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Living in Bolton

In Bolton, tenants pay an average rent of €1,044 a month (2026) and unemployment is 5.3% (2023).

Bolton (Bolton) had 184,090 residents in March 2021 and is a city in the United Kingdom. The employment rate was 51.7% in March 2021. Owner occupation accounted for 58.2% of homes in March 2021. Gigabit broadband availability was 94.1%.

Last checked 2026-09-2336 sources

Population184,090people21 Mar 2021Official source · Census 2021 usual resident population count for the exact Built Up Area (BUA), England excluding London or Wales.
Median gross salary (region)3,213EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Average rent1,044EUR/month31 Aug 2026Official source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority
Unemployment rate5.3%country median 3.4% — 56% aboveOfficial source · www.ons.gov.uk
Recorded crime9,808incidents per 100,000country median 9,646 — 2% aboveOfficial source · www.ons.gov.uk
PM2.5, annual mean6.92µg/m³country median 6.5 — 6% aboveOfficial source · official estimated total annual mean background concentration

Higher unemployment than 90% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and dirtier air than 74% of United Kingdom cities that publish it.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Bolton?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Bolton.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Bolton. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Bolton recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€24
Mobile plan, 10 GB€13
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited24.02 EUR/month30 Sept 2026BT Full Fibre 1501Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB12.87 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Three 100GB one-month data pack23Official · national market
Dwellings71,020 count21 Mar 2021ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley6Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Rent price index, mean1,044 EUR/month31 Aug 2026Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition22Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)1,044 EUR/month31 Aug 2026ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority19Official

Is Bolton a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker52%strong on work, weak on safety · range 44–60%
Skilled employee61%strong on work, weak on safety · range 53–69%
Student44%strong on education, weak on work · range 37–51%
Family54%strong on family, weak on cost · range 46–62%
Retirement33%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 24–42%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Bolton?

The unemployment rate is 5.3 % (January 2023). Source: www.ons.gov.uk25

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Bolton is 5.3%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Gigabit broadband availability94.06 %Not statedwww.ofcom.org.uk36Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Employment rate51.7 %21 Mar 2021ONS Census 2021 towns and cities dataset Figure 9 individual BUA employment row for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley18Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Superfast broadband availability99.11 %Not statedwww.ofcom.org.uk36Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)3,213 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics (ONS)12Official · regional context
Unemployment rate5.3 %country median 3.4%31 Dec 2023www.ons.gov.uk25Official
Unemployment rate over time8 published observations, 2004–2023

Unemployment rate rose 40.2% between 2004 and 2023, from 3.8% to 5.3%.

What does a salary buy in Bolton?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

regional median gross pay: €3,213 (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2024-12-31).
Left over each month€1,573of €2,654 take-home
  • Rent
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€2,654
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority · 2026-08-31− €1,044
Internet€24 · official · BT Full Fibre 150 · 2026-09-30− €24
Mobile plan€13 · official · Three 100GB one-month data pack · 2026-09-30− €13
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish€1,573
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Bolton Salary needed to live in Bolton

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Bolton. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim
Open official service
Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Bolton. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Schools94 count7 Jul 2026DfE Get Information About Schools all establishments extract4Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Primary schools98 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)3Official
Schools148 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)3Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 16, and public school is free.

A country-wide rule for United Kingdom; Bolton's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: legislation.gov.uk · 1996–2026.

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
GP practices82 count30 Sept 2026ODS GP Practices report (epraccur)9Official
Pharmacies73 count30 Sept 2026ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary)10Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Bolton under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Bolton?

Police recorded about 9,808 incidents per 100,000 (2026). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: www.ons.gov.uk26

Recorded crime across major citiesBolton highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Bolton highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Manchester14,267
Bristol13,099
Liverpool12,409
Leeds11,462
Birmingham11,416
Leicester11,001
Bolton9,808
Sheffield9,693
Cardiff9,379
Belfast9,156
Glasgow757
Edinburgh549
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents9,808 incidents per 100,000country median 9,64627 Aug 2026www.ons.gov.uk26Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents14.12 per 100,000Apr 2026data.police.uk all-crime polygon replay, filtered to Burglary2Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Burglary per 100,000 residents0 per 100,00030 Apr 2026data.police.uk all-crime polygon replay, filtered to Burglary2Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport146 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights20Official
Distance to the nearest major airport28 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports21Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)MAN3 Aug 2026OurAirports21Official

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 6.92 µg/m³ in 2025. Annual NO₂ was 11.3 µg/m³ in 2025. Annual PM10 was 11.6 µg/m³ in 2025.

