GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Bury vs Oldham: which is the better place to live?
Is Bury or Oldham a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Bury and Oldham across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Oldham wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 73.4/100 versus 73/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Bury | Oldham | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 73/100 | 73.4/100 | Oldham |
| Better value | 59.4 | 59.4 | Level |
| For families | 80.7 | 82.3 | Oldham |
| For commuters | 78.4 | 78.2 | Bury |
| For healthcare access | 61.6 | 61.6 | Level |
| Avg house price | £233,630 | £212,066 | Oldham (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,555 | £2,602 | Bury (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 74.4% | 77.1% | Oldham |
| Crime per 1,000 | 103.9 | 103.9 | Level |
| Gigabit broadband | 93.8% | 96.8% | Oldham |
| Gera GP Access score | 61.6 | 61.6 | Level |
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Oldham wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 73.4/100 vs 73/100.
| Verdict | Bury | Oldham | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 73 | 73.4 | Oldham (+0.4) |
| Better value | 59.4 | 59.4 | Level |
| For families | 80.7 | 82.3 | Oldham (+1.6) |
| For commuters | 78.4 | 78.2 | Bury (+0.2) |
| For healthcare access | 61.6 | 61.6 | Level |
| Measure | Bury | Oldham |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £233,630 | £212,066 |
| Band D council tax | £2,555 | £2,602 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 74.4% | 77.1% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 103.9 | 103.9 |
| Gigabit broadband | 93.8% | 96.8% |
| Gera GP Access score | 61.6 | 61.6 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bury or Oldham a better place to live overall?
- Oldham scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 73.4/100 versus 73/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.4 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Bury or Oldham?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Bury and Oldham are level. Average house prices are £233,630 in Bury and £212,066 in Oldham; Band D council tax is £2,555 versus £2,602 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Bury or Oldham better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Oldham comes out ahead for families. Bury has 74.4% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 103.9 per 1,000; Oldham has 77.1% and 103.9 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Bury or Oldham?
- For connectivity, Bury has 93.8% gigabit-capable premises and Oldham has 96.8% (Ofcom, June 2026). Bury leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Bury or Oldham?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Bury scores 61.6 (Greater Manchester ICB) and Oldham scores 61.6 (Greater Manchester ICB). The two are level for 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).