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Data Sources & Scoring

Every score is computed via percentile rank across all LSOAs in England & Wales with data for that factor. Score 100 = best-ranked LSOA; 0 = worst. The composite is a weighted average of all enabled factors.

24 of 25 planned factors live. Distribution charts show min / P25–P75 IQR / median / max of the raw input values across all scored LSOAs.

Scoring methodology

  1. Raw values fetched from authoritative sources for each LSOA.
  2. Percentile-ranked across all LSOAs with data (0 = lowest raw value, 100 = highest).
  3. "Lower is better" factors (crime, prices, flood exposure) are inverted so higher always means better.
  4. Flood Safety uses bucket scoring: zero-exposure LSOAs get score 100; the rest are ranked 0–99.
  5. Composite = weighted average of enabled factors. LSOAs without data for a factor are excluded from that factor's weight.

Safety & Environment

Air Quality

Liveair_quality
SourceDEFRA PCM modelled background NO₂ concentrationsCoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw valueAnnual mean NO₂ (μg/m³) from nearest 1km grid cellScoringPercentile rank, inverted (lower NO₂ = higher score). WHO guideline 10 μg/m³; UK legal limit 40 μg/m³.Issues1km grid resolution misses hyperlocal variation (e.g. busy road vs. back street). Model values, not direct measurements.
Loading…· Source data: 2023

Public Safety

Livepublic_safety
SourcePolice.uk bulk data archive (all incident types — crime + ASB combined)CoverageEngland & Wales ✓ (all 43 forces + Wales)Raw valueTotal police-recorded incidents per LSOA in the latest 12-month archive (criminal offences + anti-social behaviour)ScoringPercentile rank, inverted (fewer incidents = higher score). LSOAs with zero recorded incidents receive score 100.IssuesCounts reflect police reports, not actual prevalence. Recording rates vary by area and force.
Loading…· Source data: 12-month rolling

Road Noise

Livenoise
SourceDEFRA Environmental Noise Directive (END) Strategic Noise Maps — Road Noise Lden Round 3CoverageEngland ✓ (Wales: data pending)Raw valueMaximum Lden noise band at LSOA centroid (dB). Areas below 55 dB threshold = 0 (quiet).ScoringPercentile rank, inverted (lower dB = quieter = higher score). Noise bands: 55, 60, 65, 70, 75 dB (lower bound of each 5 dB class).IssuesCoverage is England-only; Welsh LSOAs will score 0 (treated as quiet). Noise is sampled at LSOA centroid, not averaged across the area. END maps major roads only — local roads not included.
Loading…· Source data: 2024

Radon Safety

Liveradon_risk
SourceBGS GeoIndex Onshore — Radon Potential (1km grid)CoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw valueCLASS_MAX at LSOA centroid — maximum radon potential class in the 1km grid square (1=lowest, 6=highest)ScoringPercentile rank, inverted (lower CLASS_MAX = lower risk = higher score).IssuesCLASS_MAX reflects the maximum risk within a 1km tile, not the LSOA average. Some LSOAs may be overestimated if the centroid sits near a high-risk zone within an otherwise low-risk area.
Loading…· Source data: 2024

Flood Safety

Liveflood_risk
SourceEnvironment Agency Flood Map for Planning (England) + Natural Resources Wales WFS (Wales)CoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw valueFraction of LSOA area within EA Flood Zone 3 (England) or NRW flood zone rivers & seas (Wales) (0–1)ScoringBucket scoring: ~80% of LSOAs have zero flood exposure → score 100 (safest). The remaining ~20% are percentile-ranked 0–99 among themselves.Issues23% average flood coverage in Welsh LSOAs reflects genuine lower flood zone density in Wales, not missing data. ~77% of Welsh LSOAs correctly score 100 (no flood exposure).
Loading…· Source data: 2024

Green Space

Livegreen_space
SourceOpenStreetMap via Geofabrik PBF extract (England + Wales)CoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw valueCount of green space features within 1km of LSOA centroid (parks, gardens, nature reserves, woods, grassland, recreation grounds, village greens)ScoringPercentile rank (more features = higher score).IssuesOSM node/way density varies by contributor activity — well-mapped urban areas may show higher counts than equivalent rural green space. Large parks contribute many nodes.
Loading…· Source data: 2025

Road Noise

Livenoise
SourceDEFRA Environmental Noise Directive (END) Round 3 — Road Noise Lden GeoPackageCoverageEngland ✓ (Wales not in END Round 3 road dataset)Raw valueMaximum Lden noise band (dB) overlapping LSOA centroid — bands from 55 dB in 5 dB steps up to ≥75 dBScoringPercentile rank, inverted (lower noise = higher score). LSOAs outside mapped noise zones score 100 (effectively silent).IssuesEND only maps major roads (>3M vehicles/yr). Quiet residential streets are not mapped. Wales LSOAs receive score based on national default (zero noise = 100).
Loading…· Source data: 2024

