EdinburghCountsEdinburgh, in numbers.Local help →Edinburgh · Scotland
City of Edinburgh council area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats drawn from the available evidence. These are analytical judgements, not an official council assessment. Where a national comparison is available, lower housing costs, lower reported poor health and higher qualification shares are treated as relative strengths; this does not prove affordability or service quality.
The evidence gathered here does not yet support a distinct finding in this category.
weakness
The average home price is £304,000 (July 2026) in City of Edinburgh council area. This is about £108,000 higher than the Scotland average for the same month.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
What could help →opportunity
The first Granton Waterfront housing phase has started construction, while heritage buildings and public spaces are being brought into new uses.
New homes need useful routes, facilities and community space around them. Housing starts and restored buildings do not establish that all services are ready.
What could help →opportunity
50% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or higher (20 March 2022) in City of Edinburgh council area. People aged 16+ with a degree or higher ranged from 37.9% in Liberton/Gilmerton to 65.9% in Morningside — a gap of 28 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
What could help →opportunity
Recorded-crime figures cover the whole City of Edinburgh council area; they do not identify individual wards.
These are police-recorded crimes under Scottish counting rules. They cannot be ranked alongside the mapped incidents shown for other UK nations.
What could help →opportunity
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
What could help →threat
The emergency response expands suitable temporary accommodation and tests earlier homelessness prevention in Wester Hailes.
Proposed response: Track whether households move into settled homes and whether earlier help prevents homelessness.
What could help →| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Build Granton’s homes and community facilities as a neighbourhoodGranton Waterfront first-phase homes: Construction start announced. Granton heritage buildings and public spaces: Delivery phase; station platforms reported refurbished. | City of Edinburgh Council, Cruden and Scottish Government; City of Edinburgh Council and heritage partners | |
| Measure settled housing as well as temporary placementsHousing emergency: suitable homes and earlier prevention: Housing emergency progress and allocations decision reported in August 2026. Evidence dated 2026-08-26. | City of Edinburgh Council and housing partners | |
| Make room for homes people can affordThe average home price is £304,000 (July 2026) in City of Edinburgh council area. | The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers | |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities50% with a degree or higher; 20 March 2022. People aged 16+ with a degree or higher ranged from 37.9% in Liberton/Gilmerton to 65.9% in Morningside — a gap of 28 percentage points. 20 March 2022; 17 of 17 current wards have comparable figures. | Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority | |
| Target safety work where problems repeatUse the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate. | The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |