Areas · South West · Gloucestershire

Area guide · South West

Forest of Dean

How Forest of Dean compares with every council area in England and Wales, on official figures only (90,157 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
79.5%
262nd fastest of 318
lastmiddle area: 89.4%1st
Ofcom Connected Nations, January 2026
Average house price
£286,888
158th most affordable of 317
lastmiddle area: £289,2821st
HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, July 2026
Price change over 12 months
-1.7%
276th fastest rising of 317
lastmiddle area: +1.8%1st
HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, July 2026
Fine particles (PM2.5)
5.7 µg/m³
51st cleanest of 318
lastmiddle area: 6.9 µg/m³1st
Defra modelled background PM2.5, 2024 (WHO guideline 5 µg/m³)
Recorded crime
46.6 per 1,000
25th lowest of 283
lastmiddle area: 73.3 per 1,0001st
ONS / Home Office police recorded crime, year ending March 2026
Deprivation rank
144 / 296
153rd least deprived of 296
lastmiddle area: 148.5 / 2961st
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 Forest of Dean

These figures are for the whole area. The free check reads one postcode: flood, crime, noise and the station, in seconds.

League tables for Gloucestershire

Fastest broadbandMost affordable homesFastest-rising pricesCleanest airLowest recorded crimeLeast deprived (England)

Other areas in South West

Bath and North East SomersetBournemouth, Christchurch and PooleBristolCheltenhamCornwallCotswoldDorsetEast DevonExeterGloucesterIsles of ScillyMid DevonNorth DevonNorth SomersetPlymouthSomersetSouth GloucestershireSouth HamsStroudSwindonTeignbridgeTewkesburyTorbayTorridgeWest DevonWiltshire