GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Portsmouth vs Southampton: which is the better place to live?
Is Portsmouth or Southampton a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Portsmouth and Southampton across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Portsmouth wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 70.4/100 versus 70.1/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Portsmouth | Southampton | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 70.4/100 | 70.1/100 | Portsmouth |
| Better value | 64.5 | 63.3 | Portsmouth |
| For families | 92.9 | 87.8 | Portsmouth |
| For commuters | 71 | 78.5 | Southampton |
| For healthcare access | 17.9 | 17.9 | Level |
| Avg house price | £250,377 | £234,150 | Southampton (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,292 | £2,381 | Portsmouth (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 90.9% | 82.4% | Portsmouth |
| Crime per 1,000 | 74 | 74 | Level |
| Gigabit broadband | 96.4% | 95.2% | Portsmouth |
| Gera GP Access score | 17.9 | 17.9 | Level |
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Portsmouth wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 70.4/100 vs 70.1/100.
| Verdict | Portsmouth | Southampton | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 70.4 | 70.1 | Portsmouth (+0.3) |
| Better value | 64.5 | 63.3 | Portsmouth (+1.2) |
| For families | 92.9 | 87.8 | Portsmouth (+5.1) |
| For commuters | 71 | 78.5 | Southampton (+7.5) |
| For healthcare access | 17.9 | 17.9 | Level |
| Measure | Portsmouth | Southampton |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £250,377 | £234,150 |
| Band D council tax | £2,292 | £2,381 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 90.9% | 82.4% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 74 | 74 |
| Gigabit broadband | 96.4% | 95.2% |
| Gera GP Access score | 17.9 | 17.9 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Portsmouth or Southampton a better place to live overall?
- Portsmouth scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 70.4/100 versus 70.1/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.3 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Portsmouth or Southampton?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Portsmouth is better value. Average house prices are £250,377 in Portsmouth and £234,150 in Southampton; Band D council tax is £2,292 versus £2,381 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Portsmouth or Southampton better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Portsmouth comes out ahead for families. Portsmouth has 90.9% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 74 per 1,000; Southampton has 82.4% and 74 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Portsmouth or Southampton?
- For connectivity, Portsmouth has 96.4% 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 Portsmouth or Southampton?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Portsmouth scores 17.9 (Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB) and Southampton scores 17.9 (Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB). The two are level for 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).