Raising a child rarely comes down to one single factor. For most families, it’s a balance that plays out every day, between safety, childcare costs, school quality, and something just as important but harder to measure: having the space and freedom to play, explore, and spend time outdoors.
No one metric defines a good place to grow up. What matters is how these factors come together in daily life, shaping everything from the school run to after-school play and how weekends are spent.
To bring this together, outdoortoys has created a single score based on the things families consider most. It looks at safety, childcare costs, school performance, and access to outdoor space, helping to show where family life feels easier to manage, and where it can feel more stretched.
Making the most of outdoor space at home
Access to green space plays a big role in how often children spend time outdoors, but it doesn’t have to rely on local parks alone. Even smaller gardens can become part of everyday play, giving children a space to be active, explore, and build independence close to home.
If you’re looking to create that kind of setup, explore outdoortoys’ range of climbing frames, swings, and playhouses designed for different spaces, ages, and styles of play.
Key findings
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Sheffield ranks first overall, combining high green space (1,686 sqm per person), low crime (99 per 1,000 people), and more affordable childcare (£918.33 per month)
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Manchester ranks last, with one of the highest crime rates (145 per 1,000 people) and below-average school performance (64% rated outstanding or good)
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Families in Plymouth pay around £1,400 more per month for childcare than those in Bradford
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Swindon has the lowest crime rate (68 per 1,000 people), while Blackpool records the highest (152)
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Cambridge offers the most child-friendly attractions (46 per 100,000 people), while Slough has the fewest (4)
These are the areas where raising a child is easiest in England
Across the top 10, no single place leads on every measure. What stands out instead is balance. These areas avoid the pressures that tend to make family life harder, while offering enough support across key factors to keep daily routines running smoothly.
Childcare costs are typically around £1,128 a month, around two-thirds of schools are rated good or outstanding, and crime levels remain below the national average.
Access to outdoor space is another consistent feature. Many of these areas offer close to or above 800 square metres per person, making it easier for children to spend time outside as part of everyday life.
| Rank | Area | Green space per person | Child-friendly attractions* | Cost of preschool or kindergarten** | Average annual temperature (°C) | Average annual rainfall (mm) | Crime rates*** | Schools rated outstanding/good (%) | Child raisability score /10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield | 1,686 | 17 | £918.33 | 11 | 690 | 99 | 67% | 7.32 |
| 2 | Milton Keynes | 1,814 | 31 | £1,416.67 | 10 | 708 | 89 | 66% | 6.96 |
| 3 | Swindon | 974 | 20 | £900.00 | 10 | 766 | 68 | 66% | 6.70 |
| 4 | Cambridge | 407 | 46 | £1,930.57 | 11 | 673 | 93 | 68% | 6.56 |
| 5 | Peterborough | 937 | 15 | £700.00 | 11 | 679 | 103 | 65% | 6.38 |
| 6 | Oxford | 575 | 42 | £1,744.97 | 10 | 708 | 101 | 71% | 6.16 |
| 7 | Warrington | 810 | 20 | £1,096.00 | 10 | 1,038 | 69 | 81% | 5.76 |
| 8 | Sunderland | 929 | 15 | £925.00 | 10 | 718 | 95 | 68% | 5.63 |
| 9 | Stoke-on-Trent | 1,416 | 18 | £692.33 | 9 | 820 | 107 | 69% | 5.58 |
| 10 | Portsmouth | 327 | 30 | £957.60 | 11 | 874 | 114 | 67% | 5.45 |
*Per 100,000 people, **Private, monthly fee per child, ***Per 1,000 people
1. Sheffield has one of the highest levels of green space while keeping childcare costs below £1,000
Sheffield takes the top position, largely due to the amount of outdoor space available to families. With 1,686 square metres per person, it offers almost double the study average of 873 square metres.
In practice, that means more local parks, more room to play after school, and fewer limits on how often children can get outside. It becomes part of the routine, not something that needs to be organised in advance.
Childcare costs remain relatively steady at £918 a month. For many families, that makes it easier to plan ahead without regular adjustments to household spending.
2. Milton Keynes stands out for giving families more choice for days out and downtime
Milton Keynes offers one of the widest ranges of child-friendly attractions in the study, with 31 per 100,000 people – 11 more than the study average. That gives families more flexibility when it comes to filling weekends, school holidays, or shorter pockets of free time.
Having more options nearby means less repetition and more chances to find activities that suit different ages as children grow. It also makes spontaneous plans easier, without needing to travel far.
Childcare costs are on the higher end at £1,416 per month. While that sits above the study average, the overall mix of space, safety, and school quality keeps the area near the top.
