GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Somerset vs Wiltshire: which is the better place to live?
Is Somerset or Wiltshire a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Somerset and Wiltshire across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Somerset wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 62.8/100 versus 62.7/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Somerset | Wiltshire | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 62.8/100 | 62.7/100 | Somerset |
| Better value | 56.9 | 54.2 | Somerset |
| For families | 79.8 | 89.4 | Wiltshire |
| For commuters | 45.6 | 32.4 | Somerset |
| For healthcare access | 45.8 | 43.7 | Somerset |
| Avg house price | £277,347 | £325,267 | Somerset (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,561 | £2,572 | Somerset (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 71.9% | 82.8% | Wiltshire |
| Crime per 1,000 | 95.8 | 55.6 | Wiltshire (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 72.9% | 69.4% | Somerset |
| Gera GP Access score | 45.8 | 43.7 | Somerset |
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Somerset wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 62.8/100 vs 62.7/100.
| Verdict | Somerset | Wiltshire | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 62.8 | 62.7 | Somerset (+0.1) |
| Better value | 56.9 | 54.2 | Somerset (+2.7) |
| For families | 79.8 | 89.4 | Wiltshire (+9.6) |
| For commuters | 45.6 | 32.4 | Somerset (+13.2) |
| For healthcare access | 45.8 | 43.7 | Somerset (+2.1) |
| Measure | Somerset | Wiltshire |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £277,347 | £325,267 |
| Band D council tax | £2,561 | £2,572 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 71.9% | 82.8% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 95.8 | 55.6 |
| Gigabit broadband | 72.9% | 69.4% |
| Gera GP Access score | 45.8 | 43.7 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Somerset or Wiltshire a better place to live overall?
- Somerset scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 62.8/100 versus 62.7/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.1 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Somerset or Wiltshire?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Somerset is better value. Average house prices are £277,347 in Somerset and £325,267 in Wiltshire; Band D council tax is £2,561 versus £2,572 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Somerset or Wiltshire better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Wiltshire comes out ahead for families. Somerset has 71.9% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 95.8 per 1,000; Wiltshire has 82.8% and 55.6 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Somerset or Wiltshire?
- For connectivity, Somerset has 72.9% gigabit-capable premises and Wiltshire has 69.4% (Ofcom, June 2026). Somerset leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Somerset or Wiltshire?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Somerset scores 45.8 (Somerset ICB) and Wiltshire scores 43.7 (Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB). Somerset 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).