Your area · Compare
Highland
Highland
Better on
14measures
Fife
Fife
Better on
5measures
Highland comes out better on 14 of the 19 measures where better or worse is clear, like crime and life expectancy. Prices, rents and council tax are not scored, because cheaper is not better for everyone.
The headline from each part of life. Tap one to see the detail.
Pay, council tax and what a home costs.
Highland better on 1 of 1
The middle weekly pay of full time employees who live here, before tax. It leaves out the self employed and some small samples.
Highland
£775
14th highest of 32
Fife
£763
18th highest of 32
About the same in both
Scotland £776
2025 · ONS, via Nomis
The yearly council tax bill for a Band D home, not counting water and sewerage.
Highland
£1,634
21st highest of 32
Fife
£1,574
28th highest of 32
Council tax is higher in HighlandSmall gap
2026-27 · Scottish Government
The average price paid for a home.
Highland
£224,574
9th highest of 32
Fife
£182,463
17th highest of 32
Homes cost more in HighlandClear gap
Scotland £198,397
August 2026 · HM Land Registry and Registers of Scotland, with the Office for National Statistics
How much the average price has moved in the last 12 months.
Highland
+7.4%
3rd highest of 32
Fife
+5.1%
7th highest of 32
Prices are rising faster in HighlandSmall gap
Scotland +2.9%
August 2026 · HM Land Registry and Registers of Scotland, with the Office for National Statistics
The average monthly rent for a private let. ONS publishes some areas together, so neighbouring councils can share a figure.
Highland
£736
a month
Shared with the Highland and Islands rental area
Fife
£847
a month
13th highest of 32
Rent is higher in FifeSmall gap
Scotland £1,011 a month
September 2026 · Office for National Statistics
How much the average private rent has moved in the last 12 months.
Highland
+3.3%
Shared with the Highland and Islands rental area
Fife
+4.7%
4th highest of 32
Rents are rising faster in FifeSmall gap
Scotland +0.7%
September 2026 · Office for National Statistics
How many people are out of work, and how many jobs there are.
Highland better on 2 of 2
People who want a job and are looking, as a share of everyone working or looking.
Highland
3.1%
23rd highest of 32
Fife
4.2%
7th highest of 32
More people out of work in FifeClear gap
Scotland 4.0%
Small areas have wide margins of error, so a gap under a point or two may not be real.July 2025 to June 2026 · ONS model based estimates of unemployment, via Nomis
Adults aged 16 to 64 claiming benefits mainly because they are out of work.
Highland
2.2%
24th highest of 32
Fife
3.1%
8th highest of 32
More people on out of work benefits in FifeClear gap
Scotland 2.9%
January 2026 · ONS, via Nomis
Jobs based in the area for every resident aged 16 to 64. Below 1 means fewer jobs than working age people.
Highland
Not published
Fife
Not published
Not published for both areas
Scotland 0.83
2024 · ONS, via Nomis
Children growing up without enough, and the poorest neighbourhoods.
Highland better on 2 of 2
Children living in poverty once rent or mortgage costs are paid.
Highland
22.1%
17th highest of 32
Fife
25.0%
6th highest of 32
More children in poverty in FifeSmall gap
Scotland 23.3%
Share of the area's neighbourhoods in Scotland's most deprived 20%.
Highland
9.6%
19th highest of 32
Fife
19.6%
11th highest of 32
More deprived neighbourhoods in FifeClear gap
Scotland 20.0%
SIMD 2020 (version 2) · Scottish Government
Crimes recorded by the police, for every 10,000 people.
Highland better on 3 of 3
All crimes recorded by the police, for every 10,000 people.
Highland
430
per 10,000
22nd highest of 32
Fife
545
per 10,000
11th highest of 32
More crime in FifeSmall gap
Scotland 569 per 10,000
2025-26 · Scottish Government
Non sexual crimes of violence, for every 10,000 people. Most of it is common assault.