Radon Safety

Liveradon_risk
SourceBGS GeoIndex Onshore — Radon Potential 1km grid (publicly accessible ArcGIS REST API)CoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw valueBGS radon potential class (CLASS_MAX) at LSOA centroid — 1 (lowest risk) to 6 (highest risk)ScoringPercentile rank, inverted (lower class = lower radon risk = higher score). LSOAs outside the radon grid receive score 100.IssuesCLASS_MAX is the maximum class in the 1km tile, not a point measurement. Significant sub-LSOA variation depending on building construction and geology.
Loading…· Source data: 2024

Property & Cost

House Prices

Livehouse_prices
SourceHM Land Registry Price Paid DataCoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw valueMedian residential sale price (£) across all 2024 transactionsScoringPercentile rank, inverted (lower price = higher score = more affordable).Issues~19 LSOAs with no 2024 transactions are unscored (very sparse rural areas). Does not normalise for property size or type.
Loading…· Source data: 2024

Gas Grid Access

Opt-ingas_grid
SourceDESNZ "LSOA estimates of properties not connected to the gas network" (Xoserve meter data)CoverageEngland & Wales ✓ (Scotland excluded)Raw valueEstimated proportion of domestic properties NOT connected to mains gas (0–1)ScoringPercentile rank, inverted (lower % off-grid = better gas access = higher score).IssuesGas grid access is a value judgement: useful for buyers who want gas heating, but irrelevant or negative for those prioritising low-carbon homes. Disabled by default.
Loading…· Source data: 2024

Council Tax

Livecouncil_tax
SourceValuation Office Agency CTSOP4.1 (Council Tax Stock of Properties)Coverage⚠️ England only — VOA does not cover WalesRaw valueWeighted average council tax band score (A=1 … H=8) across all dwellings in the LSOAScoringPercentile rank, inverted (lower mean band = lower bills = higher score).IssuesWales excluded — Welsh councils use a different system administered separately. England only.
Loading…· Source data: 2024

Water Bills

Livewater_bills
SourceOfwat v1_5 service area boundaries (Apr 2024) + CCW 2024-25 average billsCoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw valueAnnual combined water + sewerage bill estimate (£/yr) by Ofwat company region. Split-provider areas (e.g. Affinity Water + Thames sewerage) use combined water-only + sewerage charges.ScoringPercentile rank, inverted (lower bill = higher score).IssuesBill figures are regional averages — actual household bills vary by meter status, usage, and property type. 2,209 LSOAs near company boundaries assigned national median (£450).
Loading…· Source data: 2024-25

Energy Efficiency

Liveenergy_efficiency
SourceMHCLG Energy Certificate Data API (domestic EPCs)CoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw valueMean EPC band midpoint SAP score of most-recent certificate per property in the LSOA (A=96, B=86, C=74, D=61, E=46, F=29, G=10)ScoringPercentile rank (higher mean SAP = more efficient = higher score).IssuesOnly assessed properties included — newer builds and rented properties are over-represented. ~30% of homes have never had an EPC. Band midpoints are approximations of the underlying SAP score.
Loading…· Source data: 2026

Connectivity & Amenity

Public Transport

Livetransport
SourceNational Public Transport Access Nodes (NaPTAN) API — DfTCoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw valueCount of active bus/rail stops within 800m of LSOA centroid (great-circle distance)ScoringPercentile rank (more stops = higher score).IssuesStop count is a proxy for connectivity — a single infrequent rural bus stop counts equally to a busy interchange. Does not capture service frequency or journey times.
Loading…· Source data: Live

Broadband Coverage

Livebroadband
SourceOfcom Connected Nations 2024 (LSOA-level fixed broadband coverage)CoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw value% premises with ≥30Mbit/s download speed (superfast) availabilityScoringPercentile rank (higher coverage = higher score).IssuesAvailability, not actual speeds — a premise counts as covered even if residents subscribe to a slower plan. Does not reflect full-fibre (FTTP) penetration separately.
Loading…· Source data: 2024

5G Coverage

Livemobile_5g
SourceOfcom Connected Nations 2024 — Mobile Coverage Data (September 2024)CoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw value% premises with outdoor 5G coverage from at least 1 operator (high confidence) — assigned per Local Authority DistrictScoringPercentile rank (higher coverage = higher score). Score reflects the LAD average — all LSOAs within the same LAD receive identical raw values.IssuesData is at Local Authority District (LAD) level, not LSOA level — within-LAD variation is not captured. 5G rollout is fast-moving; data may lag real-world availability within months.
Loading…· Source data: 2024

