GeraRent · Area head-to-head
St Helens vs Tameside: which is the better place to live?
Is St Helens or Tameside a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing St Helens and Tameside across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Tameside wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 73.1/100 versus 72.3/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | St Helens | Tameside | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 72.3/100 | 73.1/100 | Tameside |
| Better value | 65.4 | 62.9 | St Helens |
| For families | 82.4 | 83.7 | Tameside |
| For commuters | 68.2 | 70.5 | Tameside |
| For healthcare access | 57.4 | 61.6 | Tameside |
| Avg house price | £184,470 | £212,609 | St Helens (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,403 | £2,447 | St Helens (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 75.9% | 79.5% | Tameside |
| Crime per 1,000 | 93.1 | 103.9 | St Helens (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 94.9% | 91.9% | St Helens |
| Gera GP Access score | 57.4 | 61.6 | Tameside |
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Tameside wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 73.1/100 vs 72.3/100.
| Verdict | St Helens | Tameside | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 72.3 | 73.1 | Tameside (+0.8) |
| Better value | 65.4 | 62.9 | St Helens (+2.5) |
| For families | 82.4 | 83.7 | Tameside (+1.3) |
| For commuters | 68.2 | 70.5 | Tameside (+2.3) |
| For healthcare access | 57.4 | 61.6 | Tameside (+4.2) |
| Measure | St Helens | Tameside |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £184,470 | £212,609 |
| Band D council tax | £2,403 | £2,447 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 75.9% | 79.5% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 93.1 | 103.9 |
| Gigabit broadband | 94.9% | 91.9% |
| Gera GP Access score | 57.4 | 61.6 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is St Helens or Tameside a better place to live overall?
- Tameside scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 73.1/100 versus 72.3/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.8 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, St Helens or Tameside?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — St Helens is better value. Average house prices are £184,470 in St Helens and £212,609 in Tameside; Band D council tax is £2,403 versus £2,447 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is St Helens or Tameside better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Tameside comes out ahead for families. St Helens has 75.9% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 93.1 per 1,000; Tameside has 79.5% and 103.9 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, St Helens or Tameside?
- For connectivity, St Helens has 94.9% gigabit-capable premises and Tameside has 91.9% (Ofcom, June 2026). Tameside leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in St Helens or Tameside?
- On the Gera GP Access score, St Helens scores 57.4 (Cheshire and Merseyside ICB) and Tameside scores 61.6 (Greater Manchester ICB). Tameside 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).