West Parley, #1 on this list · Photo: Mike Faherty · CC BY-SA 2.0

Dorset · 2026

Best places to live in Dorset

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

West Parley ranks first of 30 graded towns of 2,500+: jobs & income (A) and health (A) are its strongest grades; cost of living (D−) is its lowest. Merley and Corfe Mullen follow.

West Parley ranks first of 30 Dorset towns of 2,500+ residents, and #293 of 2,138 UK towns. 5 of the 30 grade A− or better; scores run from 64.4 down to 27.0.

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

West Parley

Dorset · 3,665 people

Score 64.4·#293 of 2,138 UK towns

Strongest: jobs & income A, health A·lowest: cost of living D⁻

Merley

Dorset · 5,489 people

Score 63.8·#307 of 2,138 UK towns

Strongest: safety A⁺, jobs & income A·lowest: cost of living D⁻

Corfe Mullen

Dorset · 10,036 people

A⁻

Score 60.4·#459 of 2,138 UK towns

Strongest: jobs & income A, health A·lowest: cost of living D⁻

All 30 towns, ranked

By overall score against UK towns; ranks are within Dorset, 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.

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32 towns, 30 ranked.

#TownScoreGrade · UK rankWhat drives it

1West Parley3,665 people64.4top 14.1%A#293 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, health A·lowest: cost of living D⁻

2Merley5,489 people63.8top 14.8%A#307 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁺, jobs & income A·lowest: cost of living D⁻

3Corfe Mullen10,036 people60.4top 22.0%A⁻#459 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, health A·lowest: cost of living D⁻

4Lytchett Matravers3,455 people59.4top 23.7%A⁻#497 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety A, hazard risk A·lowest: cost of living D⁻

5Verwood13,706 people59.1top 24.2%A⁻#508 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety A, health A⁻·lowest: cost of living D

6Ashley Heath7,151 people53.8top 35.3%B#745 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: health A, safety A⁻·lowest: cost of living D⁻

7Alderholt2,868 people52.6top 37.2%B#786 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: health A, hazard risk A·lowest: walkability D⁻

8Ferndown13,267 people47.8top 48.1%B⁻#1,020 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, safety A⁻·lowest: cost of living D⁻

9Christchurch48,973 people47.6top 48.5%B⁻#1,029 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: schools B⁺, walkability B⁺·lowest: cost of living D⁻

10Upton8,401 people47.4top 49.0%B⁻#1,039 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, schools B⁺·lowest: cost of living D

11Wimborne Minster16,629 people44.2bottom 43.1%C⁺#1,210 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: health A⁻, jobs & income B·lowest: cost of living D⁻

12Poole141,009 people43.9bottom 42.5%C⁺#1,222 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, schools A⁻·lowest: cost of living D

13Gillingham11,009 people41.7bottom 37.7%C⁺#1,326 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, health B·lowest: hazard risk C⁻

14Sherborne10,359 people40.7bottom 35.3%C⁺#1,378 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, safety B·lowest: cost of living D

15Wareham5,876 people40.4bottom 34.6%C#1,392 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, health B·lowest: cost of living D⁻

16Lyme Regis3,741 people39.8bottom 33.1%C#1,423 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, health B⁺·lowest: cost of living D⁻

17Bournemouth196,453 people39.4bottom 32.4%C#1,439 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, schools A·lowest: cost of living D

18Dorchester21,358 people39.1bottom 31.8%C#1,452 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, jobs & income B⁻·lowest: cost of living D

19Chickerell3,973 people38.8bottom 31.2%C#1,464 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety B⁺, health B⁻·lowest: cost of living D

20Blandford Forum11,805 people38.4bottom 30.1%C#1,488 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, health B⁻·lowest: cost of living C⁻

21Beaminster2,995 people38.2bottom 29.5%C#1,502 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁻, health B·lowest: jobs & income D

22Bearwood4,134 people37.1bottom 27.0%C#1,554 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, jobs & income B·lowest: cost of living D

23Shaftesbury9,163 people36.4bottom 24.7%C⁻#1,604 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, walkability A⁻·lowest: schools D⁻

24Weston5,208 people35.1bottom 21.0%C⁻#1,685 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, walkability A⁻·lowest: schools C⁻

25Sturminster Newton3,565 people34.4bottom 19.0%C⁻#1,727 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, hazard risk A·lowest: schools D

26Swanage9,115 people34.0bottom 18.3%C⁻#1,742 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, safety B·lowest: cost of living D⁻

27West Moors10,432 people33.7bottom 17.6%C⁻#1,758 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety B⁺, health B⁻·lowest: cost of living D

28Bridport12,294 people32.8bottom 15.7%C⁻#1,798 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, health B⁻·lowest: cost of living D

29Weymouth55,540 people27.5bottom 6.6%D#1,995 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, health C·lowest: schools D

30Fortuneswell4,554 people27.0bottom 6.0%D#2,009 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living C⁺·lowest: hazard risk D

–Pimperne Garrison town2,770 people61.0top 20.8%A⁻Strongest: safety A⁺, health A⁺·lowest: cost of living D

–Wool Garrison town5,044 people40.1bottom 34.0%CStrongest: walkability A⁻, safety B⁺·lowest: schools D

Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked: most residents serve in the forces or are students.

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in Dorset?

West Parley ranks first of 30 graded towns of 2,500+: jobs & income (A) and health (A) are its strongest grades; cost of living (D−) is its lowest. Merley and Corfe Mullen 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 Dorset. 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 Dorset 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.