Gera Persona Fit — methodology
How the Gera Liveability Score (GLS) and the seven persona-weighted Gera Persona Fit (GPF) scores are computed — transparently, from real government data only.
1. The six inputs
Each input is min-max normalised to 0–100 across the 286 covered English local authorities, oriented so a higher score is always better for a resident.
Affordability (rent)
Average monthly private rent (ONS Price Index of Private Rents). Lower rent → higher score (min-max inverted).
Safety (low crime)
Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents, population-weighted across the region’s police forces (Home Office + ONS). Lower crime → higher score (min-max inverted).
Schools (Ofsted Good+)
Percentage of state-funded schools rated Good or Outstanding (Ofsted). Higher → higher score (min-max).
Connectivity (broadband)
Gera Broadband Index, a transparent composite of Ofcom Connected Nations gigabit/full-fibre/superfast availability. Higher → higher score (min-max).
Health (life expectancy)
Life expectancy at birth, combined sexes (ONS). Higher → higher score (min-max).
Living cost (council tax)
Band D council tax including all precepts (MHCLG). Lower → higher score (min-max inverted).
2. The composite
For each sub-score S with raw value x across the covered set [min, max]:
S_up = 100 * (x - min) / (max - min) // higher raw is better
S_down = 100 * (max - x) / (max - min) // lower raw is better
GLS = mean(affordability, safety, schools,
connectivity, health, cost) // 0..1003. Persona weightings
Each persona applies a fixed weight vector (summing to 1.0) to the same six sub-scores. Gera Persona Fit = weighted sum.
| Persona | Affordability | Safety | Schools | Connectivity | Health | Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Families | 0.15 | 0.25 | 0.30 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Young professionals | 0.25 | 0.15 | 0.05 | 0.25 | 0.10 | 0.20 |
| Retirees | 0.10 | 0.25 | 0.05 | 0.10 | 0.30 | 0.20 |
| Remote workers | 0.25 | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.35 | 0.10 | 0.15 |
| Students | 0.35 | 0.15 | 0.05 | 0.25 | 0.05 | 0.15 |
| First-time buyers | 0.40 | 0.15 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Commuters | 0.20 | 0.15 | 0.10 | 0.20 | 0.15 | 0.20 |
The interactive tool lets any visitor override these weights with their own — that personalised ranking is the part a text answer cannot reproduce.
4. Coverage and joins
- 286 English local authorities have all six inputs (of 294 considered; 8 dropped for a missing input).
- Schools: 121 exact LEA matches, 165 via region rollup (two-tier districts administered at county level).
- Join key: ONS local-authority (GSS) code for rent, house price, council tax, broadband and life expectancy; normalised name + region fallback for Ofsted; region (population-weighted) for crime.
- GLS range across covered areas: 33.1–76.
5. Sources
Sources (all Open Government Licence v3.0):
- ONS — Price Index of Private Rents — as of May 2026.
- HM Land Registry — UK House Price Index — as of April 2026.
- MHCLG — Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England — as of 2026-27.
- Ofcom — Connected Nations (Gera Broadband Index) — as of July 2024.
- ONS — Life expectancy by local authority — as of 2017-19.
- Ofsted — State-funded school inspection outcomes — as of 31 May 2026.
- Home Office — Police recorded crime (PFA) + ONS population — as of Year ending December 2025.
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 © Crown copyright. Recorded-crime figures are neutral official statistics shown as context only and must not be used to characterise an area or its residents.