What's the air quality in East Dorset? NO₂ 6.5 µg/m³
In 2025 the average resident of East Dorset lived with background NO₂ of 6.5 µg/m³, Low for England and Wales and below the WHO guideline of 10. PM2.5 was 8.2 µg/m³, High for England and Wales and 1.6 times the WHO guideline of 5. The typical area in England and Wales has NO₂ of 7.2 and PM2.5 of 7.4 µg/m³.
- PM2.5
- 8.2 µg/m³
- NO₂ for England and Wales
- Low
- Figures for
- 2025 annual average
Modelled background levels averaged over where residents live (Census 2021), not roadside levels. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Defra modelled background pollution, 2025. How we calculate this
All house prices in East DorsetIs the air quality good in East Dorset?
Background NO₂ in East Dorset is 6.5 µg/m³, below the WHO guideline of 10, and lower than the typical area (7.2). That puts it in the Low band. Background PM2.5 in East Dorset is 8.2 µg/m³, 1.6 times the WHO guideline of 5, and higher than the typical area (7.4). That puts it in the High band. Most of England and Wales is above the WHO guideline for PM2.5, so the bands compare places with each other rather than giving a pass or fail.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂): 6.5 µg/m³
NO₂ level is Low, on a scale from Very Low to Very High.
Low means the second-lowest fifth of areas in England and Wales for NO₂.
| Very Low | up to 4.7 |
|---|---|
| Low | 4.7 to 6.5 |
| Typical | 6.5 to 7.7 |
| High | 7.7 to 9.2 |
| Very High | over 9.2 |
WHO guideline: 10 µg/m³ (in the Very High band). UK legal limit: 40 µg/m³.
Fine particles (PM2.5): 8.2 µg/m³
PM2.5 level is High, on a scale from Very Low to Very High.
High means the second-highest fifth of areas in England and Wales for PM2.5.
| Very Low | up to 6.0 |
|---|---|
| Low | 6.0 to 7.2 |
| Typical | 7.2 to 7.7 |
| High | 7.7 to 8.2 |
| Very High | over 8.2 |
WHO guideline: 5 µg/m³ (in the Very Low band). UK legal limit: 20 µg/m³, with a target of 10 µg/m³ in England by 2040.
The bands split every area we cover into fifths by its level, from Very Low to Very High. The map uses the same colours.
Which part of East Dorset has the cleanest air?
Sixpenny Handley and Pentridge has the lowest background NO₂ of the 25 areas of East Dorset, at 4.5 µg/m³. St. Leonards and St. Ives has the highest, at 7.7 µg/m³. Average house prices are shown alongside, so you can weigh air quality against cost.
| Area | NO₂ | PM2.5 | NO₂ band | Average price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sixpenny Handley and PentridgeVery Low | 4.5 | 7.4 | Very Low | £338,450 |
| Gussage St. MichaelLow | 4.8 | 7.5 | Low | £747,500 |
| CrichelLow | 4.8 | 7.6 | Low | £830,000 |
| Gussage All SaintsLow | 4.9 | 7.6 | Low | — |
| WitchamptonLow | 5.0 | 7.7 | Low | £536,200 |
| CranborneLow | 5.0 | 7.8 | Low | £369,125 |
| Wimborne St. GilesLow | 5.0 | 7.8 | Low | £350,000 |
| ShapwickLow | 5.1 | 7.7 | Low | — |
| EdmondshamLow | 5.2 | 7.9 | Low | — |
| ChalburyLow | 5.2 | 7.8 | Low | £615,000 |
| HintonLow | 5.2 | 7.8 | Low | £692,000 |
| WoodlandsLow | 5.2 | 7.9 | Low | £443,750 |
| HortonLow | 5.3 | 7.9 | Low | £911,666 |
| AlderholtLow | 5.4 | 8.0 | Low | £398,113 |
| HoltLow | 5.5 | 7.9 | Low | £805,153 |
| Sturminster MarshallLow | 5.6 | 7.7 | Low | £426,552 |
| VerwoodLow | 5.7 | 8.1 | Low | £409,885 |
| PamphillLow | 5.8 | 8.0 | Low | £286,000 |
| Corfe MullenLow | 5.8 | 7.7 | Low | £451,112 |
| Wimborne MinsterTypical | 6.7 | 8.3 | Typical | £381,459 |
| ColehillTypical | 6.8 | 8.4 | Typical | £535,847 |
| West MoorsTypical | 6.8 | 8.3 | Typical | £405,692 |
| West ParleyTypical | 7.2 | 8.5 | Typical | £483,277 |
| Ferndown TownTypical | 7.3 | 8.5 | Typical | £403,372 |
| St. Leonards and St. IvesTypical | 7.7 | 8.5 | Typical | £597,276 |
Levels in µg/m³, 2025 annual average.
How does air quality in East Dorset compare with nearby areas?
Background NO₂ in East Dorset compared with the 4 nearest other areas in Dorset.
East Dorset vs North Dorset
- East Dorset
- NO₂ 6.5 µg/m³
- North Dorset
- NO₂ 4.8 µg/m³
Open comparison
East Dorset vs Purbeck
- East Dorset
- NO₂ 6.5 µg/m³
- Purbeck
- NO₂ 5.1 µg/m³
Open comparison
East Dorset vs Weymouth and Portland
- East Dorset
- NO₂ 6.5 µg/m³
- Weymouth and Portland
- NO₂ 4.4 µg/m³
Open comparison
East Dorset vs West Dorset
- East Dorset
- NO₂ 6.5 µg/m³
- West Dorset
- NO₂ 4.3 µg/m³
Open comparison
Does this include busy roads?
No. These are background levels: yearly averages over 1 km squares, away from the immediate influence of roads. Right beside a busy road in East Dorset, NO₂ can be much higher. Councils publish roadside monitoring in their annual air quality reports.
What else do people ask about East Dorset?
More quick answers on house prices, sales, areas, green space, crime, air quality and listed buildings in East Dorset.
- What is the average house price in East Dorset?
- When did average house prices in East Dorset reach their peak?
- How many properties are being sold in East Dorset?
- What type of properties are sold in East Dorset?
- What price range do most homes sell for in East Dorset?
- What is the most expensive (and cheapest) area of East Dorset?
- How many parks and green spaces are in East Dorset?
- What is the crime rate in East Dorset?
- How many listed buildings are in East Dorset?
- How do East Dorset house prices compare with another area?
Where does this data come from?
Price information is from HM Land Registry, location boundaries are from OpenStreetMap, and households and population are from Nomis Census 2021 postcode estimates (21 March 2021). Parks and green space are from OS Open Greenspace. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Crime is from police.uk street-level data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: police.uk. Listed buildings and scheduled monuments are from Historic England and Cadw, and conservation areas from planning.data.gov.uk. © Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Source: planning.data.gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Air quality is from Defra modelled background pollution maps. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Defra modelled background pollution, 2025.
Last updated 11 November 2026 at 01:24 with the latest Land Registry data (September 2026). The East Dorset dataset covers 3,908 postcodes.
Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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