GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Dorset vs Plymouth: which is the better place to live?
Is Dorset or Plymouth a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Dorset and Plymouth across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Plymouth wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 69.3/100 versus 63.5/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Dorset | Plymouth | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 63.5/100 | 69.3/100 | Plymouth |
| Better value | 49.7 | 62.9 | Plymouth |
| For families | 86.9 | 94.3 | Plymouth |
| For commuters | 39.2 | 60 | Plymouth |
| For healthcare access | 52.2 | 24.9 | Dorset |
| Avg house price | £325,696 | £216,463 | Plymouth (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,765 | £2,442 | Plymouth (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 79.1% | 92.2% | Plymouth |
| Crime per 1,000 | 59.3 | 66.1 | Dorset (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 69.4% | 93.4% | Plymouth |
| Gera GP Access score | 52.2 | 24.9 | Dorset |
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Plymouth wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 69.3/100 vs 63.5/100.
| Verdict | Dorset | Plymouth | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 63.5 | 69.3 | Plymouth (+5.8) |
| Better value | 49.7 | 62.9 | Plymouth (+13.2) |
| For families | 86.9 | 94.3 | Plymouth (+7.4) |
| For commuters | 39.2 | 60 | Plymouth (+20.8) |
| For healthcare access | 52.2 | 24.9 | Dorset (+27.3) |
| Measure | Dorset | Plymouth |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £325,696 | £216,463 |
| Band D council tax | £2,765 | £2,442 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 79.1% | 92.2% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 59.3 | 66.1 |
| Gigabit broadband | 69.4% | 93.4% |
| Gera GP Access score | 52.2 | 24.9 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Dorset or Plymouth a better place to live overall?
- Plymouth scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 69.3/100 versus 63.5/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 5.8 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Dorset or Plymouth?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Plymouth is better value. Average house prices are £325,696 in Dorset and £216,463 in Plymouth; Band D council tax is £2,765 versus £2,442 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Dorset or Plymouth better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Plymouth comes out ahead for families. Dorset has 79.1% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 59.3 per 1,000; Plymouth has 92.2% and 66.1 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Dorset or Plymouth?
- For connectivity, Dorset has 69.4% gigabit-capable premises and Plymouth has 93.4% (Ofcom, June 2026). Plymouth leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Dorset or Plymouth?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Dorset scores 52.2 (Dorset ICB) and Plymouth scores 24.9 (Devon ICB). Dorset 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).