3. S windon records the lowest crime rate, giving a level of day-to-day reassurance for families
Swindon has the lowest crime rate in the study at 68 per 1,000 people. That level of safety can shape everyday decisions in small but meaningful ways.
It can mean children spending more time outdoors, walking short distances with friends, or using local spaces with greater independence. These are the moments that can help build confidence over time.
Childcare costs are £900 a month, well below the study average of £1,217. This helps keep one of the biggest regular expenses more manageable alongside day-to-day costs.
England’s most challenging places to raise a child
At the lower end of the ranking, the differences become more pronounced. Scores fall well below the study average of 4.99, with the lowest three all under 3.80.
These areas tend to share a combination of factors that make everyday routines more difficult to manage. Crime levels are often higher than the national average of 105 incidents per 1,000 people, childcare costs frequently exceed £1,200 a month, and a smaller proportion of schools achieve a good or outstanding rating.
| Rank | Area | Green space per person | Child-friendly attractions* | Cost of preschool or kindergarten** | Average annual temperature (°C) | Average annual rainfall (mm) | Crime rates*** | Schools rated outstanding/good | Child raisability score /10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | 1,088 | 18 | £1,096.00 | 9 | 1,047 | 145 | 64% | 3.39 |
| 2 | Bradford | 952 | 14 | £605.84 | 9 | 932 | 121 | 63% | 3.62 |
| 3 | Bristol | 1,421 | 21 | £1,749.80 | 10 | 824 | 129 | 54% | 3.75 |
| 4 | Wolverhampton | 401 | 12 | £771.42 | 10 | 780 | 94 | 59% | 3.88 |
| 5 | Birmingham | 3,262 | 10 | £1,208.50 | 10 | 769 | 114 | 61% | 3.93 |
| 6 | Liverpool | 1,315 | 25 | £1,329.50 | 10 | 1,173 | 122 | 61% | 4.02 |
| 7 | Blackpool | 231 | 44 | £875.00 | 10 | 1,324 | 152 | 65% | 4.15 |
| 8 | Slough | 235 | 4 | £1,400.00 | 11 | 689 | 84 | 55% | 4.28 |
| 9 | Brighton and Hove | 415 | 22 | £1,551.25 | 11 | 912 | 105 | 64% | 4.37 |
| 10 | Bolton | 635 | 14 | £918.33 | 9 | 1,038 | 100 | 72% | 4.38 |
*Per 100,000 people, **Private, monthly fee per child, ***Per 1,000 people
1. Manchester ranks lowest, with crime nearly 40% above the national average
Manchester places last overall, with safety emerging as the biggest challenge.
Crime levels reach 145 incidents per 1,000 people, significantly above the study average and more than double the rate recorded in Swindon (where crime rates are the lowest).
While childcare costs are closer to the national average at £1,096 a month, and green space exceeds 1,000 square metres per person, these advantages can feel less meaningful when day-to-day safety is a concern. It can influence how often children spend time outdoors or move around independently in their local area.
2. Bradford shows the trade-off between low childcare costs and wider pressures
Bradford ranks second from the bottom, with one of the lowest childcare costs in the study at £605.84 per month.
For many families, that lower cost can make a noticeable difference to monthly budgets. However, it sits alongside a crime rate of 121 incidents per 1,000 people and a lower proportion of highly rated schools.
This creates a difficult balance, where affordability improves, but other aspects of daily life may feel less consistent or predictable.
3. Bristol combines high childcare costs with the lowest school ratings in the study
Bristol ranks third from the bottom, where higher costs and lower school ratings appear together.
Childcare costs reach £1,749.80 per month, placing it well above the study average. At the same time, just over half of schools are rated outstanding or good, which is notably below the national benchmark of 65%.
While the city offers strong access to green space and activities, these factors can make it more challenging for families to balance work, childcare, and education over time.
There's no perfect place to raise a child
Every area involves some level of compromise, even those that rank highly overall.
Cambridge offers the most child-friendly attractions, but childcare costs are among the highest in the study. Peterborough offers a more affordable childcare option, though it has fewer activities and higher crime rates.
A similar pattern is seen across the top 10. Milton Keynes provides more variety for days out than Sheffield, but at a higher monthly cost. Swindon’s lower crime rate supports greater independence for children, though it has fewer attractions and less green space than some other areas.
In practice, the decision often comes down to which factors matter most for your family’s routine, whether that is space to play, access to activities, or managing monthly costs with confidence.
