GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Dudley vs Hartlepool: which is the better place to live?
Is Dudley or Hartlepool a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Dudley and Hartlepool across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Dudley wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 80.3/100 versus 79.4/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Dudley | Hartlepool | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 80.3/100 | 79.4/100 | Dudley |
| Better value | 69 | 64.7 | Dudley |
| For families | 85.5 | 87.4 | Hartlepool |
| For commuters | 67.5 | 83.9 | Hartlepool |
| For healthcare access | 100 | 75 | Dudley |
| Avg house price | £229,829 | £129,129 | Hartlepool (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,145 | £2,560 | Dudley (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 81.8% | 87.5% | Hartlepool |
| Crime per 1,000 | 98.6 | 119 | Dudley (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 95.4% | 96.9% | Hartlepool |
| Gera GP Access score | 100 | 75 | Dudley |
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Dudley wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 80.3/100 vs 79.4/100.
| Verdict | Dudley | Hartlepool | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 80.3 | 79.4 | Dudley (+0.9) |
| Better value | 69 | 64.7 | Dudley (+4.3) |
| For families | 85.5 | 87.4 | Hartlepool (+1.9) |
| For commuters | 67.5 | 83.9 | Hartlepool (+16.4) |
| For healthcare access | 100 | 75 | Dudley (+25) |
| Measure | Dudley | Hartlepool |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £229,829 | £129,129 |
| Band D council tax | £2,145 | £2,560 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 81.8% | 87.5% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 98.6 | 119 |
| Gigabit broadband | 95.4% | 96.9% |
| Gera GP Access score | 100 | 75 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Dudley or Hartlepool a better place to live overall?
- Dudley scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 80.3/100 versus 79.4/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.9 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Dudley or Hartlepool?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Dudley is better value. Average house prices are £229,829 in Dudley and £129,129 in Hartlepool; Band D council tax is £2,145 versus £2,560 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Dudley or Hartlepool better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Hartlepool comes out ahead for families. Dudley has 81.8% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 98.6 per 1,000; Hartlepool has 87.5% and 119 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Dudley or Hartlepool?
- For connectivity, Dudley has 95.4% gigabit-capable premises and Hartlepool has 96.9% (Ofcom, June 2026). Hartlepool leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Dudley or Hartlepool?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Dudley scores 100 (Black Country ICB) and Hartlepool scores 75 (North East and North Cumbria 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).