GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Medway vs Southampton: which is the better place to live?
Is Medway or Southampton a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Medway and Southampton across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Southampton wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 70.1/100 versus 69.8/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Medway | Southampton | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 69.8/100 | 70.1/100 | Southampton |
| Better value | 61.4 | 63.3 | Southampton |
| For families | 93.3 | 87.8 | Medway |
| For commuters | 61.5 | 78.5 | Southampton |
| For healthcare access | 31.3 | 17.9 | Medway |
| Avg house price | £294,322 | £234,150 | Southampton (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,329 | £2,381 | Medway (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 92.5% | 82.4% | Medway |
| Crime per 1,000 | 80.7 | 74 | Southampton (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 88.8% | 95.2% | Southampton |
| Gera GP Access score | 31.3 | 17.9 | Medway |
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Southampton wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 70.1/100 vs 69.8/100.
| Verdict | Medway | Southampton | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 69.8 | 70.1 | Southampton (+0.3) |
| Better value | 61.4 | 63.3 | Southampton (+1.9) |
| For families | 93.3 | 87.8 | Medway (+5.5) |
| For commuters | 61.5 | 78.5 | Southampton (+17) |
| For healthcare access | 31.3 | 17.9 | Medway (+13.4) |
| Measure | Medway | Southampton |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £294,322 | £234,150 |
| Band D council tax | £2,329 | £2,381 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 92.5% | 82.4% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 80.7 | 74 |
| Gigabit broadband | 88.8% | 95.2% |
| Gera GP Access score | 31.3 | 17.9 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Medway or Southampton a better place to live overall?
- Southampton scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 70.1/100 versus 69.8/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.3 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Medway or Southampton?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Southampton is better value. Average house prices are £294,322 in Medway and £234,150 in Southampton; Band D council tax is £2,329 versus £2,381 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Medway or Southampton better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Medway comes out ahead for families. Medway has 92.5% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 80.7 per 1,000; Southampton has 82.4% and 74 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Medway or Southampton?
- For connectivity, Medway has 88.8% gigabit-capable premises and Southampton has 95.2% (Ofcom, June 2026). Southampton leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Medway or Southampton?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Medway scores 31.3 (Kent and Medway ICB) and Southampton scores 17.9 (Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB). Medway 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).