School Quality

Liveschools
SourceOfsted management information — monthly MI CSV (state-funded schools)Coverage⚠️ England only — Estyn (Wales) does not publish bulk inspection dataRaw valueMean Ofsted rating of 5 nearest schools to LSOA centroid (Outstanding=4, Good=3, Requires Improvement=2, Inadequate=1), inverted to higher=betterScoringPercentile rank (higher mean rating = higher score). Welsh LSOAs are unscored (grey).IssuesNearest-5 by straight-line distance, not catchment. Schools with "Good" last inspection but recent monitoring concerns may still show as 3. Wales unscored until Estyn bulk data becomes available.
Loading…· Source data: Apr 2026

Local Amenities

Liveamenities
SourceOpenStreetMap via Geofabrik Great Britain PBF extractCoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw valueWeighted count of amenities within 1km of LSOA centroid: supermarkets×3, GPs×3, pharmacies×2, restaurants, cafés, pubs, libraries, leisure centres×1ScoringPercentile rank (higher weighted count = higher score).IssuesQuality depends on OSM contributor coverage — rural and less-mapped areas may undercount amenities. Does not capture quality or opening hours.
Loading…· Source data: 2025

Climate & Weather

Sunshine Hours

Livesunshine
SourceMet Office HadUK-Grid 1km provisional monthly data (Open Government Licence)CoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw valueAnnual sunshine hours — sum of 12 monthly HadUK-Grid 1km files for 2024; nearest-grid-cell assignment to LSOA centroidScoringPercentile rank (more sunshine = higher score).IssuesProvisional data (not final climate normals). 1km grid cell nearest to each LSOA centroid used; some variation within large LSOAs.
Loading…· Source data: 2024

Temperature

Livetemperature
SourceMet Office HadUK-Grid 1km provisional monthly data (Open Government Licence)CoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw valueAnnual mean temperature °C — mean of 12 monthly HadUK-Grid 1km mean air temperature files for 2024; nearest-grid-cell to LSOA centroidScoringPercentile rank (higher mean temperature = higher score). Scoring "warmer = better" is a simplification — preferences vary.IssuesProvisional data. 2024 was an anomalously warm year in the UK; scores reflect recent conditions, not long-term climate normals.
Loading…· Source data: 2024

Rainfall

Liverainfall
SourceEA Hydrology API — daily qualified rainfall totals (2024)CoverageEngland & Wales ✓ (interpolated from ~400 EA gauge stations)Raw valueAnnual rainfall (mm) interpolated to LSOA centroid via inverse-distance weighting from nearest 4 EA rain gaugesScoringPercentile rank, inverted (lower rainfall = drier = higher score).IssuesStation density varies — sparse coverage in some upland areas. Interpolation from 4 nearest stations smooths orographic effects. Stations with < 180 days data excluded (may undercount very sparse or partially-active gauges). "Drier = better" encodes a value judgement.
Loading…· Source data: 2024

Demographics & Neighbourhood

Deprivation (IMD)

Livedeprivation
SourceMHCLG English IMD 2025 + Welsh Government WIMD 2025CoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw valueIMD 2025 composite score (England) / WIMD 2025 overall rank converted to comparable scale (Wales)ScoringPercentile rank, inverted. England and Wales ranked separately to account for incompatible raw scales.IssuesThe IMD is itself a composite that includes crime and air quality sub-indices — having Public Safety and Air Quality enabled alongside Deprivation introduces some overlap. Users weighting the granular factors may want to reduce Deprivation's weight or disable it.
Loading…· Source data: 2025

Social Housing

Opt-insocial_housing
SourceONS Census 2021, Table TS054 (tenure) via Nomis APICoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw value% of households in social rented tenure (Census 2021)ScoringPercentile rank, inverted (lower % = higher score). Disabled by default — encodes a value judgement.IssuesScoring "lower social housing = better" is contested. Areas with high social housing often have strong community infrastructure. Disabled by default; enable if relevant.
Loading…· Source data: 2021

Student Population

Opt-instudents
SourceONS Census 2021, Table TS066 (economic activity) via Nomis APICoverageEngland & Wales ✓Raw value% of residents who are full-time students (Census 2021)ScoringPercentile rank, inverted (fewer students = higher score). Disabled by default — encodes a value judgement.IssuesHigh student % often reflects proximity to universities, which many buyers value. Disabled by default; enable if relevant.
Loading…· Source data: 2021

Coming soon (1)

Gas Gridgas_grid
Property & Cost
Derived from EPC data (fuel type field)

Last updated: June 2026 · github.com/alfavita21/uk-living