Areas · South West
Area guide · South West
Dorset
How Dorset compares with every council area in England and Wales, on official figures only (391,036 people, mid-2025). Ranked 1st = best for someone living there. There is no overall score: the places are too different for one number to be honest.
Gigabit broadband
76.7%
276th fastest of 318
Ofcom Connected Nations, January 2026
Average house price
£325,154
191st most affordable of 317
HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, July 2026
Price change over 12 months
-0.1%
229th fastest rising of 317
HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, July 2026
Fine particles (PM2.5)
5.5 µg/m³
41st cleanest of 318
Defra modelled background PM2.5, 2024 (WHO guideline 5 µg/m³)
Recorded crime
44.5 per 1,000
18th lowest of 283
ONS / Home Office police recorded crime, year ending March 2026
Deprivation rank
180 / 296
117th least deprived of 296
English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); 1 = most deprived
Flood risk and road noise are not here because no official figure exists for a whole council area. Both vary street by street, which is what the free check reads.
Check a street in Dorset
These figures are for the whole area. The free check reads one postcode: flood, crime, noise and the station, in seconds.
League tables for South West
Fastest broadbandMost affordable homesFastest-rising pricesCleanest airLowest recorded crimeLeast deprived (England)