GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Dudley vs Luton: which is the better place to live?
Is Dudley or Luton a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Dudley and Luton across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Dudley wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 80.3/100 versus 78.5/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Dudley | Luton | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 80.3/100 | 78.5/100 | Dudley |
| Better value | 69 | 59.4 | Dudley |
| For families | 85.5 | 91.4 | Luton |
| For commuters | 67.5 | 78.2 | Luton |
| For healthcare access | 100 | 72.2 | Dudley |
| Avg house price | £229,829 | £283,357 | Dudley (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,145 | £2,440 | Dudley (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 81.8% | 87.9% | Luton |
| Crime per 1,000 | 98.6 | 69.4 | Luton (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 95.4% | 98% | Luton |
| Gera GP Access score | 100 | 72.2 | Dudley |
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Dudley wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 80.3/100 vs 78.5/100.
| Verdict | Dudley | Luton | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 80.3 | 78.5 | Dudley (+1.8) |
| Better value | 69 | 59.4 | Dudley (+9.6) |
| For families | 85.5 | 91.4 | Luton (+5.9) |
| For commuters | 67.5 | 78.2 | Luton (+10.7) |
| For healthcare access | 100 | 72.2 | Dudley (+27.8) |
| Measure | Dudley | Luton |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £229,829 | £283,357 |
| Band D council tax | £2,145 | £2,440 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 81.8% | 87.9% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 98.6 | 69.4 |
| Gigabit broadband | 95.4% | 98% |
| Gera GP Access score | 100 | 72.2 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Dudley or Luton a better place to live overall?
- Dudley scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 80.3/100 versus 78.5/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 1.8 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Dudley or Luton?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Dudley is better value. Average house prices are £229,829 in Dudley and £283,357 in Luton; Band D council tax is £2,145 versus £2,440 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Dudley or Luton better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Luton 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; Luton has 87.9% and 69.4 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Dudley or Luton?
- For connectivity, Dudley has 95.4% gigabit-capable premises and Luton has 98% (Ofcom, June 2026). Luton leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Dudley or Luton?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Dudley scores 100 (Black Country ICB) and Luton scores 72.2 (Central East 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).