GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Blackburn with Darwen vs Dudley: which is the better place to live?
Is Blackburn with Darwen or Dudley a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Blackburn with Darwen and Dudley across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Dudley wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 80.3/100 versus 79.4/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | Dudley | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 79.4/100 | 80.3/100 | Dudley |
| Better value | 65.2 | 69 | Dudley |
| For families | 93.7 | 85.5 | Blackburn with Darwen |
| For commuters | 65.3 | 67.5 | Dudley |
| For healthcare access | 83.2 | 100 | Dudley |
| Avg house price | £165,813 | £229,829 | Blackburn with Darwen (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,455 | £2,145 | Dudley (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 92.9% | 81.8% | Blackburn with Darwen |
| Crime per 1,000 | 79.4 | 98.6 | Blackburn with Darwen (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 88.8% | 95.4% | Dudley |
| Gera GP Access score | 83.2 | 100 | Dudley |
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Dudley wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 80.3/100 vs 79.4/100.
| Verdict | Blackburn with Darwen | Dudley | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 79.4 | 80.3 | Dudley (+0.9) |
| Better value | 65.2 | 69 | Dudley (+3.8) |
| For families | 93.7 | 85.5 | Blackburn with Darwen (+8.2) |
| For commuters | 65.3 | 67.5 | Dudley (+2.2) |
| For healthcare access | 83.2 | 100 | Dudley (+16.8) |
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | Dudley |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £165,813 | £229,829 |
| Band D council tax | £2,455 | £2,145 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 92.9% | 81.8% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 79.4 | 98.6 |
| Gigabit broadband | 88.8% | 95.4% |
| Gera GP Access score | 83.2 | 100 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Blackburn with Darwen or Dudley a better place to live overall?
- Dudley scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 80.3/100 versus 79.4/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.9 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Blackburn with Darwen or Dudley?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Dudley is better value. Average house prices are £165,813 in Blackburn with Darwen and £229,829 in Dudley; Band D council tax is £2,455 versus £2,145 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Blackburn with Darwen or Dudley better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Blackburn with Darwen comes out ahead for families. Blackburn with Darwen has 92.9% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 79.4 per 1,000; Dudley has 81.8% and 98.6 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Blackburn with Darwen or Dudley?
- For connectivity, Blackburn with Darwen has 88.8% gigabit-capable premises and Dudley has 95.4% (Ofcom, June 2026). Dudley leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Blackburn with Darwen or Dudley?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Blackburn with Darwen scores 83.2 (Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB) and Dudley scores 100 (Black Country ICB). Dudley has the better GP access (NHS England, June 2026).
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Contains public sector information published by GeraRent and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Gera Liveability Index — joined UK government open data (June 2026, published 2026-06-19).