Groundsense

Reading

Reading is a unitary council in the South East of England. All 24 figures Groundsense publishes are available here. Figures fetched 3 October 2026.

Reading's average home, £361k, costs less than in any council it borders, yet its two bedroom rent, £1,393 a month, is the highest of them. Band D council tax, £2,613, is also the highest of its neighbours. Pubs, bars and clubs are down 11.1% since 2021, to 4.4 per 10,000 residents. Nitrogen dioxide where people live has fallen 44% since 2019. Full fibre reaches 94.9% of premises.

Furthest from the middle

Premises with full fibre available 94.9% Higher than 96% of the 359 councils in the UK it is published for. 3rd highest of the 64 councils in the South East.
Killed or seriously injured on the roads, per 100,000 residents a year 23.7 Lower than 95% of the 350 councils in England, Scotland and Wales it is published for. 5th lowest of the 64 councils in the South East.
Residents at the same address a year earlier 83.1% Lower than 92% of the 318 councils in England and Wales it is published for. 5th lowest of the 64 councils in the South East.

Open Reading on the map

Each line runs from the council with the lowest figure to the one with the highest. The dot is Reading and the tick is the council in the middle.

Cost of living

Council tax, band D£2,613

Higher than 91% of the 296 councils in England it is published for.

8th highest of the 64 councils in the South East.

MHCLG, Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026-27, Table 9 · 2026-27 · How this is measured

Housing

Average house price, all homes£361k

Higher than 74% of the 360 councils in the UK it is published for.

Up 0.9% since June 2025

UK House Price Index · June 2026 · How this is measured

Average monthly rent, two bedrooms£1,393

Higher than 81% of the 316 councils in England and Wales it is published for.

Up 1.3% since August 2025

ONS Price Index of Private Rents · August 2026 · How this is measured

Price to local earnings8.9

Higher than 72% of the 348 councils in England, Scotland and Wales it is published for.

UK House Price Index average price (June 2026) over ASHE median gross annual pay, full time workers (2025) · June 2026 prices, 2025 pay · How this is measured

Energy efficiency score of the typical home70

Higher than 65% of the 318 councils in England and Wales it is published for.

ONS, Energy efficiency of housing, median score by local authority, from MHCLG certificates · to March 2025 · How this is measured

Transport

Households with no car or van28.4%

Higher than 84% of the 329 councils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is published for.

5th highest of the 64 councils in the South East.

Census 2021: ONS TS045 for England and Wales, NISRA for Northern Ireland · 2021 · How this is measured

Residents within 1km of a train, Underground or tram station24.1%

Lower than 53% of the 350 councils in England, Scotland and Wales it is published for.

DfT NaPTAN active stations, read at every census area · October 2026 · How this is measured

Amenities

Residents within 1km of a supermarket94%

Higher than 87% of the 358 councils in the UK it is published for.

7th highest of the 64 councils in the South East.

Food Standards Agency register of food businesses, read at every census area · October 2026 · How this is measured

Residents within 1km of a pharmacy95.3%

Higher than 83% of the 318 councils in England and Wales it is published for.

4th highest of the 64 councils in the South East.

NHS organisation register, dispensing contractors, read at every census area · October 2026 · How this is measured

Premises with full fibre available94.9%

Higher than 96% of the 359 councils in the UK it is published for.

3rd highest of the 64 councils in the South East.

Ofcom Connected Nations 2025, fixed broadband residential coverage by local authority · July 2025 · How this is measured

Education

Eleven year olds at the expected standard in reading, writing and maths63%

Higher than 49% of the 296 councils in England it is published for.

No change since 2018/19

DfE, Key stage 2 attainment by pupil residency · 2025/26 · How this is measured

Attainment 8 at sixteen, average score46.4

Higher than 57% of the 296 councils in England it is published for.

DfE, Key stage 4 performance, local authority district data by pupil residency · 2024/25 · How this is measured

Health

Patients per fully qualified GP2,419

Higher than 73% of the 296 councils in England it is published for.

13th highest of the 64 councils in the South East.

NHS England, General Practice Workforce, practice level, August 2026 · August 2026 · How this is measured

GP practices rated Good or Outstanding100%

Joint highest of the 293 councils in England it is published for.

Joint highest of the 64 councils in the South East.

CQC Syndication API, GP practices (inspection category P2) · October 2026 · How this is measured

Safety

Recorded crime per 1,000 residents97.5

Higher than 82% of the 305 councils in England and Wales it is published for.

7th highest of the 51 councils in the South East.

