GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Buckinghamshire vs Medway: which is the better place to live?
Is Buckinghamshire or Medway a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Buckinghamshire and Medway across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Medway wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 69.8/100 versus 67.7/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Buckinghamshire | Medway | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 67.7/100 | 69.8/100 | Medway |
| Better value | 47.2 | 61.4 | Medway |
| For families | 90.2 | 93.3 | Medway |
| For commuters | 42.9 | 61.5 | Medway |
| For healthcare access | 72.2 | 31.3 | Buckinghamshire |
| Avg house price | £478,521 | £294,322 | Medway (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,527 | £2,329 | Medway (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 85.1% | 92.5% | Medway |
| Crime per 1,000 | 64.1 | 80.7 | Buckinghamshire (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 76.2% | 88.8% | Medway |
| Gera GP Access score | 72.2 | 31.3 | Buckinghamshire |
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Medway wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 69.8/100 vs 67.7/100.
| Verdict | Buckinghamshire | Medway | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 67.7 | 69.8 | Medway (+2.1) |
| Better value | 47.2 | 61.4 | Medway (+14.2) |
| For families | 90.2 | 93.3 | Medway (+3.1) |
| For commuters | 42.9 | 61.5 | Medway (+18.6) |
| For healthcare access | 72.2 | 31.3 | Buckinghamshire (+40.9) |
| Measure | Buckinghamshire | Medway |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £478,521 | £294,322 |
| Band D council tax | £2,527 | £2,329 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 85.1% | 92.5% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 64.1 | 80.7 |
| Gigabit broadband | 76.2% | 88.8% |
| Gera GP Access score | 72.2 | 31.3 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Buckinghamshire or Medway a better place to live overall?
- Medway scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 69.8/100 versus 67.7/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 2.1 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Buckinghamshire or Medway?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Medway is better value. Average house prices are £478,521 in Buckinghamshire and £294,322 in Medway; Band D council tax is £2,527 versus £2,329 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Buckinghamshire or Medway better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Medway comes out ahead for families. Buckinghamshire has 85.1% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 64.1 per 1,000; Medway has 92.5% and 80.7 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Buckinghamshire or Medway?
- For connectivity, Buckinghamshire has 76.2% gigabit-capable premises and Medway has 88.8% (Ofcom, June 2026). Medway leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Buckinghamshire or Medway?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Buckinghamshire scores 72.2 (Central East ICB) and Medway scores 31.3 (Kent and Medway ICB). Buckinghamshire 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).