GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Slough vs Sunderland: which is the better place to live?
Is Slough or Sunderland a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Slough and Sunderland across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Slough wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 79.2/100 versus 78.8/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Slough | Sunderland | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 79.2/100 | 78.8/100 | Slough |
| Better value | 57.1 | 72.2 | Sunderland |
| For families | 95.8 | 94.5 | Slough |
| For commuters | 78.5 | 59.7 | Slough |
| For healthcare access | 70 | 75 | Sunderland |
| Avg house price | £338,287 | £145,293 | Sunderland (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,414 | £2,197 | Sunderland (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 94.4% | 95.7% | Sunderland |
| Crime per 1,000 | 64.1 | 90.6 | Slough (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 96.3% | 91.9% | Slough |
| Gera GP Access score | 70 | 75 | Sunderland |
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Slough wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 79.2/100 vs 78.8/100.
| Verdict | Slough | Sunderland | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 79.2 | 78.8 | Slough (+0.4) |
| Better value | 57.1 | 72.2 | Sunderland (+15.1) |
| For families | 95.8 | 94.5 | Slough (+1.3) |
| For commuters | 78.5 | 59.7 | Slough (+18.8) |
| For healthcare access | 70 | 75 | Sunderland (+5) |
| Measure | Slough | Sunderland |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £338,287 | £145,293 |
| Band D council tax | £2,414 | £2,197 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 94.4% | 95.7% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 64.1 | 90.6 |
| Gigabit broadband | 96.3% | 91.9% |
| Gera GP Access score | 70 | 75 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Slough or Sunderland a better place to live overall?
- Slough scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 79.2/100 versus 78.8/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.4 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Slough or Sunderland?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Sunderland is better value. Average house prices are £338,287 in Slough and £145,293 in Sunderland; Band D council tax is £2,414 versus £2,197 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Slough or Sunderland better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Slough comes out ahead for families. Slough has 94.4% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 64.1 per 1,000; Sunderland has 95.7% and 90.6 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Slough or Sunderland?
- For connectivity, Slough has 96.3% gigabit-capable premises and Sunderland has 91.9% (Ofcom, June 2026). Slough leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Slough or Sunderland?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Slough scores 70 (West and North London ICB) and Sunderland scores 75 (North East and North Cumbria ICB). Sunderland 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).