Compton’s story
6 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Compton’s built-up area.
19% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ComptonBerkshire
With 1,789 residents, it is a village in Berkshire, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Oscar Taylor · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,789
Census 2021 · West Berkshire council
Median home
£448K
52 sales in 3 years
Median age
41.2
15% are 65+ · Berkshire 15%
Degree level
39%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
18%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Compton a good place to live?
Health is a strength: life expectancy 82.8 for men, 85.4 for women. Hazard risk is its weak spot — 3.4% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. It takes 6.6 years of household income in the West Berkshire council area to buy the median home, at £447,500. Secondary school results beat 94% of towns in England.
Figures: life expectancy and incomes, ONS · flood risk, Environment Agency · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years. Compton is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
What makes Compton stand out
The 3 things Compton does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.6 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Secondary results, towns in England
Schools
Secondary results beat 94%
of towns in England, on GCSE results (Attainment 8, English and maths)
Primary results beat 45%. Department for Education.
Household income, against UK towns
Work
Mean, before tax: higher than in 91% of UK towns
ONS small-area income estimates.
How Compton grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Compton is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Compton is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
HealthAmong the best of the towns comparedA+Open →Hazard riskBased on how exposed the town is to floods, storms and other hazardsDOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 45% of towns in England; secondary results beat 94% of towns in EnglandB+Open →SafetyLess crime than in most townsB+Open →WalkabilityAbove the middle of the towns comparedB+Open →Jobs & income2.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →Cost of livingClose to the middle of the towns comparedC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryLess recorded history than most townsC+Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 100% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeB+Open →Civic life5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Compton.
Health
Just 2.1% of people in Compton say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in both Berkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Women here live to 85.4 on average and men to 82.8 (2019–23). 88% of Compton’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above Berkshire’s towns (87%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. Disability touches 13% of the town’s population. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 4.4 miles away.
88%good or very good healthA+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | Compton | Berkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 87% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.1% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 13% | 17% |
82.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
SchoolsB+
Results at Compton’s schools beat 74% of towns in England
Both of the town’s schools appear below. Attainment 8 at the one secondary school within 3 km averages 54.7, and nearly two thirds of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths. 61% of pupils at the 3 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
B+School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compton C.E. Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | – | B− |
| The Downs SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | – | A |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
Safety
Compton records less burglary and damage per resident than Berkshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 3.9 per 1,000 a year
Reported offences in Compton came to 53 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 7. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 66% of recorded crime.
21.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 50% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual35
Other crime13
Public order1
Other theft1
Burglary1
Bicycle theft1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social7
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
21.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
53
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Under 5 km to work: 20% in Compton, fewer than in both Berkshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 44% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households had £72K a year before tax, close to Berkshire’s towns (£74K) and above England’s towns (£55K). Four in five commuters took the car to work at the census. About 18% of its commuters stay in Compton for work. The census counted 44% of workers working mainly from home.
18%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving80%
On foot15%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
Train1%
Underground, tram1%
20%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
44%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£72K
mean household income, before tax
2.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B+
Walkability: more walkable than 68% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Compton’s listed buildings: 6, all Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
19% of homes were built before 1919. Of Compton’s land, 8% lies in conservation areas, below Berkshire’s towns (25%) but above England’s towns (7%).
6listed buildingsC+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II6
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
19%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
34
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C+
Private renting is less common in Compton than in Berkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 12%
Social housing holds just over a fifth of households, higher than both Berkshire’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). The owner-occupied share of households is 65%. Private rents average £1,338 a month across the West Berkshire council area.
£448Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Compton£448K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £590,000 | 23 |
| Semi-detached | £430,000 | 16 |
| Terraced | £370,000 | 9 |
65%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,338
average private rent a month, West Berkshire council area
£2,541
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Children make up 23% of Compton, above Berkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Nearly two in five adults hold a degree. Half the people of Compton are older than 41.2. Over-65s are 15% of the population.
41.2median age
ComptonBerkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
11%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level39%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Compton | Berkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 29% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 15% | 15% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 14% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.6% | 4.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 39% | 40% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Berkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Compton
14pages on Compton
The big questions
SafetyB+21.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £448K · rent £1,338 a monthHousing14 sold in 12 months · busiest street Burrell RoadSchoolsB+2 state schoolsHealthA+Life expectancy 82.8 (men), 85.4 (women)Work & commuteB64% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD3.4% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Compton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BlewburyHermitageChiltonUpper BasildonGoringCold AshCholseyCompton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compton | 1,789 | — | — | C+ | B+ | A+ |
| Blewbury | 1,708 | 3.7 | — | C+ | A | A− |
| Hermitage | 2,224 | 4.2 | — | C | A | A+ |
| Chilton | 1,378 | 4.5 | — | A− | B+ | A |
| Upper Basildon | 1,074 | 4.9 | — | C | A | A+ |
| Goring | 3,434 | 5.2 | A+ | C | A | A+ |
| Cold Ash | 2,267 | 5.9 | — | C | A+ | A+ |
| Cholsey | 3,776 | 5.9 | A | B− | B | A |
Blewbury, Hermitage, Chilton, Upper Basildon and Cold Ash have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Compton
Does Compton flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Is Compton expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £447,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £370,000, semi-detached houses £430,000 and detached houses £590,000.
Are schools in Compton good?
Primary results are closer to the middle, trailing 55%. Compton has 2 state schools; places are handled by West Berkshire council.
About Compton
Village in Berkshire, England
Compton is a built-up area of 1,789 people, in the West Berkshire council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
- Population
- 1,789 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Berkshire
- County
- Berkshire
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004931
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.