Your area · Compare
Shetland Islands
Shetland
Better on
14measures
Aberdeen City
Aberdeen
Better on
5measures
Shetland 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.
Shetland 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.
Shetland
£864
4th highest of 32
Aberdeen
£782
12th highest of 32
Pay is higher in ShetlandClear gap
Scotland £776
2025 · ONS, via Nomis
The yearly council tax bill for a Band D home, not counting water and sewerage.
Shetland
£1,488
31st highest of 32
Aberdeen
£1,748
5th highest of 32
Council tax is higher in AberdeenBig gap
2026-27 · Scottish Government
The average price paid for a home.
Shetland
£180,869
18th highest of 32
Aberdeen
£133,782
30th highest of 32
Homes cost more in ShetlandClear 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.
Shetland
-11.2%
Lowest of 32 areas
Aberdeen
-5.2%
30th highest of 32
Prices are rising faster in AberdeenClear 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.
Shetland
£736
a month
Shared with the Highland and Islands rental area
Aberdeen
£844
a month
Shared with the Aberdeen and Shire rental area
Rent is higher in AberdeenSmall 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.
Shetland
+3.3%
Shared with the Highland and Islands rental area
Aberdeen
-1.2%
Shared with the Aberdeen and Shire rental area
Rents are rising faster in ShetlandClear gap
Scotland +0.7%
September 2026 · Office for National Statistics
How many people are out of work, and how many jobs there are.
Shetland better on 2 of 2
People who want a job and are looking, as a share of everyone working or looking.
Shetland
2.2%
Lowest of 32 areas
Aberdeen
4.7%
4th highest of 32
More people out of work in AberdeenBig 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.
Shetland
1.3%
Lowest of 32 areas
Aberdeen
3.4%
6th highest of 32
More people on out of work benefits in AberdeenBig 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.
Shetland
Not published
Aberdeen
Not published
Not published for both areas
Scotland 0.83
2024 · ONS, via Nomis
Children growing up without enough, and the poorest neighbourhoods.
Shetland better on 2 of 2
Children living in poverty once rent or mortgage costs are paid.
Shetland
14.5%
31st highest of 32
Aberdeen
19.1%
27th highest of 32
More children in poverty in AberdeenSmall gap
Scotland 23.3%
Share of the area's neighbourhoods in Scotland's most deprived 20%.
Shetland
0.0%
30th highest of 32
Aberdeen
10.2%
18th highest of 32
More deprived neighbourhoods in AberdeenClear gap
Scotland 20.0%
SIMD 2020 (version 2) · Scottish Government
Crimes recorded by the police, for every 10,000 people.
Shetland better on 3 of 3
All crimes recorded by the police, for every 10,000 people.
Shetland
203
per 10,000
Lowest of 32 areas
Aberdeen
667
per 10,000
5th highest of 32
More crime in AberdeenBig 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.
Shetland
61
per 10,000
31st highest of 32
Aberdeen
172
per 10,000
3rd highest of 32
More violent crime in AberdeenBig gap
Scotland 136 per 10,000
2025-26 · Scottish Government
Break ins to homes and other buildings, including attempts, for every 10,000 people.
Shetland
2
per 10,000
31st highest of 32
Aberdeen
11
per 10,000
16th highest of 32
More break ins in AberdeenBig gap
Scotland 13 per 10,000
2025-26 · Scottish Government
How long people live, and deaths from drugs.
Shetland better on 3 of 3
How long a baby boy born here can expect to live, at today's death rates.
Shetland
79.5
years
3rd highest of 32
Aberdeen
77.3
years
16th highest of 32
Men live longer in ShetlandClear gap
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.
Shetland
83.9
years
3rd highest of 32
Aberdeen
81.3
years
16th highest of 32
Women live longer in ShetlandClear 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.
Shetland
21
per 100,000
14th highest of 31
Aberdeen
23
per 100,000
11th highest of 31
More drug deaths in AberdeenSmall gap
Scotland 22 per 100,000
2021 to 2025 · National Records of Scotland
How school leavers do.
Aberdeen better on 2 of 2
School leavers with at least one Higher or better.
Shetland
48.6%
30th highest of 31
Aberdeen
59.2%
9th highest of 31
More leavers get a Higher in AberdeenClear gap
Scotland 58.4%
2024/25 school leavers · Scottish Government
School leavers going on to a job, college, university or training.
Shetland
94.5%
25th highest of 32
Aberdeen
94.7%
23rd highest of 32
About the same in both
Scotland 95.7%
2024/25 school leavers · Scottish Government
How the council itself performs, from the official benchmarking figures.
Level: 3 each
The share of the council's A class roads flagged for repair.
Shetland
16.0%
31st highest of 32
Aberdeen
21.5%
26th highest of 32
More main roads need repair in AberdeenClear gap
Scotland 30.3%
2025/26 · Improvement Service
What the council spends collecting bins, per property, each year.
Shetland
£114
2nd highest of 32
Aberdeen
£57
24th highest of 32
Bin collection costs more in ShetlandClear gap
Scotland £77
2024/25 · Improvement Service
How much of the year's council tax came in on time.
Shetland
97.0%
5th highest of 32
Aberdeen
93.2%
30th highest of 32
More council tax is collected in ShetlandBig gap
Scotland 95.5%
2024/25 · Improvement Service
What the council spends on each primary pupil in a year.
Shetland
£12,405
2nd highest of 32
Aberdeen
£7,244
27th highest of 32
More is spent on each primary pupil in ShetlandBig gap
Scotland £7,606
2024/25 · Improvement Service
Average days lost to sickness per council worker, not counting teachers.
Shetland
14.2
17th highest of 32
Aberdeen
14.1
18th highest of 32
About the same in both
Scotland 14.5
2024/25 · Improvement Service
The share of household waste that gets recycled.
Shetland
20.5%
Lowest of 32 areas
Aberdeen
43.1%
21st highest of 32
More waste is recycled in AberdeenBig gap
Scotland 44.3%
2024/25 · Improvement Service
The share of adults happy with how clean the streets are.
Shetland
75.7%
Highest of 32 areas
Aberdeen
56.3%
21st highest of 32
More people are happy with street cleaning in ShetlandBig gap
Scotland 57.0%
2024/25 · Improvement Service
How many people live there, and how old they are.
Everyone living in the area.
Shetland
22,710
31st highest of 32
Aberdeen
230,180
8th highest of 32
More people live in AberdeenClear gap
Scotland 5,545,500
Mid-2025 (30 June 2025) · National Records of Scotland
Half the people here are older than this, half younger.
Shetland
45.9
years
15th highest of 32
Aberdeen
39.4
years
29th highest of 32
People are older in ShetlandClear gap
Scotland 43.1 years
Mid-2025 (30 June 2025) · National Records of Scotland
Rankings