GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Doncaster vs Dudley: which is the better place to live?
Is Doncaster or Dudley a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Doncaster and Dudley across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Doncaster wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 81/100 versus 80.3/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Doncaster | Dudley | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 81/100 | 80.3/100 | Doncaster |
| Better value | 71.4 | 69 | Doncaster |
| For families | 93.5 | 85.5 | Doncaster |
| For commuters | 71.8 | 67.5 | Doncaster |
| For healthcare access | 77 | 100 | Dudley |
| Avg house price | £173,624 | £229,829 | Doncaster (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,168 | £2,145 | Dudley (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 95.5% | 81.8% | Doncaster |
| Crime per 1,000 | 101.1 | 98.6 | Dudley (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 89.7% | 95.4% | Dudley |
| Gera GP Access score | 77 | 100 | Dudley |
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Doncaster wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 81/100 vs 80.3/100.
| Verdict | Doncaster | Dudley | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 81 | 80.3 | Doncaster (+0.7) |
| Better value | 71.4 | 69 | Doncaster (+2.4) |
| For families | 93.5 | 85.5 | Doncaster (+8) |
| For commuters | 71.8 | 67.5 | Doncaster (+4.3) |
| For healthcare access | 77 | 100 | Dudley (+23) |
| Measure | Doncaster | Dudley |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £173,624 | £229,829 |
| Band D council tax | £2,168 | £2,145 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 95.5% | 81.8% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 101.1 | 98.6 |
| Gigabit broadband | 89.7% | 95.4% |
| Gera GP Access score | 77 | 100 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Doncaster or Dudley a better place to live overall?
- Doncaster scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 81/100 versus 80.3/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.7 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Doncaster or Dudley?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Doncaster is better value. Average house prices are £173,624 in Doncaster and £229,829 in Dudley; Band D council tax is £2,168 versus £2,145 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Doncaster or Dudley better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Doncaster comes out ahead for families. Doncaster has 95.5% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 101.1 per 1,000; Dudley has 81.8% and 98.6 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Doncaster or Dudley?
- For connectivity, Doncaster has 89.7% gigabit-capable premises and Dudley has 95.4% (Ofcom, June 2026). Doncaster leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Doncaster or Dudley?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Doncaster scores 77 (South Yorkshire 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).