Pensarn’s story
5 listed buildings
Cadw lists them inside Pensarn’s built-up area.
32% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
PensarnClwyd
A village of 1,329 in Clwyd, Wales.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Eirian Evans · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,329
Census 2021 · Conwy council
Median home
£160K
66 sales in 3 years
Median age
57.8
37% are 65+ · Clwyd 23%
Degree level
20%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
22%
of commuters · Wales 16%
Is Pensarn a good place to live?
Pensarn has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is walkability (A−): 22% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Its weakest is safety (D−): 100.8 violent and sexual offences and 25.4 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Among UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, it has less crime per resident than 0%. The median home sold for £160,000 in the last three years, 3.6 times what households in the Conwy council area earn in a year.
This town's Health Grade uses ONS's small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for 2019 to 2023, and two Census 2021 measures, bad health and disability, adjusted for age. English towns' grades also use OHID's small-area early deaths, hospital admissions and child obesity, which OHID publishes for England only.
What makes Pensarn stand out
The 3 things Pensarn does most differently from other towns.
How Pensarn grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Pensarn is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyD−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £39,092D−Open →Health14% in bad or very bad health, 35% disabled (adjusted for age in the grade)DOpen →WalkabilityA−Open →Cost of livingBOpen →Hazard risk0.1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaBOpen →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryB−Open →Outdoors45% live within 400 m of a park; 13.1 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC+Open →Civic life0% live within 1 km of a libraryD−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Pensarn.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Pensarn than in Clwyd’s towns or Wales’s towns: 9.2% are under 15
Among adults, 20% have a degree. People 65 and over make up 37% of the town, above Clwyd’s towns (23%) and Wales’s towns (21%) alike. Those aged 15 to 24 account for 7.1% of residents. Pensarn has a median age of 57.8 years.
57.8median age
PensarnClwydWales
Ages · share of residents
37%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications32%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar13%
Degree level20%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Pensarn | Clwyd | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.2% | 17% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 7.1% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 23% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 26% |
| 65+ | 37% | 23% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 32% | 20% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.7% | 6.5% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 20% | 29% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · Clwyd and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Safety
More crimes per resident in Pensarn than in 100% of UK towns
Reported offences in Pensarn came to 294 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 55. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 45.4 reports per 1,000, above Clwyd’s towns (15) and Wales’s towns (10.4) alike. Violence and sexual offences were 48% of the crimes.
100.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearD−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 0% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual141
Shoplifting53
Public order37
Other theft17
Damage & arson11
Burglary10
Drugs10
Other crime8
Anti-social55
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.
100.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
25.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
45.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
294
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.
Health
Fewer people in Pensarn say their health is good than in Clwyd’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 61%
Men in Pensarn can expect to live to 77.8, women to 82.6 (2019–23). Its share in bad or very bad health, 14%, is the highest of the 62 towns in Clwyd. On top of that, at the census, just over a third of people here had a disability, higher than both Clwyd’s towns (22%) and Wales’s towns (22%). Seeing a GP means leaving Pensarn: the nearest practice is 1 miles away.
61%good or very good healthDHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 61%Fair 25%Bad or very bad 14%
| Census 2021 | Pensarn | Clwyd | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 61% | 79% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 14% | 6.5% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 35% | 22% | 22% |
77.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.6
life expectancy at birth, women
Welsh towns’ Health Grades use ONS’s small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for 2019 to 2023, and two Census 2021 measures, bad health and disability, adjusted for age. English towns’ also use OHID’s small-area early deaths, hospital admissions and child obesity, which OHID publishes for England only.
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · ONS, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy among them.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Benefit claims run higher in Pensarn, 9.3% of 16 to 64s, than in Clwyd’s towns or across Wales’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 15% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Working mainly from home: 15% of workers, lower than both Clwyd’s towns (19%) and Wales’s towns (24%). 3% of commuters who live in Pensarn also work there. For every resident in work, Pensarn has 0.8 jobs.
22%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving74%
On foot10%
Bus8%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
25%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
15%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£39K
mean household income, before tax
9.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A−
Walkability: more walkable than 83% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B
Pensarn is a renters’ town: 34% of households rent privately, more than in both Clwyd’s towns and Wales’s towns
Social housing holds 10% of households, lower than both Clwyd’s towns (16%) and Wales’s towns (18%). The owner-occupied share of households is 56%. Private rents average £796 a month across the Conwy council area.
£160Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Pensarn£160K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £169,000 | 34 |
| Semi-detached | £154,000 | 27 |
| Terraced | £150,000 | 5 |
56%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
34%
rent privately · Wales 17%
£796
average private rent a month, Conwy council area
£2,473
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
Pensarn’s listed buildings: 5, all Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Before 1919: that is when nearly a third of homes were built. Pensarn has 38 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, above both Clwyd’s towns (30) and Wales’s towns (18).
5listed buildingsB−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II5
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
32%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
38
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Cadw list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Gwrych Castle and 6 more in and around Pensarn
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Pensarn. Best known first.
CastleGwrych Castle1.6 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumRhyl Miniature Railway4.9 km outside town, to the northeastTheme parkTheme parkKnightly's Fun Park2.1 km outside town, to the northeastTheme parkTheme parkTir Prince Funland Amusement Park2.8 km outside town, to the eastCastleCastleBrynffanigl Castle4.6 km outside town, to the southwestCastleCastleGwyrch Castle Northern Towers2.5 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Gwrych Castle: Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rhyl Miniature Railway: AHEMSLTD~commonswiki, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pensarn
15pages on Pensarn
The big questions
SafetyD−100.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingBMedian home £160K · rent £796 a monthHousing15 sold in 12 months · busiest street Lon Y CyllSchoolsHealthDWork & commuteD−32% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Pensarn’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
AbergeleKinmel BayLlanddulasBodelwyddanMynydd MarianRhylRhuddlanPensarn
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pensarn | 1,329 | — | — | B | D− | D |
| Abergele | 8,531 | 0.9 | D | C+ | C− | C− |
| Kinmel Bay | 9,016 | 2.3 | D− | B− | D− | D− |
| Llanddulas | 1,097 | 2.8 | — | C+ | C− | C− |
| Bodelwyddan | 1,785 | 3.3 | — | B | D− | C |
| Mynydd Marian | 1,351 | 3.4 | — | B− | B | C |
| Rhyl | 26,982 | 4.5 | D | A− | D− | D− |
| Rhuddlan | 3,791 | 4.7 | C+ | B+ | C | C+ |
Llanddulas, Bodelwyddan and Mynydd Marian have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Pensarn
Who lives in Pensarn?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 37% of residents were 65 or over and 30% were 45 to 64, against 21% and 26% across Wales’s towns; 9.2% were under 15.
How many listed buildings are there in Pensarn?
5 on Cadw’s list. That is 1.5 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Pensarn expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £160,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £150,000, semi-detached houses £154,000 and detached houses £169,000.
About Pensarn
Village in Clwyd, Wales
Pensarn is a built-up area of 1,329 people, in the Conwy 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
- 1,329 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Conwy
- County
- Clwyd
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000036
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) · Cadw listed buildings, scheduled monuments and registered historic parks and gardens via DataMapWales, 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.