Down 7.2% since 2022-23

Home Office recorded crime by community safety partnership, over ONS population estimates for June 2025 · 2025-26 · How this is measured

Residential burglary per 1,000 households5.8

Higher than 60% of the 305 councils in England and Wales it is published for.

6th highest of the 51 councils in the South East.

Home Office recorded crime by community safety partnership, over Census 2021 household counts · 2025-26 · How this is measured

Killed or seriously injured on the roads, per 100,000 residents a year23.7

Lower than 95% of the 350 councils in England, Scotland and Wales it is published for.

5th lowest of the 64 councils in the South East.

DfT RAS0403, adjusted casualties by highway authority, 2023 to 2025, over ONS population estimates for June 2025 · 2023 to 2025 · How this is measured

Community

Residents at the same address a year earlier83.1%

Lower than 92% of the 318 councils in England and Wales it is published for.

5th lowest of the 64 councils in the South East.

ONS Census 2021, TS019 Migrant indicator · 2021 · How this is measured

Pubs, bars and licensed clubs per 10,000 residents4.4

Lower than 81% of the 361 councils in the UK it is published for.

Joint 12th lowest of the 64 councils in the South East.

Down 11.1% since 2021

ONS UK Business Counts, SIC 56301 and 56302, over ONS population estimates for June 2025 · 2026 · How this is measured

Wellbeing

Life satisfaction, mean out of 107.4

Lower than 58% of the 347 councils in the UK it is published for.

ONS, personal wellbeing estimates by local authority · 2022-23 · How this is measured

Anxiety, mean out of 103.2

Lower than 53% of the 347 councils in the UK it is published for.

ONS, personal wellbeing estimates by local authority · 2022-23 · How this is measured

Healthy life expectancy at birth, women63 yrs

Higher than 65% of the 359 councils in the UK it is published for.

13th lowest of the 64 councils in the South East.

Down 4.7 years since 2011 to 2013

ONS, Healthy life expectancy, UK · 2022 to 2024 · How this is measured

Environment

Park and public garden space within 1km of the average home22.7 ha

Lower than 56% of the 343 councils in England, Scotland and Wales it is published for.

ONS, Access to public parks and playing fields, from OS Open Greenspace · April 2020 · How this is measured

Nitrogen dioxide where people live, annual mean10.2 µg/m³

Higher than 72% of the 361 councils in the UK it is published for.

Joint 13th highest of the 64 councils in the South East.

Down 44% since 2019

Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, background NO2 on the 1km grid, read at every census area · 2024 · How this is measured

Next door, side by side

Reading shares a boundary with South Oxfordshire, West Berkshire and Wokingham. Lowest first.

Average monthly rent, two bedrooms: West Berkshire£1,216
South Oxfordshire£1,292
Wokingham£1,345
Reading£1,393
Average house price, all homes: Reading£361k
West Berkshire£403k
South Oxfordshire£474k
Wokingham£499k
Council tax, band D: Wokingham£2,498
West Berkshire£2,505
South Oxfordshire£2,598
Reading£2,613
Recorded crime per 1,000 residents: Wokingham38.8
South Oxfordshire40.2
West Berkshire54.8
Reading97.5
Patients per fully qualified GP: West Berkshire1,769
South Oxfordshire1,849
Reading2,419
Wokingham2,593
Eleven year olds at the expected standard in reading, writing and maths: West Berkshire58%
Reading63%
South Oxfordshire64%
Wokingham70%
Nitrogen dioxide where people live, annual mean: West Berkshire6.5 µg/m³
South Oxfordshire6.8 µg/m³
Wokingham8.9 µg/m³
Reading10.2 µg/m³
Residents within 1km of a train, Underground or tram station: Reading24.1%
Wokingham24.1%
South Oxfordshire24.8%
West Berkshire27.9%

What changed

Average house price, change over a year, June 2025 to June 2026Up 0.9% since June 2025
Two bedroom rent, change over a year, August 2025 to August 2026Up 1.3% since August 2025
Recorded crime, change in the count, 2022-23 to 2025-26Down 7.2% since 2022-23
Healthy life expectancy for women, change, between 2011 to 2013 and 2022 to 2024Down 4.7 years since 2011 to 2013
Pubs, bars and licensed clubs, change in the count, 2021 to 2026Down 11.1% since 2021
Eleven year olds at the expected standard, change, 2018/19 to 2025/26No change since 2018/19
Nitrogen dioxide where people live, change, 2019 to 2024Down 44% since 2019

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