Lostwithiel, #1 on this list · Photo: Matnkat · CC BY 3.0

Cornwall rankings · Civic life

Towns with the most civic life in Cornwall

Lostwithiel ranks first on civic life among Cornwall’s 35 towns of 2,500+; 16 of the 35 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The Civic life Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): local registered charities per 1,000 residents and the share living within 1 km of a public library. The rank across England and Wales sits beside each letter. How grades work

Lostwithiel

3,067 people

A⁺

Better than 97% of UK towns·#42 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Perranporth

2,752 people

A⁺

Better than 96% of UK towns·#58 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Camelford

2,983 people

Better than 94% of UK towns·#121 of 2,156 in England and Wales

All 35 towns, ranked

Civic life grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England and Wales links to the national list.

Every town in Cornwall →

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35 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Lostwithiel3,067 peopleA⁺#42 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 97% of UK towns

2Perranporth2,752 peopleA⁺#58 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

3Camelford2,983 peopleA#121 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

4Tywardreath2,589 peopleA#172 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

5Looe5,314 peopleA#192 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 91% of UK towns

6Wadebridge5,626 peopleA#206 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 91% of UK towns

7Penzance14,957 peopleA#213 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 91% of UK towns

8St Ives5,413 peopleA#218 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

9St Columb Major3,663 peopleA#226 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

10Truro23,060 peopleA#268 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 89% of UK towns

11Launceston8,431 peopleA#306 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 88% of UK towns

12St Agnes3,253 peopleA#344 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 86% of UK towns

13Redruth15,455 peopleA#392 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 85% of UK towns

14Helston11,366 peopleA⁻#398 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 85% of UK towns

15Saltash15,433 peopleA⁻#499 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 82% of UK towns

16Bude7,347 peopleA⁻#566 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

17Hayle9,040 peopleB⁺#712 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 72% of UK towns

18Torpoint7,163 peopleB#844 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 64% of UK towns

19Camborne20,445 peopleB#855 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 63% of UK towns

20Liskeard10,901 peopleB#888 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 61% of UK towns

21Penryn11,194 peopleB#902 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 60% of UK towns

22St Austell24,361 peopleB#907 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 60% of UK towns

23Falmouth24,066 peopleB#967 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 58% of UK towns

24Probus2,565 peopleB#968 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 58% of UK towns

25Porthleven3,118 peopleB⁻#1,049 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 53% of UK towns

26Bodmin16,904 peopleB⁻#1,054 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 53% of UK towns

27Callington4,665 peopleB⁻#1,081 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

28Newlyn3,362 peopleC⁺#1,237 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 45% of UK towns

29Gunnislake and St Ann's Chapel3,506 peopleC⁺#1,284 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 42% of UK towns

30Threemilestone2,854 peopleC⁺#1,303 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 41% of UK towns

31Newquay24,543 peopleC⁺#1,309 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 41% of UK towns

32Carbis Bay3,967 peopleC⁺#1,448 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 35% of UK towns

33Indian Queens, Fraddon and St Columb Road3,888 peopleC#1,553 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 31% of UK towns

34St Blazey6,569 peopleD#1,901 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 15% of UK towns

35Pool and Illogan8,588 peopleD#1,928 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 13% of UK towns

Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which town in Cornwall has the most civic life?

Lostwithiel ranks first on civic life among 35 towns, with an A+: better than 97% of UK towns. Perranporth and Camelford follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Civic life Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): local registered charities per 1,000 residents and the share living within 1 km of a public library. The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers Cornwall’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in Cornwall is on the county page.

Go deeper

More Cornwall lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Cornwall rankings →

Best places to live35 towns · #1 St Agnes Best small towns23 towns · #1 St Agnes Most affordable towns35 towns · #1 St Blazey Safest towns35 towns · #1 Probus Towns with the best schools35 towns · #1 St Agnes Healthiest towns35 towns · #1 St Agnes Best towns for jobs & income35 towns · #1 Threemilestone Most walkable towns35 towns · #1 St Ives Towns with the lowest flood risk35 towns · #1 Gunnislake and St Ann's Chapel and Threemilestone Best towns for the outdoors35 towns · #1 Tywardreath Most historic towns35 towns · #1 St Ives Towns with the highest household incomes35 towns · #1 St AgnesDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax35 towns · #1 TywardreathDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters35 towns · #1 PenzanceDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers35 towns · #1 Saltash and TorpointDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers35 towns · #1 CamelfordDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts35 towns · #1 St IvesDescribed, no letters Driest towns35 towns · #1 BudeDescribed, no letters Wettest towns35 towns · #1 LiskeardDescribed, no letters

Sources: 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.