Is Isle of Wight a good place to live?

Isle of Wight has an overall liveability score of 62 out of 100 (good) on TrackPostcode.UK, based on 90% of categories currently loaded. It scores best on broadband and housing. The score combines cost, affordability, safety, weather and more from open government data.

Recorded crime for Isle of Wight is shown in the crime and safety section, from police.uk for England and Wales or Scottish Government statistics for Scotland.

Isle of Wight averages 1,671 sunshine hours and about 912 mm of rain a year, giving an outdoor score of 76 out of 100. Summer highs average 22.4°C and winter lows 2.8°C. Based on the Met Office Hurn station, 37 km away.

Average private rent in the Isle of Wight area is about £948 a month (Jun-26, ONS), giving Isle of Wight a cost-of-living score of 74 out of 100. Use the affordability calculator to estimate what you could comfortably afford here.

The average property price in Isle of Wight is about £240,998 (2026-06, HM Land Registry). Prices changed +1.1% over the year. See the affordability section for how that compares to local earnings.

The average property in Isle of Wight costs about £240,998, which is 6.2 times earnings against assumed full-time earnings of £39,039 a year (ONS ASHE), giving an affordability score of 76 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 £1,397 a month at 6% over 25 years, £449 more than the £948 average local rent. The affordability calculator on this page estimates it from your own salary and savings.

About 97.2% of premises in Isle of Wight can get superfast broadband of 30 Mbit/s or more, and 87.1% 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.

73.6% of 16 to 64 year olds in Isle of Wight are in work (NOMIS latest, retrieved Sep 2026, ONS Annual Population Survey via NOMIS), giving an employment score of 50 out of 100. Unemployment stands at 5%. 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.

Isle of Wight records 42.6 on Attainment 8 average score (202425), giving an education score of 23 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.

For the 1 km grid square containing Isle of Wight, fine particulates (PM2.5) average 5.36 µg/m³ against a World Health Organization guideline of 5 and nitrogen dioxide averages 4.17 µg/m³ against a guideline of 10 (2024, Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, Crown copyright). That gives an environment score of 98 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.

Within about two kilometres of this point there are 7 mapped amenities, including 1 places to eat and drink, 2 shops and 4 parks and sports facilities, giving a lifestyle score of 4 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.

No GP surgery, pharmacy or dentist is mapped within about two kilometres of this point. 4 hospitals are within about eight kilometres. That gives a healthcare score of 7 out of 100. Facilities are counted from OpenStreetMap and the score describes how close services are, not waiting times, capacity or clinical quality.

The nearest railway station is Shanklin Rail Station, about 12.3 km away, and there are 6 bus, tram or metro stops within an 800 metre walk, giving a transport score of 21 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.

Isle of Wight is in the Isle of Wight local authority, South East, England. It falls within the Carisbrooke & Gunville ward and the Isle of Wight West 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 Isle of Wight shares them. Weather, crime, amenities, healthcare, transport and air quality are measured for this point instead.

Isle of Wight scores 68 out of 100 on our remote workers profile, which is weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather. That is 6 points above its general score of 62, because this profile weights the twelve categories differently. Every area we score is ranked on this basis at /best-places-for-remote-workers/.

Isle of Wight scores 61 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 62, so the weighting neither flatters nor penalises this area. Every area we score is ranked on this basis at /best-places-for-students/.

Isle of Wight sits in the bottom 21% 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 and environment. It is furthest below on transport, lifestyle and healthcare. 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.

Of the areas we have scored within about 50 miles of Isle of Wight, the highest are Ryde (68 out of 100, about 9 miles away), Gosport (67 out of 100, about 12 miles away) and Waterlooville (67 out of 100, about 19 miles away). Isle of Wight itself scores 62. Distances are straight-line from this point, and each of those names links to its own full report.

Across the twelve category scores, the closest matches elsewhere in Britain are Ilford (Somerset, South West, England), Glastonbury (Somerset, South West, England) and Romford (Dorset, 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.

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 Isle of Wight 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.