GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Kingston upon Hull vs Southend on Sea: which is the better place to live?
Is Kingston upon Hull or Southend on Sea a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Kingston upon Hull and Southend on Sea across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Southend on Sea wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 84.3/100 versus 81.4/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Kingston upon Hull | Southend on Sea | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 81.4/100 | 84.3/100 | Southend on Sea |
| Better value | 70.5 | 61.1 | Kingston upon Hull |
| For families | 90.6 | 91.9 | Southend on Sea |
| For commuters | 91.2 | 85.1 | Kingston upon Hull |
| For healthcare access | 59.3 | 97.6 | Southend on Sea |
| Avg house price | £135,051 | £327,030 | Kingston upon Hull (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,295 | £2,265 | Southend on Sea (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 90% | 89.3% | Kingston upon Hull |
| Crime per 1,000 | 96.1 | 73.8 | Southend on Sea (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 99.4% | 97.7% | Kingston upon Hull |
| Gera GP Access score | 59.3 | 97.6 | Southend on Sea |
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Southend on Sea wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 84.3/100 vs 81.4/100.
| Verdict | Kingston upon Hull | Southend on Sea | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 81.4 | 84.3 | Southend on Sea (+2.9) |
| Better value | 70.5 | 61.1 | Kingston upon Hull (+9.4) |
| For families | 90.6 | 91.9 | Southend on Sea (+1.3) |
| For commuters | 91.2 | 85.1 | Kingston upon Hull (+6.1) |
| For healthcare access | 59.3 | 97.6 | Southend on Sea (+38.3) |
| Measure | Kingston upon Hull | Southend on Sea |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £135,051 | £327,030 |
| Band D council tax | £2,295 | £2,265 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 90% | 89.3% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 96.1 | 73.8 |
| Gigabit broadband | 99.4% | 97.7% |
| Gera GP Access score | 59.3 | 97.6 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Kingston upon Hull or Southend on Sea a better place to live overall?
- Southend on Sea scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 84.3/100 versus 81.4/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 2.9 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Kingston upon Hull or Southend on Sea?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Kingston upon Hull is better value. Average house prices are £135,051 in Kingston upon Hull and £327,030 in Southend on Sea; Band D council tax is £2,295 versus £2,265 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Kingston upon Hull or Southend on Sea better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Southend on Sea comes out ahead for families. Kingston upon Hull has 90% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 96.1 per 1,000; Southend on Sea has 89.3% and 73.8 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Kingston upon Hull or Southend on Sea?
- For connectivity, Kingston upon Hull has 99.4% gigabit-capable premises and Southend on Sea has 97.7% (Ofcom, June 2026). Kingston upon Hull leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Kingston upon Hull or Southend on Sea?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Kingston upon Hull scores 59.3 (Humber and North Yorkshire ICB) and Southend on Sea scores 97.6 (Essex ICB). Southend on Sea 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).