GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Leicester vs Luton: which is the better place to live?
Is Leicester or Luton a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Leicester and Luton across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Leicester wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 79.8/100 versus 78.5/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Leicester | Luton | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 79.8/100 | 78.5/100 | Leicester |
| Better value | 59.9 | 59.4 | Leicester |
| For families | 88.7 | 91.4 | Luton |
| For commuters | 81.1 | 78.2 | Leicester |
| For healthcare access | 82.6 | 72.2 | Leicester |
| Avg house price | £234,631 | £283,357 | Leicester (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,529 | £2,440 | Luton (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 84.3% | 87.9% | Luton |
| Crime per 1,000 | 77.4 | 69.4 | Luton (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 97.5% | 98% | Luton |
| Gera GP Access score | 82.6 | 72.2 | Leicester |
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Leicester wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 79.8/100 vs 78.5/100.
| Verdict | Leicester | Luton | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 79.8 | 78.5 | Leicester (+1.3) |
| Better value | 59.9 | 59.4 | Leicester (+0.5) |
| For families | 88.7 | 91.4 | Luton (+2.7) |
| For commuters | 81.1 | 78.2 | Leicester (+2.9) |
| For healthcare access | 82.6 | 72.2 | Leicester (+10.4) |
| Measure | Leicester | Luton |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £234,631 | £283,357 |
| Band D council tax | £2,529 | £2,440 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 84.3% | 87.9% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 77.4 | 69.4 |
| Gigabit broadband | 97.5% | 98% |
| Gera GP Access score | 82.6 | 72.2 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Leicester or Luton a better place to live overall?
- Leicester scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 79.8/100 versus 78.5/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 1.3 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Leicester or Luton?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Leicester is better value. Average house prices are £234,631 in Leicester and £283,357 in Luton; Band D council tax is £2,529 versus £2,440 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Leicester or Luton better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Luton comes out ahead for families. Leicester has 84.3% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 77.4 per 1,000; Luton has 87.9% and 69.4 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Leicester or Luton?
- For connectivity, Leicester has 97.5% gigabit-capable premises and Luton has 98% (Ofcom, June 2026). Leicester leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Leicester or Luton?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Leicester scores 82.6 (Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB) and Luton scores 72.2 (Central East ICB). Leicester 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).