Area report
Is Staines-upon-Thames a good place to live?
Spelthorne, South East, England
Report completeness: 100%. Score is based on the categories with data loaded for this area.
In short
Staines-upon-Thames scores 51 out of 100 overall, which places it below the median of the 539 UK areas we have scored. Its biggest lead is education, scoring 63 against the English median of 39; its biggest shortfall is housing, 31 against 83.
- Nearest scored area: Weybridge, about 5 miles away, scoring 47.
- Median overall score across the 539 areas in our index: 67 out of 100.
- Report completeness 100 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 Heathrow station, 7 km away); 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 Spelthorne: 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 Staines-upon-Thames home needs borrowing of 9.9 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 Spelthorne, all property types. Steady growth scores best; sharp falls and overheating both score lower.
Crime and safety
Source: police.ukAll recorded crime by type
| Category | Recorded (2026-08) |
|---|---|
| Violent crime | 103 |
| Anti social behaviour | 66 |
| Public order | 52 |
| Criminal damage arson | 24 |
| Shoplifting | 23 |
| Drugs | 10 |
| Other theft | 10 |
| Vehicle crime | 6 |
| Robbery | 4 |
| Burglary | 3 |
| Bicycle theft | 1 |
| Possession of weapons | 1 |
| Theft from the person | 1 |
| Other crime | 1 |
In 2026-08, 305 crimes were recorded within about a mile of this point in Staines-upon-Thames - a busy level of recorded crime, typical of urban centres. 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 OfficeOutdoor suitability
Staines-upon-Thames averages about 1,526 sunshine hours a year, around the middle of the UK range, with relatively low rainfall for the UK (about 645 mm a year). Summer days typically reach around 24.2°C and winter nights fall to about 3.6°C.
Averages over 6 years (2020-2025) from the Met Office Heathrow station, 7 km away. How the outdoor score works. Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright.
Broadband and mobile
Source: Ofcom Connected NationsOfcom Connected Nations coverage for Spelthorne: 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 Spelthorne, 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: OpenStreetMapWhat is nearby
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Food and drink | 92 |
| Shops | 218 |
| Health services | 13 |
| Schools and learning | 10 |
| Parks and sport | 98 |
| Culture and community | 8 |
Counted from OpenStreetMap within about 2 km of this exact point; private gardens are not counted. Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Who Staines-upon-Thames suits
Of the 5 profiles we score, Staines-upon-Thames suits remote workers and young professionals equally well, at 53 out of 100. The 5 profiles land within 4 points of each other here, so this is a mild lean rather than a strong fit.
Staines-upon-Thames suits most households about equally: from the bottom 6% for students to the bottom 3% for retirees of the 539 areas we have scored.
| Household | Score | Standing | What it weights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 49 | bottom 6% | Weighted towards cost of living, lifestyle, transport and safety. |
| Young professionals | 53 | bottom 5% | Weighted towards employment, lifestyle, transport and broadband. |
| Remote workers | 53 | bottom 4% | Weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather. |
| Families | 51 | bottom 4% | Weighted towards schools, safety, housing and healthcare. |
| Retirees | 49 | bottom 3% | Weighted towards healthcare, safety, environment and cost of living. |
The same twelve scores, weighted per household. Set your own weights in the relocation quiz.
Stands out on
- Broadband
Worth checking carefully
- Cost of living
- Affordability
- Housing
How Staines-upon-Thames compares
| Category | Staines-upon-Thames | England median | UK median | vs England median | UK position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 33 | 71 | 72 | -38 | bottom 7% |
| Affordability | 22 | 64 | 68 | -42 | bottom 11% |
| Safety | 50 | 52 | 52 | -2 | bottom 40% |
| Weather | 72 | 72 | 72 | 0 | top 47% |
| Employment | 64 | 61 | 59 | +3 | top 34% |
| Housing | 31 | 83 | 83 | -52 | bottom 5% |
| Transport | 74 | 75 | 75 | -1 | bottom 47% |
| Broadband | 93 | 88 | 88 | +5 | top 31% |
| Environment | 74 | 89 | 91 | -15 | bottom 7% |
| Healthcare | 53 | 54 | 52 | -1 | top 48% |
| Education | 63 | 39 | 40 | +24 | top 7% |
| Lifestyle | 56 | 56 | 54 | 0 | top 45% |
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 Staines-upon-Thames does well. Measured against everywhere else in the index, the standouts are education (63, 24 above the median).
