GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Southampton vs Wokingham: which is the better place to live?
Is Southampton or Wokingham a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Southampton and Wokingham across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Wokingham wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 71.3/100 versus 70.1/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Southampton | Wokingham | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 70.1/100 | 71.3/100 | Wokingham |
| Better value | 63.3 | 47.5 | Southampton |
| For families | 87.8 | 94.1 | Wokingham |
| For commuters | 78.5 | 54.4 | Southampton |
| For healthcare access | 17.9 | 70 | Wokingham |
| Avg house price | £234,150 | £485,606 | Southampton (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,381 | £2,498 | Southampton (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 82.4% | 91.7% | Wokingham |
| Crime per 1,000 | 74 | 64.1 | Wokingham (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 95.2% | 87.5% | Southampton |
| Gera GP Access score | 17.9 | 70 | Wokingham |
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Wokingham wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 71.3/100 vs 70.1/100.
| Verdict | Southampton | Wokingham | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 70.1 | 71.3 | Wokingham (+1.2) |
| Better value | 63.3 | 47.5 | Southampton (+15.8) |
| For families | 87.8 | 94.1 | Wokingham (+6.3) |
| For commuters | 78.5 | 54.4 | Southampton (+24.1) |
| For healthcare access | 17.9 | 70 | Wokingham (+52.1) |
| Measure | Southampton | Wokingham |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £234,150 | £485,606 |
| Band D council tax | £2,381 | £2,498 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 82.4% | 91.7% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 74 | 64.1 |
| Gigabit broadband | 95.2% | 87.5% |
| Gera GP Access score | 17.9 | 70 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Southampton or Wokingham a better place to live overall?
- Wokingham scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 71.3/100 versus 70.1/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 1.2 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Southampton or Wokingham?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Southampton is better value. Average house prices are £234,150 in Southampton and £485,606 in Wokingham; Band D council tax is £2,381 versus £2,498 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Southampton or Wokingham better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Wokingham comes out ahead for families. Southampton has 82.4% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 74 per 1,000; Wokingham has 91.7% and 64.1 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Southampton or Wokingham?
- For connectivity, Southampton has 95.2% gigabit-capable premises and Wokingham has 87.5% (Ofcom, June 2026). Southampton leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Southampton or Wokingham?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Southampton scores 17.9 (Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB) and Wokingham scores 70 (West and North London ICB). Wokingham 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).