Perran Downs’s story
Perran Downs is home to a World Heritage Site: Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape
17% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Perran DownsCornwall
The village, home to 295 people, lies in Cornwall, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Des Blenkinsopp · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
295
Census 2021 · Cornwall council
Median age
57.6
36% are 65+ · Cornwall 24%
Degree level
33%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Perran Downs a good place to live?
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Perran Downs has none; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 7% of commuters. 0 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. It skews older: 36% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Perran Downs stand out
The 3 things Perran Downs does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*
Part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site. Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
36% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Perran Downs.
Who lives here
Few people in Perran Downs are 15 to 24: 5.8%, fewer than in Cornwall’s towns and across England’s towns
The under-15s are 14% of the population here. People 65 and over make up 36% of the town, above both Cornwall’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Typical age in Perran Downs: 57.6, the median.
57.6median age
Perran DownsCornwallEngland
Ages · share of residents
36%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar23%
Degree level33%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Perran Downs | Cornwall | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 5.8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 22% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 36% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.6% | 6.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 23% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 33% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cornwall and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Only 10% of Perran Downs’ commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in Cornwall’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 38% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
90% of commuters drove, above Cornwall’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Home was the main workplace for 38% of workers at the census. A household here earns £45K a year before tax, on average.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot4%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
10%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
38%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£45K
mean household income, before tax
3.2%
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
Private renting is less common in Perran Downs than in Cornwall’s towns or across England’s towns: 9%
Social housing holds 1% of households, below Cornwall’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. 90% of households are owner-occupiers. Private rents average £1,000 a month across the Cornwall council area.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Perran Downs£0K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £450,000 | 7 |
90%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,000
average private rent a month, Cornwall council area
£2,433
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
Violent crime runs low in Perran Downs: 6.2 per 1,000 residents a year, under Cornwall’s towns and England’s towns
In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 2 crimes inside Perran Downs’s built-up area. 50% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
6.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual1
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.
6.2
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)
2
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 Perran Downs say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Cornwall’s towns and across England’s towns
The nearest A&E to Perran Downs is Royal Cornwall Hospital, 17.7 miles away. At the census, a fifth of people here had a disability, below Cornwall’s towns (22%) but above England’s towns (17%). There is no GP practice locally: the nearest is 1.7 miles off.
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Perran Downs | Cornwall | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.7% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 22% | 17% |
79.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Perran Downs is part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
17% of homes were built before 1919. Historic England’s list has no building inside Perran Downs’s built-up area. It is part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.
0listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
17%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Godolphin Estate and 5 more in and around Perran Downs
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Perran Downs. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustGodolphin Estate4.5 km outside town, to the east
MuseumSt Hilary Church, Cornwall600 m outside town, to the north
Historic house · National TrustGodolphin House4.4 km outside town, to the east
CastleSt Michael's Mount Castle3.7 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumMarizion Museum3.1 km outside town, to the westCastleCastlePengersick Castle2.9 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Godolphin Estate: waterborough, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- St Hilary Church, Cornwall: Tony Atkin, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Godolphin House: waterborough, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- St Michael's Mount Castle: Chris Gunns, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Perran Downs
12pages on Perran Downs
The big questions
Perran Downs’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
GoldsithneyMarazionCrowlasSt ErthLongrockHayleReawlaPerran Downs
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perran Downs | 295 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Goldsithney | 1,346 | 0.5 | — | D− | B+ | C+ |
| Marazion | 1,350 | 1.9 | — | D− | C+ | C |
| Crowlas | 1,054 | 2.8 | — | D | A− | B− |
| St Erth | 1,128 | 2.8 | — | D− | C | C+ |
| Longrock | 1,983 | 4.4 | — | D− | C− | C |
| Hayle | 9,040 | 4.5 | D− | D− | C− | C |
| Reawla | 1,117 | 5 | — | D | B+ | C |
Goldsithney, Marazion, Crowlas, St Erth, Longrock and Reawla have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Perran Downs
How much is council tax in Perran Downs?
Band D council tax in Perran Downs is £2,433 for 2026–27, less than in 52% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Perran Downs
Village in Cornwall, England
Perran Downs is a built-up area of 295 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
- 295 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Cornwall
- County
- Cornwall
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63007066
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.