Area report
Stone
Stafford, West Midlands, England
Report completeness: 100%. Score is based on the categories with data loaded for this area.
In short
Stone scores 67 out of 100 overall, which places it below the median of the 538 UK areas we have scored. Its strongest category is employment at 70, 9 points above the local median; its weakest is lifestyle at 40.
- Nearest scored area: Stafford, about 7 miles away, scoring 69.
- Median overall score across the 538 areas in our index: 68 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 (nearest Met Office weather station: Shawbury, 37 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 Stafford: Cost of living, Affordability, Housing, Employment, Broadband. 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 RegistryEstimate what you could comfortably afford in this area from your own salary and savings.
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 RegistryHM Land Registry UK House Price Index for the local authority. The score rewards steady, sustainable price growth; sharp falls and overheating both reduce it.
Crime and safety
Source: police.ukAll recorded crime by type
| Category | Recorded (2026-07) |
|---|---|
| Violent crime | 61 |
| Anti social behaviour | 33 |
| Criminal damage arson | 7 |
| Public order | 7 |
| Shoplifting | 6 |
| Bicycle theft | 5 |
| Burglary | 3 |
| Other theft | 3 |
| Vehicle crime | 3 |
| Other crime | 2 |
In 2026-07, 130 crimes were recorded within about a mile of this point in Stone - a moderate volume of recorded crime for a one-mile radius. 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, 2026-07. This counts crime volume within a mile, not a per-person rate, so busy centres with high footfall record more than quiet suburbs - compare similar area types.
Weather and outdoors
Source: Met OfficeOutdoor suitability
Stone averages about 1,354 sunshine hours a year, around the middle of the UK range, with typical rainfall for the UK (about 753 mm a year). Summer days typically reach around 21.1°C and winter nights fall to about 2.1°C. All figures are multi-year averages from Met Office station records, not forecasts.
Climate averages over 6 years (2020-2025) from Met Office historic station data, using the nearest long-running station. For context, UK locations typically see roughly 1,100 to 1,750 sunshine hours and 550 to 1,900 mm of rainfall a year. Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright.
Broadband and mobile
Source: Ofcom Connected NationsOfcom Connected Nations fixed coverage for the local authority. Figures are the share of premises able to get each service, not the share subscribed.
Schools and education
Source: DfE and devolved governmentsLocal authority average, key stage 4, state-funded schools. Education statistics are published per nation, so England uses DfE Attainment 8, Scotland uses Scottish Government school leaver attainment and Wales uses the Capped 9 points score; each is stated on the report it applies to. Source: Department for Education.
Healthcare
Source: OpenStreetMapHealthcare facilities near this exact point, counted from OpenStreetMap: GPs, pharmacies and dentists within about 2 km and hospitals within about 8 km. The score weights everyday access (a nearby GP and pharmacy) most heavily, on a diminishing-returns curve. This is point-level, so it reflects this specific location, not a council average. Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Employment
Source: ONS / NOMISONS Annual Population Survey for the local authority, via NOMIS. UK local authorities typically range from about 62% to 82% employment among 16 to 64 year olds.
Environment
Source: Defra UK-AIRModelled background air quality for the 1 km grid cell containing this point, from Defra's Pollution Climate Mapping model (Crown copyright). The score compares fine particulates (60% weight) and nitrogen dioxide (40%) against World Health Organization 2021 guideline levels; meeting both guidelines scores 100.
Transport
Source: DfT NaPTANPublic transport access points from the DfT NaPTAN dataset, measured for this exact point. The score combines stop density within a short walk (twelve or more stops scores full marks, on a diminishing-returns curve) with distance to the nearest railway station (full marks within 1 km, fading to zero at 15 km). Northern Ireland is not covered by NaPTAN.
Cost of living
Source: ONSCost of living is proxied by average private rent from the ONS Price Index of Private Rents - the largest and most locally variable living cost. ONS analysis shows most other prices vary little across UK regions, so rent is the honest single indicator of how expensive an area is to live in.
