Understanding your results

This is a quick guide. For more detailed information see our full methodology.


What do the scores mean?

All Thriving Places Index scores range from 0-10. The TPI uses intuitive colour coding to show how a Local Authority (LA) scores compared to other LAs:

  • Low
  • Medium
  • High
  • <3.5
  • 3.5-4.5
  • 4.5-5.5
  • 5.5-6.5
  • >6.5

Scores are capped at 0 and 10. This means if two places score 10, this doesn’t automatically mean they perform exactly the same on what is captured in that element, domain or subdomain. One can be doing better than the other. But both places have the maximum score possible on the TPI.

Even though lower values on some indicators that form the index might have a negative impact on wellbeing (e.g. air pollution), the methodology used to standardise and combine the indicators into the subdomains and domains means that higher scores are always better.  


What do the scores measure?

On the results page for each LA, you will see a summary score:

The summary score displays the local authority’s scores for each headline element: 

Demonstration summary score

Local conditions LOCAL CONDITIONS

Are Local Authorities creating the right conditions for wellbeing?

The Local Conditions headline element combines five domains known to impact wellbeing: Place and Environment, Mental and Physical Health, Education and Learning, Work and Local Economy, and People and Community. These are the key drivers of wellbeing in a Local Authority area.

Equality EQUALITY

Is wellbeing delivered fairly across the local area? 

The Equality headline element score combines the indicators related to equality across the domains of Health, Income, Gender, Social and Ethnicity. Higher scores mean good outcomes towards a more equal place, relative to how England or Wales is doing on average.  Including everyone when working to improve local conditions for wellbeing is essential for a fair society and to realise the greatest wellbeing benefits. 

Sustainability SUSTAINABILITY

Is wellbeing delivered sustainably?

This Sustainability headline element score is a combined score composed of the domains of energy use, waste, and green infrastructure. These domains indicate whether local conditions are delivered without negatively impacting the environment. Higher scores indicate better sustainability, relative to how England or Wales is doing on average.


Scorecard

To get a fuller picture of how well a local authority is creating the conditions for people to thrive, look at the scorecard:

Demonstration scorecard

The scorecard displays scores from 0-10 at three levels of the TPI: headline elements, domains, and subdomains. Local Conditions is made up of 5 domains.

The Sustainability and Equality elements are also broken down into domains. These domains are not broken down any further.

The Local Conditions domains are broken into sub-domains. For example, ‘Place and Environment’ is made up of four subdomains: local environment, transport, safety and housing. The Place and Environment score is an average of the scores of each of the four sub-domains.

Sub-domains are comprised of a number of indicators which capture data on various aspects of that sub-domain. For more information on the structure and content of the TPI see the About page and methodology. If you wish to access the full dataset of indicators for your local authority - please visit the ‘Access more data’ page.

Generally the scores are intended to combine several indicator values, as sub-domains are typically made up of several indicators. However, some scores reflect a single indicator. See the full indicator list for more information.


Want to compare your scores with other local authorities?

Using the search option on your results page, you can compare up to three other local authority scorecards with your own.

This enables you to compare TPI scores with other local authorities of your choice. If you want to look at the results for a two-tier county council (England only), the upper tier authority results page contains links to the scorecards for all the district councils within the county.