United Kingdom · South East · Local Authority
Tunbridge Wells
Non-metropolitan district · South East, England · population ~119k · 44 state-funded schools
High earnings and exceptional safety define Tunbridge Wells, but these come at the cost of significant housing pressure. Median house prices reach 9.5 times annual pay, and monthly rent consumes 39.8% of gross earnings, both figures sitting well above the regional median. While residents pay a premium to live here, they benefit from a crime rate that is the lowest in the South East. Weekly earnings of £871.10 are stronger than the regional median and higher than 82% of England authorities, providing some relief against the high cost of entry. This location suits high-earning professionals who prioritise personal security and a lower deprivation score over housing affordability.
Written from the indicators on this page, 2026-10 data.
The signature
How Tunbridge Wells ranks across 361 UK Local Authorities
Pay
£45,297/yr
Very high
Better than 84% of UK LAs
House price
£430,000
Very expensive
Worse than 82% of UK LAs
Rent
£1,501/mo
Very expensive
Worse than 82% of UK LAs
Council tax
£2,446/yr
Mid
Around UK average
Crime
0.2/1k
Safest
Better than 100% of UK LAs
Deprivation
11.3
Least deprived
Better than 87% of UK LAs
Schools
90.9%
Weak
Worse than 66% of UK LAs
Colour shows quintile position against 361 UK Local Authorities. Green is the best position for someone moving here; red is the worst. Direction is set per indicator — higher pay, lower rent, less crime, less deprivation are all green.
Schools
50 state-funded schools · Ofsted Sep 2026
40 of 44 (90.9%) rated Good or Outstanding under Ofsted's legacy framework. 6 schools are on the post-2024 report-card framework and don't roll up into the legacy total. How we count →
The map
44 schools · pins coloured by Ofsted grade
Grades, phase and pupil numbers for all 44 schools, sortable and filterable.
Schools in Tunbridge Wells →Places with similar signatures
Nearest by quintile position across pay · housing · tax · crime · IMD · schools
What we don't know yet
Commute times · GP appointment availability · broadband speeds · air quality at LA level · green-space proximity · public transport coverage. These matter for a relocation decision. We'll add them when the source data is reliable nationally and consistent across LA boundaries.