Bath vs Bradford

Which is better to live in? (2026)

62

Bath

South West

Grade CHigher Overall
45

Bradford

Yorkshire and The Humber

Grade D
Bath: 5 wins|Bradford: 3 wins

Bath (South West) and Bradford (Yorkshire and The Humber) are two UK areas home buyers and renters frequently weigh against each other. On our overall Area Score, Bath rates 62/100 (grade C) and Bradford rates 45/100 (grade D). Bath is the safer of the two on crime (48/100 versus 25/100). Bath has the stronger schools, with 60% of nearby schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. Bradford works out cheaper for typical monthly household bills (~£429 versus ~£440). The full side-by-side breakdown of crime, schools, transport, affordability, broadband, environment and healthcare is below, followed by our verdict on which area fits which kind of buyer.

Bath vs Bradford: Category Comparison

Bath
Category
Bradford
62/100BETTER
🏆Overall Score
45/100
48/100BETTER
🔒Crime Safety
25/100
60% Good/OutstandingBETTER
🎓Schools
33% Good/Outstanding
88/100
🚆Transport
BETTER89/100
72/100BETTER
💷Affordability
41/100
~£440/mo
🧾Monthly Bills
BETTER~£429/mo
65/100
📶Broadband
BETTER70/100
25/100
🌿Environment
25/100
64/100BETTER
🏥Healthcare
25/100

Our Verdict

Bath comes out ahead in 5 of 8 categories, with particular strengths in crime safety, schools, affordability. However, Bradford performs better in transport and broadband, so the best choice depends on your priorities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bath or Bradford better to live in?

Bath comes out ahead in 5 of 8 categories, with particular strengths in crime safety, schools, affordability. However, Bradford performs better in transport and broadband, so the best choice depends on your priorities.

Is Bath safer than Bradford?

Bath scores higher for crime safety (48/100) compared to Bradford (25/100). Scores are based on the Index of Multiple Deprivation crime domain.

Which has better schools, Bath or Bradford?

Bath has 15 schools within 3km, with 60% rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. Bradford has 15 schools nearby, with 33% rated Good or Outstanding.

Is it cheaper to live in Bath or Bradford?

Estimated monthly bills are lower in Bradford (~£429/month) compared to Bath (~£440/month). Bills include council tax, energy, water, broadband, and insurance estimates.

Related Comparisons

Data sources: Scores are estimated using pre-loaded data from MHCLG Indices of Deprivation, Ofsted/GIAS school ratings, DfT Transport Connectivity 2025, MHCLG council tax data, Ofgem energy price cap, and regional averages. For full live data from 20+ government sources, view the individual town reports. Data provided under the Open Government Licence v3.0.