Southend-on-Sea vs Thorpe Bay
Two Southend-on-Sea places side by side, from the same official sources. Which is better depends on what matters to you: PlaceFit lets you weight each measure and see which comes out ahead for you.
| Measure | Southend-on-Sea | Thorpe Bay | Source and period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parks, woods and public green space | 10.9% of the area is parks, woods or public green space | 10% of the area is parks, woods or public green space | OS Open Greenspace and OS Open Zoomstack woodland; latest release, 7 Oct 2026 |
| Countryside around | 35.9% of the area is countryside, not built up | 46.8% of the area is countryside, not built up | OS Open Zoomstack urban areas; latest release, 7 Oct 2026 |
| Parks and playgrounds nearby | 41 parks, playing fields and play areas | 41 parks, playing fields and play areas | OS Open Greenspace; latest release, 7 Oct 2026 |
| Peak drive to the nearest city or large town | 29 min at peak | 14 min at peak | OSRM routing on the OpenStreetMap road network; retrieved 4 Nov 2026 |
| Flood risk from rivers and the sea | 1.2% of nearby postcodes have homes at medium or high flood risk | 2.2% of nearby postcodes have homes at medium or high flood risk | Environment Agency Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea (postcodes); latest release, 2 Nov 2026 |
| Shops and everyday services | 33.9 shops and services per km² | 13.7 shops and services per km² | Overture Maps Places; latest release, 2 Nov 2026 |
| Nearest GP | 0.2 km to the nearest surgery | 0.2 km to the nearest surgery | NHS England GP practices and branch surgeries (ODS); latest release, 2 Nov 2026 |
| Fast broadband | About 97.2% of homes can get gigabit broadband | About 97.2% of homes can get gigabit broadband | Ofcom Connected Nations — fixed broadband; latest release, 1 Jul 2025 |
| Schools nearby | 24 schools in range | 20 schools in range | Get Information about Schools (GIAS); latest release, 2 Nov 2026 |
| Registered childcare nearby | 37 registered providers | 26 registered providers | Ofsted childcare providers and inspections management information; latest release, 30 Jun 2026 |
| Buses within a 10-minute walk | 54 bus stops within 800 m | 19 bus stops within 800 m | NaPTAN national public transport access nodes; latest release, 2 Oct 2026 |
| Air quality | 2 declared air quality management areas | No declared air quality management area | Planning Data platform (planning.data.gov.uk); retrieved 4 Nov 2026 |
| Recorded crime | 163 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year | 112 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year | data.police.uk street-level crime; September 2025 to August 2026 |