GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Blackburn with Darwen vs Stoke-on-Trent: which is the better place to live?
Is Blackburn with Darwen or Stoke-on-Trent a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Blackburn with Darwen and Stoke-on-Trent across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Stoke-on-Trent wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 84.5/100 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 | Stoke-on-Trent | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 79.4/100 | 84.5/100 | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Better value | 65.2 | 72.2 | Stoke-on-Trent |
| For families | 93.7 | 91.3 | Blackburn with Darwen |
| For commuters | 65.3 | 77.3 | Stoke-on-Trent |
| For healthcare access | 83.2 | 94 | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Avg house price | £165,813 | £152,101 | Stoke-on-Trent (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,455 | £2,183 | Stoke-on-Trent (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 92.9% | 88.1% | Blackburn with Darwen |
| Crime per 1,000 | 79.4 | 73.3 | Stoke-on-Trent (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 88.8% | 96.3% | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Gera GP Access score | 83.2 | 94 | Stoke-on-Trent |
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Stoke-on-Trent wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 84.5/100 vs 79.4/100.
| Verdict | Blackburn with Darwen | Stoke-on-Trent | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 79.4 | 84.5 | Stoke-on-Trent (+5.1) |
| Better value | 65.2 | 72.2 | Stoke-on-Trent (+7) |
| For families | 93.7 | 91.3 | Blackburn with Darwen (+2.4) |
| For commuters | 65.3 | 77.3 | Stoke-on-Trent (+12) |
| For healthcare access | 83.2 | 94 | Stoke-on-Trent (+10.8) |
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | Stoke-on-Trent |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £165,813 | £152,101 |
| Band D council tax | £2,455 | £2,183 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 92.9% | 88.1% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 79.4 | 73.3 |
| Gigabit broadband | 88.8% | 96.3% |
| Gera GP Access score | 83.2 | 94 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Blackburn with Darwen or Stoke-on-Trent a better place to live overall?
- Stoke-on-Trent scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 84.5/100 versus 79.4/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 5.1 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Blackburn with Darwen or Stoke-on-Trent?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Stoke-on-Trent is better value. Average house prices are £165,813 in Blackburn with Darwen and £152,101 in Stoke-on-Trent; Band D council tax is £2,455 versus £2,183 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Blackburn with Darwen or Stoke-on-Trent 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; Stoke-on-Trent has 88.1% and 73.3 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Blackburn with Darwen or Stoke-on-Trent?
- For connectivity, Blackburn with Darwen has 88.8% gigabit-capable premises and Stoke-on-Trent has 96.3% (Ofcom, June 2026). Stoke-on-Trent leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Blackburn with Darwen or Stoke-on-Trent?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Blackburn with Darwen scores 83.2 (Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB) and Stoke-on-Trent scores 94 (Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB). Stoke-on-Trent 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).