falls short. Transport (18, 57 below), healthcare (9, 45 below) and employment (50, 11 below).
Near Forest of Dean, and places like it
Of the 6 scored areas within about 50 miles of Forest of Dean, 4 score higher: Gloucester (74), Ross-on-Wye (67), Stroud (67) and Chepstow (66). Forest of Dean scores 65. Gloucester is ahead mainly on transport (+72), while Forest of Dean keeps the advantage on cost of living (+17).
| Area | Distance | Where | Overall | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross-on-Wye | 8.3 miles | Herefordshire, County of, West Midlands, England | 67 | Good |
| Monmouth | 10.0 miles | Monmouthshire, Wales | 63 | Good |
| Gloucester | 10 miles | Gloucester, South West, England | 74 | Very good |
| Stroud | 12 miles | Stroud, South West, England | 67 | Good |
| Thornbury | 14 miles | South Gloucestershire, South West, England | 62 | Good |
| Chepstow | 15 miles | Monmouthshire, Wales | 66 | Good |
Straight-line distances, so roads are longer. Any place not listed can be searched directly.
| Area | Where | Overall | Average gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ilford | Somerset, South West, England | 63 | 7.6 |
| Romford | Dorset, South West, England | 62 | 9.5 |
| Glastonbury | Somerset, South West, England | 65 | 9.6 |
| Wadebridge | Cornwall, South West, England | 64 | 9.8 |
| Ripon | North Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber, England | 68 | 9.8 |
Average score gap across every category both areas have, so smaller is closer. Neighbouring areas are left out.
What a home in Forest of Dean actually costs
Source: HM Land Registry UK HPIThe average home in Forest of Dean is £288,524, 7 per cent above the median of the areas we have scored. With a ten per cent deposit of £28,852, repaying the rest costs about £1,673 a month, £849 more than renting at the local average of £824, and needs a household income of about £57,700 to borrow.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average property price | £288,524 (June 2026) |
| Change over 12 months | +1.9%, rising |
| Against our index median | 7% above the £270,569 median across every area we have scored |
| 10% deposit | £28,852 |
| 15% deposit | £43,279 |
| Price to earnings | 7.4 times UK median full-time earnings of £39,039 |
| Monthly repayment | £1,673 on a £259,672 mortgage (10% deposit, 6% over 25 years) |
| Against renting | £849 more than the £824 average monthly rent |
| Income to borrow it | About £57,700 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 Forest of Dean, against the limits
Source: Defra modelled background mapsFine particulates, at 5.6, 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 3.9, is well inside the UK limit of 40 and inside the WHO guideline of 10.
| Pollutant | Forest of Dean | UK objective | WHO guideline | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine particulates (PM2.5) | 5.6 | 10 | 5 | Inside the UK target, above the WHO guideline |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 3.9 | 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 Forest of Dean
Is Forest of Dean a good place to live?
Forest of Dean has an overall liveability score of 65 out of 100 (good) on TrackPostcode.UK, based on 85% 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 Forest of Dean?
Recorded crime for Forest of Dean 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 Forest of Dean?
Forest of Dean averages 1,461 sunshine hours and about 812 mm of rain a year, giving an outdoor score of 68 out of 100. Summer highs average 22.3°C and winter lows 3.2°C. Based on the Met Office Ross-on-Wye station, 13 km away.
How expensive is it to live in Forest of Dean?
Average private rent in the Forest of Dean area is about £824 a month (Jun-26, ONS), giving Forest of Dean a cost-of-living score of 81 out of 100. Use the affordability calculator to estimate what you could comfortably afford here.
What are house prices like in Forest of Dean?
The average property price in Forest of Dean is about £288,524 (2026-06, HM Land Registry). Prices changed +1.9% over the year. See the affordability section for how that compares to local earnings.
Can I afford to buy a house in Forest of Dean?
The average property in Forest of Dean costs about £288,524, which is 7.4 times earnings against assumed full-time earnings of £39,039 a year (ONS ASHE), giving an affordability score of 62 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 £1,673 a month at 6% over 25 years, £849 more than the £824 average local rent. The affordability calculator on this page estimates it from your own salary and savings.
How fast is broadband in Forest of Dean?
About 95.1% of premises in Forest of Dean can get superfast broadband of 30 Mbit/s or more, and 79.2% can get a gigabit-capable connection, giving a broadband score of 80 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 Forest of Dean?
73.5% of 16 to 64 year olds in Forest of Dean are in work (NOMIS latest, retrieved Sep 2026, ONS Annual Population Survey via NOMIS), giving an employment score of 50 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 Forest of Dean?
Forest of Dean records 51.3 on Attainment 8 average score (202425), giving an education score of 60 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 Forest of Dean?
For the 1 km grid square containing Forest of Dean, fine particulates (PM2.5) average 5.61 µg/m³ against a World Health Organization guideline of 5 and nitrogen dioxide averages 3.91 µg/m³ against a guideline of 10 (2024, Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, Crown copyright). That gives an environment score of 96 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 Forest of Dean?
Within about two kilometres of this point there are 1 dentist. 1 hospital is within about eight kilometres. That gives a healthcare score of 9 out of 100. Facilities are counted from OpenStreetMap and the score describes how close services are, not waiting times, capacity or clinical quality.
Does Forest of Dean have good transport links?
The nearest railway station is Lydney Rail Station, about 11.5 km away, and there are 2 bus, tram or metro stops within an 800 metre walk, giving a transport score of 18 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 Forest of Dean in?
Forest of Dean is in the Forest of Dean local authority, South West, England. It falls within the Newnham ward and the Forest of Dean 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 Forest of Dean shares them. Weather, crime, amenities, healthcare, transport and air quality are measured for this point instead.
Is Forest of Dean a good place for remote workers?
Forest of Dean scores 70 out of 100 on our remote workers profile, which is weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather. That is 5 points above its general score of 65, 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 Forest of Dean compare with the rest of England?
Forest of Dean 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 education and cost of living. It is furthest below on transport, healthcare and employment. 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 Forest of Dean?
Of the areas we have scored within about 50 miles of Forest of Dean, the highest are Gloucester (74 out of 100, about 10 miles away), Ross-on-Wye (67 out of 100, about 8 miles away) and Stroud (67 out of 100, about 12 miles away). Forest of Dean 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 Forest of Dean?
Across the twelve category scores, the closest matches elsewhere in Britain are Ilford (Somerset, South West, England), Romford (Dorset, South West, England) and Glastonbury (Somerset, 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 Forest of Dean 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.