GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Portsmouth vs Windsor and Maidenhead: which is the better place to live?
Is Portsmouth or Windsor and Maidenhead a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Portsmouth and Windsor and Maidenhead across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Windsor and Maidenhead wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 71.7/100 versus 70.4/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Portsmouth | Windsor and Maidenhead | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 70.4/100 | 71.7/100 | Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Better value | 64.5 | 55.8 | Portsmouth |
| For families | 92.9 | 89.5 | Portsmouth |
| For commuters | 71 | 54.6 | Portsmouth |
| For healthcare access | 17.9 | 70 | Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Avg house price | £250,377 | £565,201 | Portsmouth (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,292 | £1,953 | Windsor and Maidenhead (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 90.9% | 84% | Portsmouth |
| Crime per 1,000 | 74 | 64.1 | Windsor and Maidenhead (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 96.4% | 82.6% | Portsmouth |
| Gera GP Access score | 17.9 | 70 | Windsor and Maidenhead |
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Windsor and Maidenhead wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 71.7/100 vs 70.4/100.
| Verdict | Portsmouth | Windsor and Maidenhead | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 70.4 | 71.7 | Windsor and Maidenhead (+1.3) |
| Better value | 64.5 | 55.8 | Portsmouth (+8.7) |
| For families | 92.9 | 89.5 | Portsmouth (+3.4) |
| For commuters | 71 | 54.6 | Portsmouth (+16.4) |
| For healthcare access | 17.9 | 70 | Windsor and Maidenhead (+52.1) |
| Measure | Portsmouth | Windsor and Maidenhead |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £250,377 | £565,201 |
| Band D council tax | £2,292 | £1,953 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 90.9% | 84% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 74 | 64.1 |
| Gigabit broadband | 96.4% | 82.6% |
| Gera GP Access score | 17.9 | 70 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Portsmouth or Windsor and Maidenhead a better place to live overall?
- Windsor and Maidenhead scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 71.7/100 versus 70.4/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 1.3 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Portsmouth or Windsor and Maidenhead?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Portsmouth is better value. Average house prices are £250,377 in Portsmouth and £565,201 in Windsor and Maidenhead; Band D council tax is £2,292 versus £1,953 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Portsmouth or Windsor and Maidenhead 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; Windsor and Maidenhead has 84% and 64.1 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Portsmouth or Windsor and Maidenhead?
- For connectivity, Portsmouth has 96.4% gigabit-capable premises and Windsor and Maidenhead has 82.6% (Ofcom, June 2026). Portsmouth leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Portsmouth or Windsor and Maidenhead?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Portsmouth scores 17.9 (Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB) and Windsor and Maidenhead scores 70 (West and North London ICB). Windsor and Maidenhead 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).