Living in Cheshire West and Chester
Police recorded 67 crimes per 1,000 residents in Cheshire West and Chester in the year to April 2026, below the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Homes sell for a median of about £2,875 per m², below the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 14.6% of households rent from the council or a housing association, below the UK average of 17.5%. About 5.8% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 56% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
Cheshire West and Chester at a glance
| Measure | Cheshire West and Chester | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 14.6% | UK 17.5% | 182nd highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 67 | E, W & NI 82 | 190th highest of 327 |
| Anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents | 7 | E, W & NI 16 | |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 5.8% | GB 6.9% | 205th quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 56% | GB 56% | 146th of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 63% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £2,875 | E&W council median £3,342 | 203rd highest of 314 |
| Schools rated Good or Outstanding | 89% | E&W 87% | |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in Cheshire West and Chester?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 24,073 crimes in Cheshire West and Chester — 67 per 1,000 residents, below the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 190th highest of 327 councils. That is about the same as the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (51%), public order (13%) and shoplifting (9%). Police also logged 2,498 incidents of anti-social behaviour (7 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. See where crime is recorded on the map →
How much social housing is there in Cheshire West and Chester?
Cheshire West and Chester ranks 182nd of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 155,195 households, 22,677 are social homes (14.6%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does Cheshire West and Chester compare with the UK average?
At -2.9 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Cheshire West and Chester sits below the national level.
How noisy is Cheshire West and Chester?
In Cheshire West and Chester, about 5.8% 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 Cheshire West and Chester is the 205th 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 Cheshire West and Chester?
56% of homes in Cheshire West and Chester are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 63% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Cheshire West and Chester 146th 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 Cheshire West and Chester
What the map's other datasets say about Cheshire West and Chester.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, Cheshire West and Chester has 180 schools — 162 state-funded and 18 independent. That includes 126 primary and 20 secondary schools. Of the 75 with a published Ofsted grade, 89% are Good or Outstanding.
Nurseries
There are 183 nurseries and pre-schools on Ofsted's childcare register in Cheshire West and Chester, offering about 8,584 registered childcare places. Childminders are not counted — Ofsted withholds their addresses.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in Cheshire West and Chester sits in decile 7 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 16% of its 222 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £2,875 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 Cheshire West and Chester 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).