Grange-over-Sands, #1 on this list · Photo: Brian Clift · CC BY-SA 2.0

Cumbria · 2026

Best places to live in Cumbria

Q: What is the best place to live in Cumbria?

Grange-over-Sands ranks first of 23 graded towns of 2,500+: safety (A−) and walkability (B+) are its strongest grades; cost of living (D−) is its lowest. Ambleside and Cockermouth follow.

Grange-over-Sands ranks first of 23 Cumbria towns of 2,500+ residents, and #996 of 2,138 UK towns. None grade A− or better; scores run from 48.3 down to 21.3.

The overall score, sorted within Cumbria; the letter compares each town with every UK town, and its rank among UK towns sits beside it. How grades work

Grange-over-Sands

Cumbria · 4,047 people

B⁻

Score 48.3·#996 of 2,138 UK towns

Strongest: safety A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: cost of living D⁻

Ambleside

Cumbria · 2,624 people

B⁻

Score 45.6·#1,125 of 2,138 UK towns

Strongest: walkability A⁺, health B⁺·lowest: cost of living D⁻

Cockermouth

Cumbria · 8,859 people

C⁺

Score 44.4·#1,194 of 2,138 UK towns

Strongest: walkability A⁻, health B⁺·lowest: cost of living D⁻

All 23 towns, ranked

By overall score against UK towns; ranks are within Cumbria, and each UK rank links to the national list. The score (0–100) blends the seven livability grades and sets the order; the letter places that score among UK towns of 2,500+, and A+ is the top 5%, so neighbours on the list often share a letter.

Every town in Cumbria →

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23 towns.

#TownScoreGrade · UK rankWhat drives it

1Grange-over-Sands4,047 people48.3top 47.0%B⁻#996 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: cost of living D⁻

2Ambleside2,624 people45.6bottom 47.0%B⁻#1,125 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, health B⁺·lowest: cost of living D⁻

3Cockermouth8,859 people44.4bottom 43.8%C⁺#1,194 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, health B⁺·lowest: cost of living D⁻

4Kendal28,939 people43.4bottom 41.5%C⁺#1,244 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, schools B⁺·lowest: cost of living D

5Dalton-in-Furness7,551 people40.9bottom 35.6%C⁺#1,372 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, jobs & income B⁻·lowest: hazard risk D

6Keswick4,465 people40.8bottom 35.4%C⁺#1,376 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, health A⁻·lowest: cost of living D⁻

7Windermere4,819 people37.8bottom 28.2%C#1,529 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, health A⁻·lowest: cost of living D⁻

8Millom5,690 people37.6bottom 27.8%C#1,538 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, hazard risk B⁺·lowest: jobs & income D⁻

9Ulverston11,219 people34.7bottom 19.9%C⁻#1,709 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, jobs & income B⁻·lowest: cost of living D

10Penrith16,705 people34.3bottom 18.9%C⁻#1,730 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, health C⁺·lowest: safety D

11Seaton5,051 people34.3bottom 18.8%C⁻#1,732 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁻, hazard risk B⁻·lowest: schools D⁻

12Brampton4,187 people32.9bottom 15.8%C⁻#1,796 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, schools B·lowest: safety D

13Appleby-in-Westmorland3,233 people31.1bottom 12.4%D#1,871 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, health B⁺·lowest: hazard risk D

14Askam in Furness3,172 people29.1bottom 9.2%D#1,939 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety B⁺, jobs & income C⁺·lowest: cost of living D⁻

15Whitehaven22,952 people28.9bottom 8.8%D#1,948 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, cost of living B⁻·lowest: health D

16Cleator Moor6,671 people28.7bottom 8.4%D#1,956 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B, walkability B·lowest: jobs & income D

17Egremont5,791 people28.5bottom 8.1%D#1,963 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, cost of living B·lowest: jobs & income D

18Carlisle77,729 people26.2bottom 5.1%D#2,028 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living C⁺·lowest: safety D

19Silloth2,542 people25.7bottom 4.6%D⁻#2,039 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, hazard risk B·lowest: schools D⁻

20Barrow-in-Furness55,260 people25.2bottom 4.2%D⁻#2,048 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living C⁺·lowest: safety D

21Wigton5,396 people22.9bottom 2.5%D⁻#2,085 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, health C⁻·lowest: hazard risk D

22Maryport8,526 people21.7bottom 1.5%D⁻#2,105 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, cost of living B⁻·lowest: jobs & income D⁻

23Workington21,276 people21.3bottom 1.2%D⁻#2,112 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, cost of living B⁻·lowest: safety D⁻

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in Cumbria?

Grange-over-Sands ranks first of 23 graded towns of 2,500+: safety (A−) and walkability (B+) are its strongest grades; cost of living (D−) is its lowest. Ambleside and Cockermouth follow.

How are these towns ranked?

By the overall grade, which blends seven livability grades (cost of living, safety, schools, health, jobs & income, walkability, hazard risk) from public data, each comparing a town with every UK town. The rank is within Cumbria. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers places of 2,500+ residents with an overall grade. Smaller places, and towns missing figures the overall grade needs, show their subject grades on their own pages; every town in Cumbria is listed on the county page.

Sources: TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.