A free, data-driven tool helping people find the best UK towns for later-life living.
AgeWell Finder is a free comparison tool that ranks UK towns across five dimensions that matter most for ageing well: access to healthcare, green spaces, active living facilities, community hubs, and public transport.
It's designed for people in their 50s and 60s who are thinking ahead — whether that means planning a move, comparing options for a parent, or simply understanding what their current town does and doesn't offer.
The tool is a starting point, not a final verdict. It helps you build a shortlist based on objective, publicly available data. We always recommend following up with local visits and your own research before making a decision.
AgeWell Finder was built by Adam Elston, starting in February 2026. Adam has a background in technology and data, and built this tool to address a genuine gap: there was no easy, transparent way to compare UK towns on the factors that actually affect quality of life for older adults.
Have feedback, a data correction, or a partnership enquiry? Email [email protected].
All amenity data comes from OpenStreetMap (OSM), the free and open geographic database maintained by a global community of contributors. House price data is derived from ONS area-level median figures and is used as a proxy — it reflects the broader area, not the precise town centre.
Amenities are counted within approximately 2km of each town's centre point. For smaller towns (such as Lewes, Totnes, and Kendal) a 5km radius is used to account for lower population density.
Care Access
Number of GP surgeries and pharmacies within the search radius. Covers primary healthcare proximity — not appointment wait times or CQC ratings.
Green & Quiet
Number of parks and green spaces within the search radius. Does not measure green space area, quality, or air pollution levels.
Active Living
Leisure centres and gyms within the search radius. Does not cover class availability, cost, terrain walkability, or sports clubs.
Community Hubs
Community centres within the search radius. Does not include libraries, places of worship, clubs, or informal social venues.
Getting Around
Bus stops within the search radius. Does not cover bus frequency, routes, train station access, or taxi availability.
Each raw metric (e.g. number of GP surgeries) is min-max normalised to a 0–100 scale across all towns in the dataset. A score of 100 means the highest-performing town for that metric; 0 means the lowest. This makes different metrics comparable regardless of their raw counts.
Pillar scores (Care, Green, Active, Community, Transport) are then combined into an overall score using your slider weights. By default all five pillars carry equal weight.
Each town carries a confidence rating (High / Medium / Low) reflecting how complete its data is. Towns with several zero-count metrics or missing house price data receive a lower confidence rating. OpenStreetMap coverage varies — some smaller or more rural towns may be under-mapped.
The current dataset was collected in February 2026. We aim to refresh data quarterly. The update date is shown in the tool header.
AgeWell Finder is a shortlisting tool, not a comprehensive life planning guide. It does not currently measure:
We are working to add more of these metrics over time. Scores should be used as a starting point for further research, not as a definitive ranking.
Amenity data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence.
House price data derived from ONS (Office for National Statistics) area-level median figures.