Highland
114
per 10,000
22nd highest of 32
Fife
141
per 10,000
9th highest of 32
More violent crime in FifeSmall gap
Scotland 136 per 10,000
2025-26 · Scottish Government
Break ins to homes and other buildings, including attempts, for every 10,000 people.
Highland
7
per 10,000
26th highest of 32
Fife
13
per 10,000
11th highest of 32
More break ins in FifeClear gap
Scotland 13 per 10,000
2025-26 · Scottish Government
How long people live, and deaths from drugs.
Highland better on 3 of 3
How long a baby boy born here can expect to live, at today's death rates.
Highland
77.7
years
14th highest of 32
Fife
77.3
years
16th highest of 32
About the same in both
Scotland 77.2 years
2022 to 2024 · National Records of Scotland
How long a baby girl born here can expect to live, at today's death rates.
Highland
82.0
years
12th highest of 32
Fife
80.9
years
19th highest of 32
Women live longer in HighlandSmall gap
Scotland 81.1 years
2022 to 2024 · National Records of Scotland
Drug misuse deaths each year for every 100,000 people, averaged over five years.
Highland
14
per 100,000
25th highest of 31
Fife
19
per 100,000
17th highest of 31
More drug deaths in FifeSmall gap
Scotland 22 per 100,000
2021 to 2025 · National Records of Scotland
How school leavers do.
Level: 1 each
School leavers with at least one Higher or better.
Highland
53.5%
24th highest of 31
Fife
50.8%
27th highest of 31
More leavers get a Higher in HighlandSmall gap
Scotland 58.4%
2024/25 school leavers · Scottish Government
School leavers going on to a job, college, university or training.
Highland
93.5%
29th highest of 32
Fife
96.6%
11th highest of 32
More leavers go on to work or study in FifeBig gap
Scotland 95.7%
2024/25 school leavers · Scottish Government
How the council itself performs, from the official benchmarking figures.
Fife better on 4 of 6
The share of the council's A class roads flagged for repair.
Highland
31.1%
11th highest of 32
Fife
28.7%
13th highest of 32
More main roads need repair in HighlandSmall gap
Scotland 30.3%
2025/26 · Improvement Service
What the council spends collecting bins, per property, each year.
Highland
£101
4th highest of 32
Fife
£77
13th highest of 32
Bin collection costs more in HighlandSmall gap
Scotland £77
2024/25 · Improvement Service
How much of the year's council tax came in on time.
Highland
95.7%
18th highest of 32
Fife
95.3%
20th highest of 32
About the same in both
Scotland 95.5%
2024/25 · Improvement Service
What the council spends on each primary pupil in a year.
Highland
£7,947
13th highest of 32
Fife
£7,381
23rd highest of 32
More is spent on each primary pupil in HighlandSmall gap
Scotland £7,606
2024/25 · Improvement Service
Average days lost to sickness per council worker, not counting teachers.
Highland
14.5
14th highest of 32
Fife
16.7
5th highest of 32
Council staff take more sick days in FifeClear gap
Scotland 14.5
2024/25 · Improvement Service
The share of household waste that gets recycled.
Highland
42.5%
23rd highest of 32
Fife
44.5%
19th highest of 32
About the same in both
Scotland 44.3%
2024/25 · Improvement Service
The share of adults happy with how clean the streets are.
Highland
62.0%
17th highest of 32
Fife
65.7%
8th highest of 32
More people are happy with street cleaning in FifeSmall gap
Scotland 57.0%
2024/25 · Improvement Service
How many people live there, and how old they are.
Everyone living in the area.
Highland
237,260
7th highest of 32
Fife
373,990
3rd highest of 32
More people live in FifeClear gap
Scotland 5,545,500
Mid-2025 (30 June 2025) · National Records of Scotland
Half the people here are older than this, half younger.
Highland
48.4
years
8th highest of 32
Fife
45.0
years
19th highest of 32
People are older in HighlandClear gap
Scotland 43.1 years
Mid-2025 (30 June 2025) · National Records of Scotland
Rankings