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Somerset · 2026

Best places to live in Somerset

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

Backwell ranks first of 49 graded towns of 2,500+: health (A+) and jobs & income (A+) are its strongest grades; cost of living (D) is its lowest. Batheaston and Saltford follow.

Backwell ranks first of 49 Somerset towns of 2,500+ residents, and #173 of 2,138 UK towns. 6 of the 49 grade A− or better; scores run from 68.4 down to 20.5.

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

Backwell

Somerset · 4,347 people

Score 68.4·#173 of 2,138 UK towns

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

Batheaston

Somerset · 3,878 people

Score 66.8·#217 of 2,138 UK towns

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

Saltford

Somerset · 4,133 people

Score 65.9·#244 of 2,138 UK towns

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

All 49 towns, ranked

By overall score against UK towns; ranks are within Somerset, 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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49 towns.

#TownScoreGrade · UK rankWhat drives it

1Backwell4,347 people68.4top 8.4%A#173 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: health A⁺, jobs & income A⁺·lowest: cost of living D

2Batheaston3,878 people66.8top 10.5%A#217 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: health A⁺, jobs & income A⁺·lowest: cost of living D

3Saltford4,133 people65.9top 11.8%A#244 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A⁺, health A⁻·lowest: cost of living D

4Nailsea15,919 people63.9top 14.7%A#306 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, schools A⁻·lowest: cost of living C⁻

5Portishead26,351 people60.5top 21.7%A⁻#454 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, schools A·lowest: cost of living D

6Long Ashton5,184 people59.9top 22.8%A⁻#478 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A⁺, health A⁺·lowest: cost of living D

7Winscombe and Sandford4,605 people57.9top 26.8%B⁺#563 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: schools A, health A·lowest: cost of living D

8Clevedon21,084 people57.0top 28.3%B⁺#597 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: schools A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: cost of living C

9Timsbury2,506 people54.0top 35.1%B#739 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: health A⁻, safety B⁺·lowest: cost of living C

10Paulton6,502 people53.7top 35.4%B#747 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: schools A⁻, hazard risk B·lowest: walkability C⁻

11Midsomer Norton13,749 people52.5top 37.7%B#795 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: schools A⁻, hazard risk B·lowest: safety C

12Bruton2,816 people50.2top 42.4%B#897 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, health A⁻·lowest: hazard risk C⁻

13Langport3,578 people49.7top 43.8%B#926 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: schools A, walkability B⁻·lowest: hazard risk C⁻

14Yatton7,704 people49.4top 44.6%B#943 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A⁻, health A⁻·lowest: cost of living C⁻

15Peasedown St John6,668 people49.3top 44.7%B#946 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, jobs & income B⁺·lowest: schools C⁻

16Norton Fitzwarren3,770 people47.5top 48.9%B⁻#1,037 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B, cost of living B·lowest: safety C

17Castle Cary3,451 people47.4top 49.1%B⁻#1,041 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, walkability B⁺·lowest: safety C⁻

18Milborne Port3,207 people46.7bottom 49.5%B⁻#1,072 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: health A⁻, safety B⁺·lowest: walkability D

19Street12,707 people46.0bottom 47.8%B⁻#1,108 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living B·lowest: schools C⁻

20Congresbury2,795 people45.5bottom 46.8%B⁻#1,129 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: schools B⁺, jobs & income B⁺·lowest: cost of living D

21Bath94,080 people45.4bottom 46.6%B⁻#1,133 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, jobs & income A·lowest: hazard risk D

22Yeovil50,170 people44.4bottom 43.6%C⁺#1,198 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, schools B⁺·lowest: safety D

23Monkton Heathfield4,584 people43.5bottom 41.7%C⁺#1,241 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A⁻, health B⁺·lowest: schools D

24Pill4,956 people42.6bottom 39.5%C⁺#1,287 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: health A, jobs & income B⁺·lowest: hazard risk D

25Keynsham19,257 people41.1bottom 36.2%C⁺#1,359 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, jobs & income A⁻·lowest: safety C⁻

26Crewkerne7,067 people38.6bottom 30.8%C#1,474 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, cost of living B⁻·lowest: schools C⁻

27Ilminster5,961 people38.4bottom 29.9%C#1,492 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, cost of living B⁻·lowest: hazard risk D

28South Petherton3,096 people37.7bottom 28.1%C#1,531 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: schools B⁺, health B·lowest: cost of living D

29Martock4,079 people37.6bottom 27.8%C#1,537 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁻, schools B⁻·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

30Chard14,287 people37.4bottom 27.5%C#1,545 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, hazard risk B·lowest: jobs & income D

31Cheddar5,841 people37.1bottom 26.8%C#1,559 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: health B⁺, walkability B⁺·lowest: hazard risk D

32Taunton61,667 people36.2bottom 24.0%C⁻#1,620 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, schools B⁻·lowest: safety D

33North Petherton3,180 people35.4bottom 22.0%C⁻#1,664 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁻, jobs & income B⁻·lowest: hazard risk D

34Wincanton6,744 people34.4bottom 19.0%C⁻#1,728 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B, health B⁻·lowest: schools D

35Radstock9,983 people34.0bottom 18.3%C⁻#1,743 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B, cost of living B⁻·lowest: safety C⁻

36Somerton5,106 people33.1bottom 16.2%C⁻#1,788 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: health B, hazard risk B⁻·lowest: schools D

37Shepton Mallet9,645 people33.0bottom 16.2%C⁻#1,789 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, cost of living B·lowest: schools D

38Wellington13,815 people32.4bottom 14.7%D#1,820 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, health C⁺·lowest: schools D

39Wells12,097 people32.2bottom 14.2%D#1,831 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, health B⁻·lowest: hazard risk D

40Locking3,819 people31.8bottom 13.3%D#1,850 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, health B·lowest: walkability D⁻

41Frome27,904 people31.2bottom 12.5%D#1,868 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, health B⁻·lowest: schools C⁻

42Glastonbury8,304 people29.8bottom 10.4%D#1,913 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living B⁻·lowest: safety D

43Weston-super-Mare84,600 people28.6bottom 8.2%D#1,962 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, cost of living B⁻·lowest: safety D

44Burnham-on-Sea16,317 people27.4bottom 6.5%D#1,997 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, hazard risk C⁺·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

45Rockwell Green2,854 people27.3bottom 6.3%D#2,002 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁻, health B⁻·lowest: hazard risk D

46Watchet3,643 people26.6bottom 5.6%D#2,017 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, cost of living C⁺·lowest: schools D⁻

47Bridgwater47,846 people25.9bottom 4.8%D⁻#2,034 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living C⁺·lowest: safety D⁻

48Minehead11,752 people25.4bottom 4.3%D⁻#2,045 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, cost of living C⁺·lowest: hazard risk D⁻

49Highbridge5,366 people20.5bottom 0.9%D⁻#2,119 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, cost of living C⁺·lowest: safety D⁻

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in Somerset?

Backwell ranks first of 49 graded towns of 2,500+: health (A+) and jobs & income (A+) are its strongest grades; cost of living (D) is its lowest. Batheaston and Saltford 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 Somerset. 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 Somerset 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.