Downderry’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Downderry’s built-up area.
27% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DownderryCornwall
A village of 829 in Cornwall, South West. 11% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Tony Atkin · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
829
Census 2021 · Cornwall council
Median home
£430K
47 sales in 3 years
Median age
55.1
33% are 65+ · Cornwall 24%
Degree level
48%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Downderry a good place to live?
Downderry has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Downderry stand out
The 3 things Downderry does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
33% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Downderry.
Who lives here
More people in Downderry hold a degree than in Cornwall’s towns or England’s towns: 48%
The middle age in Downderry is 55.1. People 65 and over make up a third of the town, above Cornwall’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 5.9% of the population.
55.1median age
DownderryCornwallEngland
Ages · share of residents
33%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications10%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level48%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 85 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Downderry | Cornwall | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 5.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 22% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 9.8% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.8% | 6.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 48% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cornwall and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Downderry
Its only school is listed below. Key Stage 2 results at the one primary school within 3 km: 47% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Nicolas' CofE VA School, DownderryLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 109 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Commuters in Downderry travel far: only 5% go under 5 km, fewer than in both Cornwall’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.
44% of workers worked mainly from home, higher than both Cornwall’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (31%). Unemployment benefit claims reached 2% of 16 to 64s in 2026. Income per household averages £55K a year, before tax.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot8%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
Train1%
5%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
44%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Homes in Downderry cost more than in both Cornwall’s towns and England’s towns, with a median sale of £430K
Council and housing-body homes hold 4% of households. 78% of households own their home, higher than both Cornwall’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). The private rented sector houses 18% of households.
£430Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Downderry£430K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £650,625 | 18 |
| Semi-detached | £360,000 | 11 |
| Flat or maisonette | £170,000 | 14 |
78%
of households own their home · England 61%
18%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,000
average private rent a month, Cornwall council area
£2,483
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Downderry records more burglary and damage per resident than Cornwall’s towns or England’s towns, at 12.7 per 1,000 a year
58% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Police figures for Downderry’s built-up area: 45 crimes and 3 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence came to 22.8 per 1,000 residents a year, below Cornwall’s towns (25) and close to England’s towns (22).
22.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual26
Damage & arson9
Other theft4
Other crime2
Public order1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Anti-social3
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.
22.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
45
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
Just 4.7% of people in Downderry say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in both Cornwall’s towns and England’s towns
The nearest A&E to Downderry is Derriford Hospital, 11.7 miles away. At the census, 18% of people here had a disability, lower than Cornwall’s towns (22%) and near England’s towns (17%). There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 3.5 miles off.
83%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Downderry | Cornwall | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.7% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 22% | 17% |
80.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Downderry’s listed buildings: 1, all Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Per 10,000 residents, Downderry counts 12 listed buildings, below Cornwall’s towns (54) and England’s towns (39) alike. Homes from before 1919 make up 27% of the total.
1listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
27%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
12
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Downderry
13pages on Downderry
The big questions
Safety22.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £430K · rent £1,000 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street TrerieveSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 80.5 (men), 86.3 (women)Work & commute59% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.6% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Downderry’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
LooeLandrakeMillbrookSaltashTorpointPelyntLiskeardDownderry
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downderry | 829 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Looe | 5,314 | 3.9 | D− | D | C | C+ |
| Landrake | 1,104 | 5.4 | — | D | A+ | B+ |
| Millbrook | 2,299 | 6.7 | — | D− | B− | B− |
| Saltash | 15,433 | 7 | C− | D | C+ | C+ |
| Torpoint | 7,163 | 7.1 | C− | C− | C | C |
| Pelynt | 1,144 | 7.3 | — | D− | B+ | C+ |
| Liskeard | 10,901 | 7.7 | D− | D | D | C− |
Landrake, Millbrook and Pelynt have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Downderry
Who lives in Downderry?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 33% of residents were 65 or over and 33% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 13% were under 15.
How many listed buildings are there in Downderry?
1 on Historic England’s list.
Is Downderry expensive to live in?
By type: flats £170,000, semi-detached houses £360,000 and detached houses £650,625. Private rents in the Cornwall council area averaged £1,000 a month in August 2026.
About Downderry
Village in Cornwall, England
Downderry is a built-up area of 829 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
- 829 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Cornwall
- County
- Cornwall
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006944
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.