Is the air quality good in Bolton?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.9 µg/m³ (2025) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 6.92 µg/m³ · official estimated total annual mean background concentration16
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomAnnual PM2.5 in Bolton is 6.9 µg/m³. Of 941 cities with data, 487 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean11.34 µg/m³country median 7.22025official estimated total annual mean background concentration14Official
PM10 — annual mean11.59 µg/m³country median 11.32025official estimated total annual mean background concentration15Official
PM2.5 — annual mean6.92 µg/m³country median 6.52025official estimated total annual mean background concentration16Official
Monthly extreme high temperatureJan 12.49 · Feb 15.1 · Mar 17.52 · Apr 21.51 · May 24.09 · Jun 25.84 · Jul 28.02 · Aug 27.51 · Sep 23.9 · Oct 23.32 · Nov 16.88 · Dec 13.03 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center7Official · coordinate grid
Monthly extreme low temperatureJan -6.3 · Feb -6.55 · Mar -5.59 · Apr -3.22 · May -1.05 · Jun 3.36 · Jul 6.83 · Aug 5.41 · Sep 3.11 · Oct -1.31 · Nov -3.55 · Dec -7.57 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center7Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by monthJan 3.62 · Feb 3.63 · Mar 5.1 · Apr 7.72 · May 10.85 · Jun 13.84 · Jul 15.43 · Aug 15.14 · Sep 13 · Oct 9.94 · Nov 6.53 · Dec 4.29 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center7Official · coordinate grid

Population and city profile

The city covered 38.6 km² in December 2022. Population density was 4,773.4 people per km² in 2021.

How many people live in Bolton?

The published population was 184,090 people in March 2021. Source: Census 2021 usual resident population count for the exact Built Up Area (BUA), England excluding London or Wales.6

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Area38.57 km²Dec 2022ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley6Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
City area38.57 km²Dec 2022Exact 2022 Built Up Area polygon area for BUA22CD in EPSG:27700, converted from square metres to km2.5Official
Foreign-resident share22.39 %21 Mar 2021Exact BUA non-UK-born population derived as the sum of the published Europe: EU countries and Non-EU countries (including British Overseas) counts.6Official
Foreign residents41,210 people21 Mar 2021Exact BUA non-UK-born population derived as the sum of the published Europe: EU countries and Non-EU countries (including British Overseas) counts.6Official
GP practices per 10,000 residents2.06 per 10,000 people7 Jul 2026NHS ODS GP Practices report + ONSPD Live postcode coordinates8Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Schools per 10,000 residents5.11 per 10,000 people7 Jul 2026DfE Get Information About Schools all establishments extract4Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Population density4,773 people/km²21 Mar 2021www.ons.gov.uk6Official · built-up-area figure
Population184,090 people21 Mar 2021Census 2021 usual resident population count for the exact Built Up Area (BUA), England excluding London or Wales.6Official

International community in Bolton

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Usual residents living in the individual ONS Built-up Area on Census Day 21 March 2021 · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Europe: United Kingdom142,88077.6%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)32,71017.8%
Europe: EU countries8,5004.6%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source6

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Owner-occupied homes58.24 %21 Mar 2021ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley6Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Residents born abroad22.4 %21 Mar 2021ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley6Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher27.5 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics11Official
Workers aged 16 and over73,315 workers31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics11Official
Median age37 years21 Mar 2021ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley6Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · built-up-area figure
Universities1 count3 Aug 2026Office for Students13Official

Alternatives for people set on Bolton

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Preston as a Bolton alternative in the same region

27 km away, better on 3 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Median gross pay, region and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

  • Unemployment: 4.0% Preston vs 5.3% Bolton−25%
  • Median gross pay, region: €2,878 Preston vs €3,213 Boltonno percentage
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 9,866 (2024) Preston vs 9,808 (2026) Boltonno percentage
  • Residents: 94,490 Preston vs 184,090 Bolton−49%
  • Annual PM2.5: 6.1 µg/m³ Preston vs 6.9 µg/m³ Bolton−12%
  • Foreign residents: 23.7% Preston vs 22.4% Bolton+6%
Full comparisonMore about Preston

Swindon as a Bolton alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 229 km, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Unemployment: 2.6% Swindon vs 5.3% Bolton−51%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 6,916 Swindon vs 9,808 Bolton−29%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,006 Swindon vs €3,213 Bolton−6%
  • Annual PM2.5: 7.6 µg/m³ Swindon vs 6.9 µg/m³ Bolton+9%
  • Foreign residents: 23.5% Swindon vs 22.4% Bolton+5%
  • Residents: 183,680 Swindon vs 184,090 Bolton−0%
Full comparisonMore about Swindon

Cities near Bolton

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Manchester Commuting Zone · 18.0 km away
Salary
3,555 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2025-12-31

Alternative cities in United Kingdom

Other cities in United Kingdom to compare with Bolton, nearest in population first.

