Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The village, home to 412 people, lies in Cornwall, South West.
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Praa Sands has none; the figures on this page are still real. 25 listed buildings, 3 of them Grade I. On the way to work, 11% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Just over two in five residents are 65 or over.
The 3 things Praa Sands does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Praa Sands’ built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
27% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Praa Sands.
Among adults, 37% have a degree. People 65 and over make up just over two fifths of the town, above Cornwall’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. The 15-to-24 age group makes up 5.3% of residents. The median resident of Praa Sands is 61.4 years old.
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Praa Sands | Cornwall | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 8.2% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 5.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 22% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 42% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.8% | 6.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cornwall and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 31% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
2.1% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. The car took 88% of commuters, above Cornwall’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. A household here earns £46K a year before tax, on average. Of the commuters living in Praa Sands, 1% work in the town itself.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Home ownership stands at 77% of households. At the median, a home went for £250K, below both Cornwall’s towns (£277K) and England’s towns (£308K). Private rents average £1,000 a month across the Cornwall council area.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £675,000 | 5 |
| Flat or maisonette | £249,500 | 5 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Of all the crimes, 50% were violence and sexual offences. Each year, 11.5 burglaries and acts of damage are recorded per 1,000 residents. Over the year to August 2026, 28 offences were reported in Praa Sands.
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.
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.
A disability affects just over a fifth of people in Praa Sands. At the census, 7.3% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, above Cornwall’s towns (6.4%) and England’s towns (5.2%) alike. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.8 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Praa Sands | Cornwall | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 76% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.3% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 22% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
27% of homes were built before 1919. Praa Sands’s listed buildings include the Church of Saint Germoe, Grade I. The top grade, Grade I, goes to 3 of them.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Praa Sands. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustGodolphin Estate2.8 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumSt Hilary Church, Cornwall3.1 km outside town, to the northwest
Historic house · National TrustGodolphin House2.8 km outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Praa Sands | 412 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Goldsithney | 1,346 | 2.7 | — | D− | B+ | C+ |
| Porthleven | 3,118 | 3.4 | D | D− | B | B− |
| Marazion | 1,350 | 3.9 | — | D− | C+ | C |
| St Erth | 1,128 | 4.7 | — | D− | C | C+ |
| Crowlas | 1,054 | 5 | — | D | A− | B− |
| Helston | 11,366 | 5.2 | D | D | C+ | B− |
| Reawla | 1,117 | 5.5 | — | D | B+ | C |
Goldsithney, Marazion, St Erth, Crowlas and Reawla have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 42% of residents were 65 or over and 29% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 8.2% were under 15.
That is 24.9 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Pengersick Castle. It also has 1 scheduled monument.
Private rents in the Cornwall council area averaged £1,000 a month in August 2026.
Village in Cornwall, England
Praa Sands is a built-up area of 412 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
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.