The safest area for children
Swindon is the safest: 68 crimes per 1,000 people
Blackpool is the most dangerous: 152 crimes per 1,000 people
Swindon records the lowest crime rate in the study, while Blackpool sits at the highest
Swindon comes in around a third below the study average, while Blackpool rises to almost half above it. That gap shapes how families experience their local area day to day.
Where crime levels are higher, those same activities tend to involve more planning, supervision, and caution.
Where families pay the least for childcare (and the most)
Plymouth is the most expensive for childcare: £2,000 per month
Bradford is the cheapest for childcare: £605.84 per month
Childcare costs vary widely across the country, with Plymouth at the top end and Bradford at the lowest. Plymouth reaches £2,000 per month, while Bradford sits at £605.84. That adds up to a difference of just under £1,400 a month and more than £16,700 over a year.
Put into everyday terms, that gap could cover over eight weeks of food shopping (at £75 per week), plus another eight weeks of after-school clubs (at £69 per week), with still enough left over for family days out during the school holidays.1
Where schools perform best: the areas with the highest-rated education
Warrington has the best schools: 81% of schools are rated outstanding or good
Bristol has the worst schools: 54% of schools are rated outstanding or good
Warrington stands out for school performance, with just over four-fifths of schools rated outstanding or good. Leeds follows closely behind, also sitting well above the national average.
At the other end, Bristol has just over half of its schools reaching that standard. This difference can shape long-term decisions about where families choose to settle, particularly for those planning for secondary education.
The UK areas with the most things for kids to do
Cambridge has the most child-friendly attractions: 46 per 100,000 people
Slough has the fewest child-friendly attractions: 4 per 100,000 people
Cambridge has the most child-friendly attractions, while Slough has the fewest.
With more than ten times the number of options, the difference is clear in how families spend their free time. In areas like Cambridge, it’s easier to find something new to do, whether that’s a weekend activity or a way to fill a school holiday afternoon.
Where options are more limited, creating that same variety often takes more planning, travel, or cost.
Birmingham has the most green space: 3,262 sqm per person
London has the least green space: 19 sqm per person
In Birmingham, access to outdoor space is rarely a limiting factor. It has the most space for children to play outdoors, with 3,262 square metres per person. London sits at the other extreme with just 19.
This means Birmingham offers over 171 times more space per person, giving families far greater access to outdoor environments.
Why where you live shapes how children play, grow, and explore
Alex Price, product manager, comments on how the environment shapes childhood development:
“Where children grow up has a lasting impact on how they spend their time. In areas with milder weather and lower rainfall, like Southampton or Cambridge, it’s simply easier to get outside more often without needing to plan around the conditions.
“That regular access matters more than we often realise. Children don’t build confidence from occasional big days out, but from the small, everyday moments where they can explore, take risks, and make their own decisions in familiar spaces.
“When there’s somewhere nearby to play (a garden with swings, climbing frames, or playhouses, a local park, or a safe open space), children tend to spend more time being active and independent. Over time, that builds confidence, social skills, and a sense of freedom that’s much harder to develop when outdoor time is limited or heavily planned.
“It’s not about having perfect surroundings. It’s about making the most of what’s available and creating simple opportunities for outdoor play as part of everyday routines. Even small, well-used spaces at home can become somewhere children return to again and again for play, imagination, and a bit of independence.”
Methodology
outdoortoys is one of the UK’s leading online retailers of high-quality outdoor toys for children of all ages. From climbing frames and swing sets to ride-ons and playhouses, the focus is on helping families create spaces that support everyday outdoor play at home.
To better understand how location shapes family life, we created a normalised score out of 10 for the most populated towns and cities in England based on the following factors.
Note: These figures were taken from a combination of local authority and city data.
1. Green space per capita
We took the green space provision per person in sqm from the Green Space Index.
2. Activities
We used Tripadvisor to get the number of attractions under the "good for children" filter. We then calculated this per 100,000 people.
3. Safety
We took the crime rate per 1,000 people (Table C4) from ONS police force data.
4. Education
We used an Ofsted dataset on state-funded school inspections and outcomes, and downloaded the 'Management information - state-funded schools - latest inspections' file.
We then worked out the number of schools rated Outstanding and Good. We then used the total number of schools and the total number of 'outstanding' and 'good' schools to calculate the percentage of schools with this rating. For schools that were ungraded in their last inspection, we took the previous grade, listed as 'school remains outstanding/good'.
5. Childcare affordability
We took the price of Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child from Numbeo.
6. Average annual rainfall and temperature
Lastly, we took the average rainfall in millimetres and temperature in degrees Celsius from Climate Data.
All data was collected in April 2026 and is correct as of then.