Area guide ·
Living in Kelso
A snapshot of life in Kelso, Scotland — house prices, crime, schools, broadband and more, drawn straight from official UK datasets.
At a glance
Kelso is a village in , Scotland with a population of 6,910. The average house price is £181,358 and the overall crime rate is 1059.9 per 1,000 residents.
Where Kelso ranks
Population
6,910
Avg House Price
£181,358
Crime Rate
1059.9/1k
Top-Two School Inspection Bands
74.6%
Avg Download Speed
372 Mbps
EPC Rating
C
Median Income
£29,915
Median Age
47.9
House Prices (2025)
Average Price by Property Type (2025)
Kelso's detached homes (£340,681) command roughly 3.2× the price of a flat (£107,088).
Price Trend (23 Years)
Kelso prices have risen 119% over the last 21 years (£82,759 → £181,358).
| Property Type | Average | Median | Sales Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £340,681 | £340,681 | 2026 |
| Semi-Detached | £212,199 | £212,199 | 2026 |
| Terraced | £174,270 | £174,270 | 2026 |
| Flat | £107,088 | £107,088 | 2026 |
Crime & safety
The overall crime rate in Kelso is 1059.9 per 1,000 residents.
Crime Rate by Category (per 1,000 residents)
Most common offence in Kelso: violent crime (20% of all recorded crimes).
Schools & Education
School Inspection Breakdown
74.6% of 66 schools (57 primary, 9 secondary) sit in the top two inspection bands.
School Details
| Total Schools | 66 |
| Primary | 57 |
| Secondary | 9 |
| % Top two bands | 74.6% |
Schools in this area
| School | Phase | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Ancrum Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Ayton Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Balmoral Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Berwickshire High School | Secondary | Inadequate |
| Broomlands Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Broughton Central P School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Burgh Primary School | Primary | No rating available |
| Burnfoot Community School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Channelkirk Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Chirnside Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Clovenfords Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Cockburnspath Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Coldingham Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Coldstream Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Denholm Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Drumlanrig St Cuthbert's Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Duns Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Earlston High School | Secondary | Outstanding |
| Earlston Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Edenside Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Ednam Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Eyemouth High School | Secondary | Good |
| Eyemouth Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Fountainhall Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Galashiels Academy | Secondary | Requires improvement |
| Glendinning Terrace Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Gordon Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Greenlaw Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Halyrude Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Hawick High School | Secondary | Requires improvement |
| Heriot Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Jedburgh Grammar School | Secondary | Outstanding |
| Kelso High School | Secondary | Outstanding |
| Kingsland Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Kirkhope Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Knowepark Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Langlee Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Lauder Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Leader Valley School | Primary | Good |
| Lilliesleaf Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Melrose Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Morebattle Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Newcastleton Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Newlands Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Newtown Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Peebles High School | Secondary | Requires improvement |
| Philiphaugh Community School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Priorsford Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Reston Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Selkirk High School | Secondary | No rating available |
| Sprouston Primary School | Primary | Good |
| St Boswells Primary School | Primary | Good |
| St Margaret's RC Primary School (Galashiels) | Primary | Good |
| St Peter's Primary School | Primary | No rating available |
| St Ronan's Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Stirches Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Stow Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Swinton Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Trinity Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Tweedbank Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Walkerburn Primary School | Primary | Good |
| West Linton Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Westruther Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Wilton Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Yarrow Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Yetholm Primary School | Primary | Good |
Broadband & Connectivity
Kelso averages 372 Mbps — 272% above the typical UK download speed.
Energy Efficiency & Running Costs
Most Kelso homes sit at band C on the EPC scale. 65.6% of homes reach band C or above.
| Average EPC Rating | C |
| Average EPC Score | 70.9 |
| % Rated C or Above | 65.6% |
| Avg Energy Cost (per year) | £1,377 |
Demographics & Economy
| Population | 6,910 |
| Median Age | 47.9 |
| Median Household Income | £29,915 |
| Employment Rate | 52.4% |
| Owner Occupied | 65.2% |
| Degree-Level Qualified | 30.7% |
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the average house price in Kelso?
The average house price in Kelso is £181,358 based on Land Registry sales in 2025.
What is the cheapest type of property to buy in Kelso?
The most affordable entry point in Kelso is a flat, with an average price of £107,088.
Is Kelso a safe place to live?
Kelso has a recorded crime rate of 1059.9 per 1,000 residents. Whether that feels "safe" depends on the comparison — see how it stacks up against nearby towns in the rankings below.
How are the schools in Kelso?
Kelso has 66 schools in total, with 74.6% rated in the top two inspection bands by the relevant inspectorate.
What broadband speeds are available in Kelso?
Average broadband download speeds in Kelso are around 372 Mbps. Superfast (30 Mbps+) coverage reaches 94.1% of premises.
How big is Kelso?
Kelso is a UK settlement with a population of approximately 6,910.
Most compared with
How does Kelso stack up against its neighbours?
Galashiels
vsKelso
- House price
- £181,358 · £181,358
- Crime rate
- 487 · 1059.9
- Distance
- 14.3 mi
Jedburgh
vsKelso
- House price
- £181,358 · £181,358
- Crime rate
- 1873.1 · 1059.9
- Distance
- 9.8 mi
Alness
vsKelso
- House price
- £210,131 · £181,358
- Crime rate
- 3218.6 · 1059.9
- Distance
- 160.5 mi
Alva
vsKelso
- House price
- £165,447 · £181,358
- Crime rate
- 828.3 · 1059.9
- Distance
- 65.3 mi
Annan
vsKelso
- House price
- £162,680 · £181,358
- Crime rate
- 2028.6 · 1059.9
- Distance
- 53.3 mi
Arbroath
vsKelso
- House price
- £167,088 · £181,358
- Crime rate
- 297 · 1059.9
- Distance
- 66.8 mi