Downgate’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Downgate’s built-up area.
52% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DowngateCornwall
A village in Cornwall, South West, home to 312 people.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
312
Census 2021 · Cornwall council
Median home
£385K
13 sales in 3 years
Median age
58.9
37% are 65+ · Cornwall 24%
Degree level
41%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Downgate a good place to live?
Downgate is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. 5% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. 52% of homes were built before 1919. It skews older: 37% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Downgate stand out
The 3 things Downgate does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
37% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Downgate.
Who lives here
Children make up only 8.4% of Downgate, fewer than in Cornwall’s towns and across England’s towns
Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 7.1% of the town. At 58.9, the median resident of Downgate sits in the middle of the age range. Degrees are held by 41% of adults, higher than both Cornwall’s towns (30%) and England’s towns (34%).
58.9median age
DowngateCornwallEngland
Ages · share of residents
37%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar14%
Degree level41%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Downgate | Cornwall | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 8.4% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.1% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 22% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 35% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 37% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.9% | 6.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 41% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cornwall and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
The car carries 93% of commuters in Downgate, more than in Cornwall’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 33% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Downgate counts 0.7 jobs per working resident. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 23%, lower than both Cornwall’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%). Also worth knowing: 2% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving93%
On foot2%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
23%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
33%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£46K
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
Few households rent privately in Downgate: 7%, fewer than in Cornwall’s towns and across England’s towns
91% of households are owner-occupiers. Social housing holds 1% of households, below Cornwall’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. The £385,000 median rests on 13 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£385Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Downgate£385K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £440,000 | 11 |
91%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,000
average private rent a month, Cornwall council area
£2,459
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
Downgate records less violent crime per resident than Cornwall’s towns or England’s towns, at 5.8 per 1,000 a year
Violence and sexual offences were three quarters of the crimes. Police recorded 4 crimes inside Downgate’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026.
5.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual3
Other theft1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social0
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.
5.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
4
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
More people in Downgate say their health is bad than in Cornwall’s towns or across England’s towns: 7.6%
At the census, 21% of people here had a disability, about level with Cornwall’s towns (22%) and above England’s towns (17%). Self-reported good health: 76% of Downgate’s residents. There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 2.1 miles off.
76%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 76%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Downgate | Cornwall | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 76% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.6% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 22% | 17% |
80.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Downgate’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.
Inside Downgate’s built-up area, Historic England lists 1 listed building, .
1listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
52%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
32
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 Downgate
13pages on Downgate
The big questions
Safety5.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £385K · rent £1,000 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.4 (men), 84.1 (women)Work & commute46% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Downgate’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Kelly BrayCallingtonGunnislake and St Ann's ChapelPensilvaBere AlstonWithnoeTavistockDowngate
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downgate | 312 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kelly Bray | 1,137 | 1 | — | D | A | C |
| Callington | 4,665 | 2.1 | D | D− | C− | C |
| Gunnislake and St Ann's Chapel | 3,506 | 3.8 | C | D | B | B− |
| Pensilva | 1,656 | 5 | — | C− | A | C |
| Bere Alston | 2,259 | 6.3 | — | B− | B | B |
| Withnoe | 1,820 | 6.8 | — | D | B+ | C |
| Tavistock | 12,676 | 7.2 | C | C | C+ | B |
Kelly Bray, Pensilva, Bere Alston and Withnoe have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Downgate
How many listed buildings are there in Downgate?
1 on Historic England’s list. That is 1.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Downgate expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £385,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the Cornwall council area averaged £1,000 a month in August 2026.
About Downgate
Village in Cornwall, England
Downgate is a built-up area of 312 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
- 312 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Cornwall
- County
- Cornwall
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006851
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.