Where it falls short. Housing (31, 52 below), affordability (22, 42 below) and cost of living (33, 38 below).
Near Staines-upon-Thames, and places like it
Of the 6 scored areas within about 50 miles of Staines-upon-Thames, 1 scores higher: Slough (60). Staines-upon-Thames scores 51. Slough is ahead mainly on housing (+62), while Staines-upon-Thames keeps the advantage on employment (+10).
| Area | Distance | Where | Overall | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weybridge | 4.8 miles | Elmbridge, South East, England | 47 | Fair |
| Windsor | 5.3 miles | Windsor and Maidenhead, South East, England | 48 | Fair |
| Slough | 6.2 miles | Slough, South East, England | 60 | Good |
| Hounslow | 6.9 miles | Hounslow, London, England | 49 | Fair |
| Uxbridge | 7.9 miles | Hillingdon, London, England | 50 | Fair |
| Twickenham | 8.1 miles | Richmond upon Thames, London, England | 50 | Fair |
Straight-line distances, so roads are longer. Any place not listed can be searched directly.
| Area | Where | Overall | Average gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woking | Woking, South East, England | 55 | 5.9 |
| Hatfield | Welwyn Hatfield, East of England, England | 55 | 7.2 |
| Redhill | Reigate and Banstead, South East, England | 54 | 7.8 |
| Welwyn Garden City | Welwyn Hatfield, East of England, England | 55 | 8 |
| Hitchin | North Hertfordshire, East of England, England | 56 | 8.3 |
Average score gap across every category both areas have, so smaller is closer. Neighbouring areas are left out.
Crime in Staines-upon-Thames: what kind, not just how much
Source: police.ukWhat is distinctive about the mix here: public order makes up 17 per cent of recorded crime here against 7 per cent typically. 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.
| Offence type | Count | Share | Typical share | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 103 | 33.8% | 34.0% | -0.2 |
| Anti-social behaviour | 66 | 21.6% | 17.9% | +3.7 |
| Public order | 52 | 17.0% | 7.4% | +9.6 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 24 | 7.9% | 7.0% | +0.9 |
| Shoplifting | 23 | 7.5% | 10.5% | -3.0 |
| Drugs | 10 | 3.3% | 2.5% | +0.8 |
| Other theft | 10 | 3.3% | 5.6% | -2.3 |
| Vehicle crime | 6 | 2.0% | 2.9% | -0.9 |
305 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 Staines-upon-Thames actually costs
Source: HM Land Registry UK HPIThe average home in Staines-upon-Thames is £429,916, 59 per cent above the median of the areas we have scored. With a ten per cent deposit of £42,992, repaying the rest costs about £2,493 a month, £856 more than renting at the local average of £1,637, and needs a household income of about £86,000 to borrow.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average property price | £429,916 (June 2026) |
| Change over 12 months | -4.7%, falling |
| Against our index median | 59% above the £270,569 median across every area we have scored |
| 10% deposit | £42,992 |
| 15% deposit | £64,487 |
| Price to earnings | 11.0 times UK median full-time earnings of £39,039 |
| Monthly repayment | £2,493 on a £386,924 mortgage (10% deposit, 6% over 25 years) |
| Against renting | £856 more than the £1,637 average monthly rent |
| Income to borrow it | About £86,000 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 Staines-upon-Thames, against the limits
Source: Defra modelled background mapsFine particulates, at 7.9, 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 16.6, is well inside the UK limit of 40 but above the WHO guideline of 10.
| Pollutant | Staines-upon-Thames | UK objective | WHO guideline | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine particulates (PM2.5) | 7.9 | 10 | 5 | Inside the UK target, above the WHO guideline |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 16.6 | 40 | 10 | Inside the UK limit, above the WHO guideline |
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 Staines-upon-Thames
Is Staines-upon-Thames a good place to live?
Staines-upon-Thames has an overall liveability score of 51 out of 100 (fair) on TrackPostcode.UK, based on 100% of categories currently loaded. It scores best on broadband and weather. The score combines cost, affordability, safety, weather and more from open government data.
What is the crime rate in Staines-upon-Thames?
About 305 crimes were recorded within roughly a mile of Staines-upon-Thames in 2026-08 (police.uk), giving a safety score of 50 out of 100. Town and city centres naturally record more than residential streets.
What is the weather like in Staines-upon-Thames?
Staines-upon-Thames averages 1,526 sunshine hours and about 645 mm of rain a year, giving an outdoor score of 72 out of 100. Summer highs average 24.2°C and winter lows 3.6°C. Based on the Met Office Heathrow station, 7 km away.
