Chester vs Hull

Which is better to live in? (2026)

60

Chester

North West

Grade CHigher Overall
51

Hull

Yorkshire and The Humber

Grade D
Chester: 7 wins|Hull: 2 wins

Chester (North West) and Hull (Yorkshire and The Humber) are two UK areas home buyers and renters frequently weigh against each other. On our overall Area Score, Chester rates 60/100 (grade C) and Hull rates 51/100 (grade D). Hull is the safer of the two on crime (48/100 versus 25/100). Chester has the stronger schools, with 73% of nearby schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. Hull works out cheaper for typical monthly household bills (~£423 versus ~£445). 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.

Chester vs Hull: Category Comparison

Chester
Category
Hull
60/100BETTER
🏆Overall Score
51/100
25/100
🔒Crime Safety
BETTER48/100
73% Good/OutstandingBETTER
🎓Schools
47% Good/Outstanding
87/100BETTER
🚆Transport
86/100
79/100BETTER
💷Affordability
41/100
~£445/mo
🧾Monthly Bills
BETTER~£423/mo
74/100BETTER
📶Broadband
70/100
33/100BETTER
🌿Environment
25/100
48/100BETTER
🏥Healthcare
25/100

Our Verdict

Chester comes out ahead in 6 of 8 categories, with particular strengths in schools, transport, affordability. However, Hull performs better in crime safety, so the best choice depends on your priorities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Chester or Hull better to live in?

Chester comes out ahead in 6 of 8 categories, with particular strengths in schools, transport, affordability. However, Hull performs better in crime safety, so the best choice depends on your priorities.

Is Chester safer than Hull?

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

Which has better schools, Chester or Hull?

Chester has 15 schools within 3km, with 73% rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. Hull has 15 schools nearby, with 47% rated Good or Outstanding.

Is it cheaper to live in Chester or Hull?

Estimated monthly bills are lower in Hull (~£423/month) compared to Chester (~£445/month). Bills include council tax, energy, water, broadband, and insurance estimates.

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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.