Lifestyle and amenities
Source: OpenStreetMapWhat is nearby
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Food and drink | 36 |
| Shops | 23 |
| Health services | 7 |
| Schools and learning | 11 |
| Parks and sport | 78 |
| Culture and community | 5 |
Everyday amenities within about 2 km of this exact point, counted from OpenStreetMap. This is point-level, so it genuinely reflects how well-served this specific location is. Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Who this area suits
Of the 5 profiles we score, Stone suits remote workers best, at 70 out of 100.
Stone looks strong for
- Remote workers
Stands out on
- Housing
- Broadband
- Environment
Worth checking carefully
- Healthcare
- Education
- Lifestyle
Suggestions are generated only from categories with data. As more sources load, this becomes more complete.
How Stone compares
| Category | Stone | England median | UK median | Difference | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 77 | 71 | 72 | +6 | top 40% |
| Affordability | 70 | 64 | 68 | +6 | top 47% |
| Safety | 60 | 52 | 52 | +8 | top 19% |
| Weather | 65 | 72 | 72 | -7 | bottom 30% |
| Employment | 70 | 61 | 59 | +9 | top 16% |
| Housing | 85 | 87 | 86 | -2 | bottom 46% |
| Transport | 62 | 75 | 75 | -13 | bottom 12% |
| Broadband | 84 | 88 | 88 | -4 | bottom 34% |
| Environment | 90 | 89 | 91 | +1 | bottom 46% |
| Healthcare | 33 | 54 | 52 | -21 | bottom 14% |
| Education | 34 | 40 | 40 | -6 | bottom 26% |
| Lifestyle | 40 | 61 | 59 | -21 | bottom 11% |
Medians are taken across the 538 areas currently in our index, not across every place in Britain, and "position" is where this area sits in that distribution. The difference column compares against the England median where we have enough England areas to make one meaningful, and the UK median otherwise. Safety and education are measured differently in each nation, so those two rows compare within a nation only.
What Stone does well. Measured against everywhere else in the index, the standouts are employment (70, 9 above the median) and safety (60, 8 above the median). Those are the categories where this area is genuinely distinctive rather than simply adequate.
Where it falls short. Lifestyle (40, 21 below), healthcare (33, 21 below) and transport (62, 13 below). Whether that matters depends entirely on you, which is the point of the persona scores above: a category that sinks an area for one household barely registers for another.
Near Stone, and places like it
Of the 6 scored areas within about 50 miles of Stone, 6 score higher: Uttoxeter (74), Rugeley (74) and Stoke-on-Trent (73) and 3 more. Stone scores 67. Uttoxeter is ahead mainly on weather (+16).
| Area | Distance | Where | Overall | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford | 6.7 miles | Stafford, West Midlands, England | 69 | Good |
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | 8.3 miles | Newcastle-under-Lyme, West Midlands, England | 71 | Very good |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 8.4 miles | Stoke-on-Trent, West Midlands, England | 73 | Very good |
| Uttoxeter | 12 miles | East Staffordshire, West Midlands, England | 74 | Very good |
| Rugeley | 13 miles | Cannock Chase, West Midlands, England | 74 | Very good |
| Kidsgrove | 13 miles | Newcastle-under-Lyme, West Midlands, England | 70 | Very good |
Straight-line distance from the point this report was built for, so a road journey will be longer. Only areas already in our index appear here; any other place nearby can be searched directly.
| Area | Where | Overall | Average gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leominster | Herefordshire, County of, West Midlands, England | 70 | 3.4 |
| Ledbury | Herefordshire, County of, West Midlands, England | 71 | 3.6 |
| Droitwich Spa | Wychavon, West Midlands, England | 70 | 4.6 |
| Cannock | Cannock Chase, West Midlands, England | 74 | 4.8 |
| Skelmersdale | West Lancashire, North West, England | 72 | 4.9 |
Ranked by the average difference across every category both areas have data for, so a smaller gap means a closer match. Places immediately next door are excluded, because the town twenty minutes away being similar is not news. These are matches on the shape of the data rather than on character: two areas can score alike and feel nothing like each other.
