Town comparison
Alness vs Alva
Which is better to live in? 108.1 miles apart — compared on house prices, crime, schools, broadband and more.
The verdict
Property in Alva is about 27% cheaper on average. Alva has the lower crime rate of the two. For families, Alness edges ahead on school quality.
Avg House Price
Alness
£210,131
Alva
£165,447
Crime Rate
Alness
3218.6
Alva
828.3
Top-Two School Inspection Bands
Alness
66.0%
Alva
65.2%
Avg Download Speed
Alness
411.7
Alva
476.6
EPC Rating
Alness
53.7
Alva
61.2
Median Income
Alness
£33,184
Alva
£27,183
House Prices (2025)
Most affordable in ScotlandThe average house price in Alva is £165,447, which is 27% less than Alness at £210,131. The most affordable entry point in Alness is a flat at £122,118, while in Alva it is a flat at £93,205.
Average Price by Property Type (2025)
Biggest gap: flat homes are 31% pricier in Alness (£122,118 vs £93,205).
Price Trend (23 Years)
Over the last 21 years, Alva prices grew faster — 140% vs 132%.
Crime & Safety
Safest in ScotlandCrime is lower in Alva (828.3 per 1,000) compared to Alness (3,218.6 per 1,000), a 289% difference. The most common crime category in Alness is other-crime, while in Alva it is violent-crime.
Crime Rate by Category (per 1,000 residents)
Alness's most common crime is other crime; in Alva it's violent crime.
Schools & Education
Best for schools in ScotlandAlness has 66% of schools in the top two inspection bands, compared to 65.2% in Alva. Alness has 52 schools in total, while Alva has 24.
Alness School Inspection Breakdown
66% of 52 schools (44 primary, 8 secondary) sit in the top two inspection bands.
Alva School Inspection Breakdown
65.2% of 24 schools (20 primary, 4 secondary) sit in the top two inspection bands.
| Metric | Alness | Alva |
|---|---|---|
| Total Schools | 52 | 24 |
| Primary | 44 | 20 |
| Secondary | 8 | 4 |
| % Top two bands | 66% | 65.2% |
Broadband & Connectivity
Alva offers faster average downloads at 476.6 Mbps, compared to 411.7 Mbps in Alness. Superfast coverage (30 Mbps+) reaches 86.5% of premises in Alness and 99.3% in Alva. Gigabit availability stands at 81.2% in Alness and 93.6% in Alva.
Alva is the faster of the two by 16% on average download speed (477 vs 412 Mbps).
Energy Efficiency & Running Costs
Homes in Alva are more energy-efficient on average, with an EPC score of 61.2 (band D) versus 53.7 (band E) in Alness. Estimated annual energy costs average £1,663 in Alness and £1,519 in Alva. 50% of homes in Alness have an EPC rating of C or above, compared to 27.3% in Alva.
Alness has more energy-efficient housing — 50% reach band C or above, vs 27.3% in the other.
Demographics & Economy
Median household income is £33,184 in Alness and £27,183 in Alva. The median age is 39.8 in Alness and 42.6 in Alva. Employment rates stand at 70.2% in Alness and 71.3% in Alva. Owner-occupancy is 70% in Alness versus 62.4% in Alva.
| Indicator | Alness | Alva |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,800 | 4,600 |
| Median Age | 39.8 | 42.6 |
| Median Household Income | £33,184 | £27,183 |
| Employment Rate | 70.2% | 71.3% |
| Owner Occupied | 70% | 62.4% |
| Degree-Level Qualified | 23.9% | 38.3% |
Location
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How far apart are Alness and Alva?
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