Living in St. Helens
Police recorded 89 crimes per 1,000 residents in St. Helens in the year to April 2026, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Homes sell for a median of about £2,192 per m², well below the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 19.8% of households rent from the council or a housing association, above the UK average of 17.5%. About 6.0% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 71% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
St. Helens at a glance
| Measure | St. Helens | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 19.8% | UK 17.5% | 84th highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 89 | E, W & NI 82 | 93rd highest of 327 |
| Anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents | 9 | E, W & NI 16 | |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 6.0% | GB 6.9% | 221st quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 71% | GB 56% | 48th of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 54% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £2,192 | E&W council median £3,342 | 277th highest of 314 |
| Schools rated Good or Outstanding | 76% | E&W 87% | |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in St. Helens?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 16,372 crimes in St. Helens — 89 per 1,000 residents, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 93rd highest of 327 councils. That is 2% more than in the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (46%), public order (11%) and criminal damage and arson (9%). Police also logged 1,570 incidents of anti-social behaviour (9 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 St. Helens?
St. Helens ranks 84th of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 80,995 households, 15,998 are social homes (19.8%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does St. Helens compare with the UK average?
At +2.3 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, St. Helens sits above the national level.
How noisy is St. Helens?
In St. Helens, about 6.0% 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 St. Helens is the 221st 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 St. Helens?
71% of homes in St. Helens are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 54% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts St. Helens 48th 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 St. Helens
What the map's other datasets say about St. Helens.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, St. Helens has 79 schools — 73 state-funded and 6 independent. That includes 54 primary and 9 secondary schools. Of the 29 with a published Ofsted grade, 76% are Good or Outstanding.
Nurseries
There are 54 nurseries and pre-schools on Ofsted's childcare register in St. Helens, offering about 3,192 registered childcare places. Childminders are not counted — Ofsted withholds their addresses.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in St. Helens sits in decile 4 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 36% of its 121 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £2,192 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 St. Helens 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).