Carlyon Bay’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Carlyon Bay’s built-up area.
6% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Carlyon BayCornwall
A village of 1,174 in Cornwall, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Tony Atkin · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,174
Census 2021 · Cornwall council
Median home
£515K
74 sales in 3 years
Median age
62.8
47% are 65+ · Cornwall 24%
Degree level
36%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Carlyon Bay a good place to live?
Carlyon Bay has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (A): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is cost of living (D−): median sale £515,000, 11.2 years of area income; rent £1,000 a month.
Devon And Cornwall Police published 33 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Carlyon Bay stand out
The 3 things Carlyon Bay does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
47% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Own outright
Housing
65% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
How Carlyon Bay grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Carlyon Bay is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingrent £1,000 a monthD−Open →Hazard riskAOpen →WalkabilityC−Open →HealthLife expectancy 81.8 for men, 85.7 for womenB+Open →SafetyB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 40% of towns in England; secondary results beat 51% of towns in EnglandC+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £48,937; 2.2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History1 listed buildingD−Open →Outdoors0% live within 400 m of a park; 12% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeCOpen →Civic life1.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Eden Project and 6 more in and around Carlyon Bay
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Carlyon Bay. Best known first.
GardenEden Project2.4 km outside town, to the north
Historic houseTregrehan House1.1 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumWheal Martyn Clay Works4.9 km outside town, to the northwest
GardenPinetum Gardens300 m outside town, to the northAttractionAttractionKidzworld500 m outside town, to the northeastAttractionAttractionCornwall FootballGolf Park1 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Eden Project: Jürgen Matern, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Tregrehan House: Michael Garlick, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wheal Martyn Clay Works: AtticTapestry, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Pinetum Gardens: Paul Barnett, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Carlyon Bay.
Who lives here
An older town: 47% of people in Carlyon Bay are 65 or over, more than in both Cornwall’s towns and England’s towns
People aged 15 to 24 are 6.6% of the population. Children under 15 make up 9.2%, below Cornwall’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Half of Carlyon Bay is older than 62.8, half younger. Degrees are held by 36% of adults.
62.8median age
Carlyon BayCornwallEngland
Ages · share of residents
47%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar14%
Degree level36%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Carlyon Bay | Cornwall | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.2% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.6% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 22% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 47% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.6% | 6.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 36% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cornwall and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC+
Results at Carlyon Bay’s schools trail 55% of towns in England
Key Stage 2 results at the 6 primary schools within 3 km: 60% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The one school in town appears below. Attainment 8 at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km averages 46.5, and 44% of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths.
C+School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlestown Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 372 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade D−
More households own their home in Carlyon Bay than in Cornwall’s towns or across England’s towns: 87%
1% live in social housing, below Cornwall’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Renting privately is how 12% of households live. Private rents average £1,000 a month across the Cornwall council area.
£515Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Carlyon Bay£515K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £560,000 | 59 |
| Semi-detached | £317,321 | 6 |
| Flat or maisonette | £495,000 | 9 |
87%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,000
average private rent a month, Cornwall council area
£2,439
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
Carlyon Bay’s one listed building is Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Relative to its size, Carlyon Bay keeps 9 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, below both Cornwall’s towns (56) and England’s towns (39). The pre-1919 share of homes is 6%.
1listed buildingsD−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
6%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
9
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
More commuters in Carlyon Bay drive than in Cornwall’s towns or England’s towns: 87%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 36% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Working mainly from home: 36% of workers, above both Cornwall’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (31%). On foot, by bike or by bus and train: that was how 10% of commuters travelled at the census. Work in town: 4% of resident commuters. Also worth knowing: nearly two in five commuters travelled under 5 km to work.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot7%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
39%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
36%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£49K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 24% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
People in Carlyon Bay live longer lives than in 77% of UK towns
The nearest A&E to Carlyon Bay is Royal Cornwall Hospital, 15.9 miles away. At the census, 4.8% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, below both Cornwall’s towns (6.4%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Seeing a GP means leaving Carlyon Bay: the nearest practice is 0.7 miles away.
80%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Carlyon Bay | Cornwall | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.8% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 22% | 17% |
81.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.7
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
Safety
Burglary and damage are rarer in Carlyon Bay than in Cornwall’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.7 per 1,000 residents a year
Violence came to 19.5 per 1,000 residents a year, below Cornwall’s towns (25.1) and England’s towns (22) alike. Police recorded 40 crimes inside Carlyon Bay’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 9 reports of anti-social behaviour.
19.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 53% 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 & sexual30
Damage & arson2
Burglary2
Drugs2
Public order1
Other theft1
Weapons1
Other crime1
Anti-social9
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.
19.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
40
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Carlyon Bay
14pages on Carlyon Bay
The big questions
SafetyB+19.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingD−Median home £515K · rent £1,000 a monthHousing24 sold in 12 months · busiest street Sea RoadSchoolsC+1 state schoolHealthB+Life expectancy 81.8 (men), 85.7 (women)Work & commuteB−50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Carlyon Bay’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
St AustellSt BlazeyTywardreathPenwithickTrewoonPolgoothFoweyCarlyon Bay
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlyon Bay | 1,174 | — | — | D− | B+ | B+ |
| St Austell | 24,361 | 1.4 | D− | D | D | C− |
| St Blazey | 6,569 | 1.5 | D | C− | C | C |
| Tywardreath | 2,589 | 2.6 | C− | D− | B | B− |
| Penwithick | 1,706 | 2.8 | — | C | D | C |
| Trewoon | 1,246 | 3.3 | — | D | B | C |
| Polgooth | 1,096 | 3.5 | — | D− | A+ | B+ |
| Fowey | 2,027 | 4.6 | — | D− | C+ | B− |
Penwithick, Trewoon, Polgooth and Fowey have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Carlyon Bay
Is Carlyon Bay expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £515,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £495,000, semi-detached houses £317,321 and detached houses £560,000. Private rents in the Cornwall council area averaged £1,000 a month in August 2026.
Does Carlyon Bay flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Carlyon Bay
Village in Cornwall, England
Carlyon Bay is a built-up area of 1,174 people, in the Cornwall 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
- 1,174 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Cornwall
- County
- Cornwall
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006962
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.