Sheffield named as one of safest places to live in UK

Whether you're raising a family or living alone, safety and security are a vital feature of any property.

You want to know that you won't be robbed, struck by lightning, or have your house collapse, and in the case of a crisis, that help will reach you quickly.

The study, which compared 30 largest cities in the UK has now identified the safest places to live, so you can put your mind at ease when moving.

It analysed factors such as local crime, property age and ground movement, A&E response times '“ as well as doctors per person in the local area - and the frequency of thunderstorms in that area, to provide a comprehensive insight into the safety of the UK.

Sheffield was ranked 12th overall for risk-free living, with Birmingham bagging the top spot as the most strong and stable location, followed by Belfast, Derby, Plymouth and Manchester

On the other hand, London fares poorly, ranking 21 out of the 30 most populous locations. 

The overall data is broken down into four parts '“ crime, weather, healthcare and property allowing comparison of each city within the chosen category.

Compare the Market say they looked at factors other than crime, as they thought there was more to what makes an area safe such as access to medical care and risk of extreme weather.

Sheffield ranked within the top 10 cities for crime, with an average crime rate of 198 cases per 100,000 of population, falling behind Leeds with only 22 cases.

However, when looking at healthcare services the city does not fair as well, with residents waiting on average 5.53 minutes for an ambulance, and 78% of ambulances responding to request in less than eight minutes.

And the comprehensive insight into safety also showed that Sheffield was one of the cities most at risk of thunderstorms. 

House prices were included in the study, but were not used in the calculations for safety. 

These figures showed that Sheffield has one of the highest average house prices across the 30 cities studied, coming in at £163,005. 

But, with 0% ground movement and an average property age of 52 years, Sheffield is a good option for both renters or buyers.

 

Where Sheffield ranks for each category:

Crime (Ranked 10 out of 30 overall '“ 198 cases per 100,000 population)

Number 16 for burglary '“ Of the 198 cases, 53 were burglaries Number 22 for robbery '“ Of the 198 cases, 26 were robberies

Weather (Ranked number 6 out of 30 overall)

Number 25 for flooding '“ Sheffield is 1% at risk from flooding Number 26 for thunderstorms '“ Sheffield has on average 11 days of thunder annually

Healthcare (Ranked number 20 out of 30 overall)

Number 14 for A&E attendance less than 4 hours '“ 84% of people attending A&E were there less than four hours Number 24 for doctors per person '“ on average there is 0.75 doctors to each person in Sheffield Number 20 for median ambulance response time '“ 5.53 minutes  Number 21 for ambulance response times < 8 minutes '“ 78% of people waited less than eight minutes for an ambulance

Property (Ranked number 27 out of 30 overall)

Number 15 for average house price '“ £163,005 Number 25 for average property age '“ 52 years Number 5 for ground movement '“ 0% ground movement

To view the data click here.