GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Leicester vs Peterborough: which is the better place to live?
Is Leicester or Peterborough a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Leicester and Peterborough across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Leicester wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 79.8/100 versus 78.9/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Leicester | Peterborough | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 79.8/100 | 78.9/100 | Leicester |
| Better value | 59.9 | 65.2 | Peterborough |
| For families | 88.7 | 89.3 | Peterborough |
| For commuters | 81.1 | 77.3 | Leicester |
| For healthcare access | 82.6 | 72.2 | Leicester |
| Avg house price | £234,631 | £236,378 | Leicester (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,529 | £2,293 | Peterborough (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 84.3% | 85% | Peterborough |
| Crime per 1,000 | 77.4 | 74.1 | Peterborough (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 97.5% | 92% | Leicester |
| Gera GP Access score | 82.6 | 72.2 | Leicester |
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Leicester wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 79.8/100 vs 78.9/100.
| Verdict | Leicester | Peterborough | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 79.8 | 78.9 | Leicester (+0.9) |
| Better value | 59.9 | 65.2 | Peterborough (+5.3) |
| For families | 88.7 | 89.3 | Peterborough (+0.6) |
| For commuters | 81.1 | 77.3 | Leicester (+3.8) |
| For healthcare access | 82.6 | 72.2 | Leicester (+10.4) |
| Measure | Leicester | Peterborough |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £234,631 | £236,378 |
| Band D council tax | £2,529 | £2,293 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 84.3% | 85% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 77.4 | 74.1 |
| Gigabit broadband | 97.5% | 92% |
| Gera GP Access score | 82.6 | 72.2 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Leicester or Peterborough a better place to live overall?
- Leicester scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 79.8/100 versus 78.9/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.9 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Leicester or Peterborough?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Peterborough is better value. Average house prices are £234,631 in Leicester and £236,378 in Peterborough; Band D council tax is £2,529 versus £2,293 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Leicester or Peterborough better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Peterborough 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; Peterborough has 85% and 74.1 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Leicester or Peterborough?
- For connectivity, Leicester has 97.5% gigabit-capable premises and Peterborough has 92% (Ofcom, June 2026). Leicester leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Leicester or Peterborough?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Leicester scores 82.6 (Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB) and Peterborough 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).