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Postcode district · Orkney Islands

KW17 area guide

Who lives in KW17, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Council
Orkney Islands
Region
Scotland
Population
10,366 (2024)
At a glance

What KW17 is like

The KW17 postcode district in Orkney Islands covers 231 live postcodes and is home to about 10,366 people in 4,550 households. 77.1% of households own their home, 7% rent privately and 10.5% are in social housing. The largest age group is 55–59, and 60.5% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for Scotland.

Scores

How KW17 compares

Headline figures for KW17, set against Scotland as a whole.

AffluenceMore
6.2/ 10

Around the middle. Scored from 1 (most deprived in Scotland) to 10 (least deprived).

CrimeMore
24per 1,000

Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents in Orkney Islands a year, against 57 across Scotland.

TransportMore
0.0/ 10

Poor: 0 stations within a mile, 0 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore
18

18 schools in KW17. None has a published inspection grade.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where KW17 differs most from the national average.

  1. 01
    An older population

    26.1% of residents are 65 or over, against 20% across Scotland.

  2. 02
    Few private renters

    Only 7% of households rent privately, against 12.9% across Scotland.

  3. 03
    Mostly owner-occupied

    77.1% of households own their home, against 62.4% across Scotland.

Questions

KW17 FAQs

01
Is KW17 a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 6.2 out of 10 on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020, where 10 is the least deprived in Scotland. Transport connectivity scores 0.0 out of 10 (poor).
02
Is KW17 safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Police Scotland publishes crime by council area only. Orkney Islands recorded 24 crimes per 1,000 residents in 2025-26, against 57 across Scotland.
03
Who lives in KW17?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 55–59, at 9% of residents. 77.1% of households own their home. The most common property type is detached (80.5%).
04
Which council covers KW17?

The local authority for KW17 is Orkney Islands.

KW17 comes under Orkney Islands in Scotland. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.
05
How well connected is KW17?

Connectivity scores 0.0 out of 10.

There are 0 bus stops within 800m and 0 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 0.0 out of 10 (poor). The nearest station is Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminal, 2.7 miles away.

Sources: Scotland's Census 2022 (NRS); ONS mid-year population estimates; police recorded crime; the English, Welsh and Scottish indices of deprivation; ONS small area income estimates; ONS private rents; DfE, Welsh and Scottish school registers and Ofsted; DfT NaPTAN; ORR estimates of station usage; HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.

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