How expensive is it to live in Staines-upon-Thames?
Average private rent in the Spelthorne area is about £1,637 a month (Jun-26, ONS), giving Staines-upon-Thames a cost-of-living score of 33 out of 100. Use the affordability calculator to estimate what you could comfortably afford here.
What are house prices like in Staines-upon-Thames?
The average property price in Spelthorne is about £429,916 (2026-06, HM Land Registry). Prices changed -4.7% over the year. See the affordability section for how that compares to local earnings.
Is Staines-upon-Thames safe?
Staines-upon-Thames scores 50 out of 100 for safety - fair - measured from recorded crime within about a mile of this point for the latest published month (police.uk). That puts it in the bottom 40% 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 Staines-upon-Thames?
The average property in Spelthorne costs about £429,916, which is 11 times earnings against assumed full-time earnings of £39,039 a year (ONS ASHE), giving an affordability score of 22 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 £2,493 a month at 6% over 25 years, £856 more than the £1,637 average local rent. The affordability calculator on this page estimates it from your own salary and savings.
How fast is broadband in Staines-upon-Thames?
About 98.5% of premises in Spelthorne can get superfast broadband of 30 Mbit/s or more, and 93.1% can get a gigabit-capable connection, giving a broadband score of 93 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 Staines-upon-Thames?
78.7% of 16 to 64 year olds in Spelthorne are in work (NOMIS latest, retrieved Sep 2026, ONS Annual Population Survey via NOMIS), giving an employment score of 64 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 Staines-upon-Thames?
Spelthorne records 52.2 on Attainment 8 average score (202425), giving an education score of 63 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 Staines-upon-Thames?
For the 1 km grid square containing Staines-upon-Thames, fine particulates (PM2.5) average 7.93 µg/m³ against a World Health Organization guideline of 5 and nitrogen dioxide averages 16.59 µg/m³ against a guideline of 10 (2024, Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, Crown copyright). That gives an environment score of 74 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 Staines-upon-Thames?
Within about two kilometres of this point there are 439 mapped amenities, including 92 places to eat and drink, 218 shops, 98 parks and sports facilities and 8 cultural and community venues, giving a lifestyle score of 56 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 Staines-upon-Thames?
Within about two kilometres of this point there are 6 GP surgeries, 4 pharmacies and 3 dentists. 3 hospitals are within about eight kilometres. That gives a healthcare score of 53 out of 100. Facilities are counted from OpenStreetMap and the score describes how close services are, not waiting times, capacity or clinical quality.
Does Staines-upon-Thames have good transport links?
The nearest railway station is Staines Rail Station, about 0.6 km away, and there are 39 bus, tram or metro stops within an 800 metre walk, giving a transport score of 74 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 Staines-upon-Thames in?
Staines-upon-Thames is in the Spelthorne local authority, South East, England. It falls within the Staines ward and the Spelthorne 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 Spelthorne shares them. Weather, crime, amenities, healthcare, transport and air quality are measured for this point instead.
Is Staines-upon-Thames a good place for remote workers?
Staines-upon-Thames scores 53 out of 100 on our remote workers profile, which is weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather. That is close to its general score of 51, so the weighting neither flatters nor penalises this area. Every area we score is ranked on this basis at /best-places-for-remote-workers/.
Is Staines-upon-Thames a good place for young professionals?
Staines-upon-Thames scores 53 out of 100 on our young professionals profile, which is weighted towards employment, lifestyle, transport and broadband. That is close to its general score of 51, so the weighting neither flatters nor penalises this area.
How does Staines-upon-Thames compare with the rest of England?
Staines-upon-Thames sits in the bottom 5% 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. It is furthest below on housing, affordability and cost of living. 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 Staines-upon-Thames?
Of the areas we have scored within about 50 miles of Staines-upon-Thames, the highest are Slough (60 out of 100, about 6 miles away), Uxbridge (50 out of 100, about 8 miles away) and Twickenham (50 out of 100, about 8 miles away). Staines-upon-Thames itself scores 51. Distances are straight-line from this point, and each of those names links to its own full report.
Which places are most similar to Staines-upon-Thames?
Across the twelve category scores, the closest matches elsewhere in Britain are Woking (Woking, South East, England), Hatfield (Welwyn Hatfield, East of England, England) and Redhill (Reigate and Banstead, South East, 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 Spelthorne 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.