Crime in Stone: what kind, not just how much
Source: police.ukWhat is distinctive about the mix here: violence and sexual offences makes up 47 per cent of recorded crime here against 36 per cent typically, anti-social behaviour makes up 25 per cent of recorded crime here against 17 per cent typically and shoplifting is proportionally lower, at 5 per cent against 10. 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 | 61 | 46.9% | 36.1% | +10.8 |
| Anti-social behaviour | 33 | 25.4% | 17.1% | +8.3 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 7 | 5.4% | 6.6% | -1.2 |
| Public order | 7 | 5.4% | 7.6% | -2.2 |
| Shoplifting | 6 | 4.6% | 10.1% | -5.5 |
| Bicycle theft | 5 | 3.8% | 0.7% | +3.1 |
| Burglary | 3 | 2.3% | 2.5% | -0.2 |
| Other theft | 3 | 2.3% | 5.5% | -3.2 |
130 offences recorded within about a mile of this point in July 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 Stone actually costs
Source: HM Land Registry UK HPIWhat the numbers above mean in cash. The average home in Stone is £263,494, 3 per cent below the median of the areas we have scored, which puts the deposit at £26,349 at ten per cent and roughly 6.7 years of saving a tenth of gross pay.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average property price | £263,494 (May 2026) |
| Change over 12 months | +4.7% — rising |
| Against our index median | 3% below the £270,320 median across every area we have scored |
| 10% deposit | £26,349 |
| 15% deposit | £39,524 |
| Price to earnings | 6.7 times UK median full-time earnings of £39,039 |
| Years to save the 10% deposit | 6.7 years, saving a tenth of gross pay |
Prices are the HM Land Registry UK House Price Index average for this local authority, so they cover every property type together and an individual home will differ. Earnings are the UK median for full-time employees (April 2025 (ONS ASHE)), not a local figure, so the multiple compares areas on a common basis rather than describing what a local worker earns. This is illustrative arithmetic to help you compare places. It is not a mortgage assessment or financial advice, and TrackPostcode.UK is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The affordability calculator works the same sums against your own salary and savings.
Air quality in Stone, against the limits
Source: Defra modelled background mapsMeasured against the published thresholds rather than against other areas: in Stone, fine particulates at 6.8 sit inside the UK 2040 target of 10 but above the World Health Organization guideline of 5, which is true of most of Britain and nitrogen dioxide at 8.3 is well inside the UK limit of 40.
| Pollutant | Stone | UK objective | WHO guideline | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine particulates (PM2.5) | 6.8 | 10 | 5 | Inside the UK target, above the WHO guideline |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 8.3 | 40 | 10 | Inside both |
Annual mean background concentrations from the Defra modelled 1 km grid, so this is the air across the neighbourhood rather than at the kerb of a busy road, where readings are consistently higher. The UK figures are the legal limit for nitrogen dioxide and the 2040 target for fine particulates; the World Health Organization 2021 guidelines are health-based recommendations rather than law, and most of the United Kingdom sits between the two.
Who Stone suits
Stone suits most households about equally: every persona lands within twenty-five percentage points of the others, so no type of buyer is being flattered or penalised by the weighting. Areas with a sharp specialism are more common than this.
| Household | Score | Standing | What it weights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Families | 65 | top 48% | Weighted towards schools, safety, housing and healthcare. |
| Remote workers | 70 | top 50% | Weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather. |
| Young professionals | 67 | bottom 49% | Weighted towards employment, lifestyle, transport and broadband. |
| Students | 68 | bottom 48% | Weighted towards cost of living, lifestyle, transport and safety. |
| Retirees | 66 | bottom 42% | Weighted towards healthcare, safety, environment and cost of living. |
Each persona is the same twelve category scores recombined with different weights, ranked against every area in our index. The relocation quiz does the same thing with weights you choose yourself.
Questions about Stone
Is Stone a good place to live?
Stone has an overall liveability score of 67 out of 100 (good) on TrackPostcode.UK, based on 100% 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 Stone?
About 130 crimes were recorded within roughly a mile of Stone in 2026-07 (police.uk), giving a safety score of 60 out of 100. Town and city centres naturally record more than residential streets.
What is the weather like in Stone?
