Area guide ·
Living in Kirkwall
A snapshot of life in Kirkwall, Scotland — house prices, crime, schools, broadband and more, drawn straight from official UK datasets.
At a glance
Kirkwall is a village in , Scotland with a population of 7,420. The average house price is £217,742 and the overall crime rate is 145.1 per 1,000 residents.
Where Kirkwall ranks
Population
7,420
Avg House Price
£217,742
Crime Rate
145.1/1k
Top-Two School Inspection Bands
75%
Avg Download Speed
104 Mbps
EPC Rating
E
Median Income
£35,483
Median Age
39.3
House Prices (2025)
Average Price by Property Type (2025)
Kirkwall's detached homes (£287,669) command roughly 2.5× the price of a flat (£114,443).
Price Trend (23 Years)
Kirkwall prices have risen 257% over the last 21 years (£61,004 → £217,742).
| Property Type | Average | Median | Sales Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £287,669 | £287,669 | 319 |
| Semi-Detached | £205,540 | £205,540 | 319 |
| Terraced | £172,748 | £172,748 | 319 |
| Flat | £114,443 | £114,443 | 319 |
Crime & safety
The overall crime rate in Kirkwall is 145.1 per 1,000 residents.
Crime Rate by Category (per 1,000 residents)
Most common offence in Kirkwall: other crime (29% of all recorded crimes).
Schools & Education
School Inspection Breakdown
75% of 22 schools (18 primary, 4 secondary) sit in the top two inspection bands.
School Details
| Total Schools | 22 |
| Primary | 18 |
| Secondary | 4 |
| % Top two bands | 75% |
Schools in this area
| School | Phase | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Burray Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Dounby Community School | Primary | No rating available |
| Eday Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Evie Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Firth Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Glaitness School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Hope Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Kirkwall Grammar School | Secondary | Good |
| North Ronaldsay Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| North Walls Community School | Primary | Good |
| Orphir Community School | Primary | Good |
| Papa Westray Community School | Primary | Good |
| Papdale Primary School | Primary | Good |
| Rousay Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Sanday Community School | Primary | Good |
| Shapinsay Community School | Primary | Outstanding |
| St Andrew's Primary School | Primary | Outstanding |
| Stenness Community School | Primary | Good |
| Stromness Academy | Secondary | No rating available |
| Stromness Primary School | Primary | Requires improvement |
| Stronsay Junior High School | Secondary | Good |
| Westray Junior High School | Secondary | Good |
Broadband & Connectivity
Kirkwall averages 104 Mbps — 4% above the typical UK download speed.
Energy Efficiency & Running Costs
Most Kirkwall homes sit at band E on the EPC scale. 55.7% of homes reach band C or above.
| Average EPC Rating | E |
| Average EPC Score | 52.6 |
| % Rated C or Above | 55.7% |
| Avg Energy Cost (per year) | £1,688 |
Demographics & Economy
| Population | 7,420 |
| Median Age | 39.3 |
| Median Household Income | £35,483 |
| Employment Rate | 68.3% |
| Owner Occupied | 65.8% |
| Degree-Level Qualified | 24.8% |
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the average house price in Kirkwall?
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Is Kirkwall a safe place to live?
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Most compared with
How does Kirkwall stack up against its neighbours?
Alness
vsKirkwall
- House price
- £210,131 · £217,742
- Crime rate
- 3218.6 · 145.1
- Distance
- 100.4 mi
Alva
vsKirkwall
- House price
- £165,447 · £217,742
- Crime rate
- 828.3 · 145.1
- Distance
- 197.8 mi
Annan
vsKirkwall
- House price
- £162,680 · £217,742
- Crime rate
- 2028.6 · 145.1
- Distance
- 276.0 mi
Arbroath
vsKirkwall
- House price
- £167,088 · £217,742
- Crime rate
- 297 · 145.1
- Distance
- 167.4 mi
Armadale
vsKirkwall
- House price
- £217,827 · £217,742
- Crime rate
- 1158.2 · 145.1
- Distance
- 214.9 mi
Auchinleck
vsKirkwall
- House price
- £127,807 · £217,742
- Crime rate
- 2798.4 · 145.1
- Distance
- 247.4 mi