Living in Cheltenham
Police recorded 82 crimes per 1,000 residents in Cheltenham in the year to April 2026, close to the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Homes sell for a median of about £4,034 per m², above the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 12.2% of households rent from the council or a housing association, below the UK average of 17.5%. About 6.7% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 62% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
Cheltenham at a glance
| Measure | Cheltenham | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 12.2% | UK 17.5% | 287th highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 82 | E, W & NI 82 | 117th highest of 327 |
| Anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents | 26 | E, W & NI 16 | |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 6.7% | GB 6.9% | 251st quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 62% | GB 56% | 99th of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 72% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £4,034 | E&W council median £3,342 | 107th highest of 314 |
| Schools rated Good or Outstanding | 95% | E&W 87% | |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in Cheltenham?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 9,732 crimes in Cheltenham — 82 per 1,000 residents, close to the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 117th highest of 327 councils. That is 1% more than in the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (40%), shoplifting (16%) and public order (9%). Police also logged 3,047 incidents of anti-social behaviour (26 per 1,000 residents).
Rates are per resident, so council areas with busy city centres, shopping or nightlife districts show higher rates than residents alone would suggest. The local force published 9 of the 12 months, so the figures here are scaled up to a full year. See where crime is recorded on the map →
How much social housing is there in Cheltenham?
Cheltenham ranks 287th of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 52,871 households, 6,428 are social homes (12.2%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does Cheltenham compare with the UK average?
At -5.3 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Cheltenham sits below the national level.
How noisy is Cheltenham?
In Cheltenham, about 6.7% of homes are in areas where modelled road or rail noise reaches 65 dB Lden or more — the level Defra and the WHO treat as high. The Great Britain average is 6.9%, and Cheltenham is the 251st quietest of 363 councils mapped.
Estimated from the official strategic noise maps: the share of each census area at 65 dB or more, weighted by its households. See noisy roads and railways on the map →
How close are parks in Cheltenham?
62% of homes in Cheltenham are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 72% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Cheltenham 99th of 363 councils for access to a park.
Straight-line distance from the centre of each census area to the edge of the nearest site in OS Open Greenspace, weighted by households. See parks and play spaces on the map →
Schools, prices and more in Cheltenham
What the map's other datasets say about Cheltenham.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, Cheltenham has 49 schools — 40 state-funded and 9 independent. That includes 28 primary and 6 secondary schools. Of the 20 with a published Ofsted grade, 95% are Good or Outstanding.
Nurseries
There are 79 nurseries and pre-schools on Ofsted's childcare register in Cheltenham, offering about 3,177 registered childcare places. Childminders are not counted — Ofsted withholds their addresses.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in Cheltenham sits in decile 9 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 6% of its 77 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £4,034 per m², from Land Registry sold prices matched to EPC floor areas.
Broadband
Median available download speed is about 1,000 Mbit/s — what can be ordered, not what residents have bought (Ofcom Connected Nations).
Explore Cheltenham on the map
Areas with a similar share of social housing
Sources: 2021–22 Census (social housing); data.police.uk, May 2025 to April 2026 (crime); strategic noise maps, Round 4 (noise); OS Open Greenspace (parks) · Page updated 27 September 2026 · Download the data (CSV, all 374 councils).