Stone averages 1,354 sunshine hours and about 753 mm of rain a year, giving an outdoor score of 65 out of 100. Summer highs average 21.1°C and winter lows 2.1°C. Based on Met Office data from the Shawbury weather station (37 km away).
How expensive is it to live in Stone?
Average private rent in the Stafford area is about £896 a month (Jun-26, ONS), giving Stone a cost-of-living score of 77 out of 100. Use the affordability calculator to estimate what you could comfortably afford here.
What are house prices like in Stone?
The average property price in Stafford is about £263,494 (2026-05, HM Land Registry). Prices changed +4.7% over the year. See the affordability section for how that compares to local earnings.
Is Stone safe?
Stone scores 60 out of 100 for safety - good - measured from recorded crime within about a mile of this point for the latest published month (police.uk). That puts it in the top 19% 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 Stone?
The average property in Stafford costs about £263,494, which is 6.7 times earnings against assumed full-time earnings of £39,039 a year (ONS ASHE), giving an affordability score of 70 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. The affordability calculator on this page estimates it from your own salary and savings.
How fast is broadband in Stone?
About 95.7% of premises in Stafford can get superfast broadband of 30 Mbit/s or more, and 84.6% can get a gigabit-capable connection, giving a broadband score of 84 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 Stone?
80.9% of 16 to 64 year olds in Stafford are in work (NOMIS latest, retrieved Aug 2026, ONS Annual Population Survey via NOMIS), giving an employment score of 70 out of 100. Unemployment stands at 0%. 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 Stone?
Stafford records 45.2 on Attainment 8 average score (202425), giving an education score of 34 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 Stone?
For the 1 km grid square containing Stone, fine particulates (PM2.5) average 6.75 µg/m³ against a World Health Organization guideline of 5 and nitrogen dioxide averages 8.32 µg/m³ against a guideline of 10 (2024, Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, Crown copyright). That gives an environment score of 90 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 Stone?
Within about two kilometres of this point there are 160 mapped amenities, including 36 places to eat and drink, 23 shops, 78 parks and sports facilities and 5 cultural and community venues, giving a lifestyle score of 40 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 Stone?
Within about two kilometres of this point there are 3 GP surgeries, 1 pharmacy and 3 dentists. That gives a healthcare score of 33 out of 100. Facilities are counted from OpenStreetMap and the score describes how close services are, not waiting times, capacity or clinical quality.
Does Stone have good transport links?
The nearest railway station is Stone Rail Station, about 1 km away, and there are 16 bus, tram or metro stops within an 800 metre walk, giving a transport score of 62 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 Stone in?
Stone is in the Stafford local authority, West Midlands, England. It falls within the St Michael's & Stonefield ward and the Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge 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 Stafford shares them. Weather, crime, amenities, healthcare, transport and air quality are measured for this point instead.
Is Stone a good place for remote workers?
Stone scores 70 out of 100 on our remote workers profile, which is weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather. That is 3 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/.
Is Stone a good place for students?
Stone scores 68 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 67, so the weighting neither flatters nor penalises this area. Every area we score is ranked on this basis at /best-places-for-students/.
How does Stone compare with the rest of England?
Stone sits in the bottom 45% of the 538 UK areas we have scored. The median area in the index scores 68 out of 100. It is furthest above the benchmark for its nation on employment and safety. It is furthest below on lifestyle, healthcare 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 Stone?
Of the areas we have scored within about 50 miles of Stone, the highest are Uttoxeter (74 out of 100, about 12 miles away), Rugeley (74 out of 100, about 13 miles away) and Stoke-on-Trent (73 out of 100, about 8 miles away). Stone 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 Stone?
Across the twelve category scores, the closest matches elsewhere in Britain are Leominster (Herefordshire, County of, West Midlands, England), Ledbury (Herefordshire, County of, West Midlands, England) and Droitwich Spa (Wychavon, West Midlands, 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, transport access and air quality are measured for this exact point. Cost of living, affordability, housing, employment, broadband and education come from official statistics for the Stafford council area, so nearby postcodes and towns in the same council share those figures. The "How detailed is this report" section explains each level.