All United Kingdom cities
Swindon183,680 residentsSouthend-on-Sea182,305 residentsPeterborough190,605 residentsWarrington174,970 residentsBournemouth196,455 residentsMilton Keynes197,340 residents

How does Bolton compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Bolton's.

Open the full comparison

Bolton in rankings

#12 of 21 in Most international cities in United Kingdom #28 of 30 in Safest cities in United Kingdom by recorded crime #29 of 30 in Cities with cleanest air in United Kingdom

Is Bolton part of Manchester?

Bolton is in the published commuting zone of Manchester; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub. Manchester city profile

Relationship type: Commuting Zone Of. Source24

Put Bolton's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Bolton?

The published population was 184,090 people in March 2021. Source: Census 2021 usual resident population count for the exact Built Up Area (BUA), England excluding London or Wales..

Is the air quality good in Bolton?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.9 µg/m³ (2025) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: official estimated total annual mean background concentration.

How safe is Bolton?

Police recorded about 9,808 incidents per 100,000 (2026). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: www.ons.gov.uk.

What is the unemployment rate in Bolton?

The unemployment rate is 5.3 % (January 2023). Source: www.ons.gov.uk.

What is the typical salary around Bolton?

The median gross salary is 3,213 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

How many foreign residents live in Bolton?

41,210 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Exact BUA non-UK-born population derived as the sum of the published Europe: EU countries and Non-EU countries (including British Overseas) counts..

Is Bolton a good place to live?

Bolton may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Is Bolton part of Manchester?

Bolton is in the published commuting zone of Manchester; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub.

Which cities are near Bolton?

Manchester, Farnworth, Little Hulton, Radcliffe, Tottington are near Bolton. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Europe: United Kingdom live in Bolton?

The official country of birth distribution records 142,880 people (77.6%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Bolton, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version a6be6b79c369e5937851d9653a35853b]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/bolton/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_bolton-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary-jobs_45e82efcec66,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Bolton, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {a6be6b79c369e5937851d9653a35853b},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/bolton/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Bolton, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/bolton/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version a6be6b79c369e5937851d9653a35853b; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. BT Full Fibre 150 bt.com · checked 2026-09-15
  2. data.police.uk all-crime polygon replay, filtered to Burglary data.police.uk · checked 2026-07-07
  3. Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  4. DfE Get Information About Schools all establishments extract get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-07
  5. Exact 2022 Built Up Area polygon area for BUA22CD in EPSG:27700, converted from square metres to km2. services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-07-15
  6. Exact BUA non-UK-born population derived as the sum of the published Europe: EU countries and Non-EU countries (including British Overseas) counts. ons.gov.uk · checked 2021-03-21
  7. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  8. NHS ODS GP Practices report + ONSPD Live postcode coordinates digital.nhs.uk · checked 2026-07-07
  9. ODS GP Practices report (epraccur) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
  10. ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
Show 26 more sources
  1. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
  2. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  3. Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  4. official estimated total annual mean background concentration uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
  5. official estimated total annual mean background concentration uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
  6. official estimated total annual mean background concentration uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-15
  7. ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary ONS ASHE workplace analysis · nomisweb.co.uk · checked 2026-09-05
  8. ONS Census 2021 towns and cities dataset Figure 9 individual BUA employment row for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-05
  9. ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-23
  10. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  11. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  12. Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-18
  13. Three 100GB one-month data pack three.co.uk · checked 2026-09-15
  14. Travel to Work Areas (December 2011) full extent boundaries in the United Kingdom services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-19
  15. www.ons.gov.uk ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26
  16. www.ons.gov.uk ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26
  17. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  18. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  19. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  20. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  21. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  22. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  23. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  24. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  25. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q6976593 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  26. www.ofcom.org.uk ofcom.org.uk · checked 2026-07-15

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.