Looking towards The Wharf across St Ives Harbour

St Ives, #1 on this list · Photo: John Lucas · CC BY-SA 2.0

Cornwall rankings · Walkability

Most walkable towns in Cornwall

St Ives ranks first on walkability among Cornwall’s 35 towns of 2,500+; 17 of the 35 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland sits beside each letter. How grades work

St Ives

5,413 people

A⁺

Better than almost every UK town·#42 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Penzance

14,957 people

A⁺

Better than 97% of UK towns·#84 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Truro

23,060 people

A⁺

Better than 97% of UK towns·#88 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

All 35 towns, ranked

Walkability 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, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland links to the national list.

Every town in Cornwall →

Find a town

35 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1St Ives5,413 peopleA⁺#42 of 2,515 nationallybetter than almost every UK town

2Penzance14,957 peopleA⁺#84 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 97% of UK towns

3Truro23,060 peopleA⁺#88 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 97% of UK towns

4Torpoint7,163 peopleA⁺#131 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

5Falmouth24,066 peopleA⁺#148 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

6Looe5,314 peopleA#208 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

7Threemilestone2,854 peopleA#262 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

8Bude7,347 peopleA#315 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

9Newlyn3,362 peopleA#386 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 88% of UK towns

10Carbis Bay3,967 peopleA#402 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 88% of UK towns

11Penryn11,194 peopleA#470 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 86% of UK towns

12Newquay24,543 peopleA⁻#519 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 85% of UK towns

13Wadebridge5,626 peopleA⁻#671 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

14Callington4,665 peopleA⁻#678 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

15Hayle9,040 peopleA⁻#693 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

16Perranporth2,752 peopleA⁻#723 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 78% of UK towns

17Liskeard10,901 peopleA⁻#816 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 76% of UK towns

18Launceston8,431 peopleB⁺#964 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 71% of UK towns

19St Agnes3,253 peopleB⁺#995 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

20Saltash15,433 peopleB⁺#1,002 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

21Camborne20,445 peopleB⁺#1,077 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 68% of UK towns

22Helston11,366 peopleB⁺#1,084 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 68% of UK towns

23Lostwithiel3,067 peopleB⁺#1,127 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 66% of UK towns

24Redruth15,455 peopleB⁺#1,158 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 65% of UK towns

25Bodmin16,904 peopleB#1,250 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 63% of UK towns

26St Austell24,361 peopleB#1,275 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 62% of UK towns

27Porthleven3,118 peopleB#1,299 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 61% of UK towns

28Camelford2,983 peopleB#1,317 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 60% of UK towns

29St Columb Major3,663 peopleB#1,402 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 58% of UK towns

30Pool and Illogan8,588 peopleB⁻#1,553 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

31Tywardreath2,589 peopleB⁻#1,607 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 50% of UK towns

32Indian Queens, Fraddon and St Columb Road3,888 peopleB⁻#1,728 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 46% of UK towns

33St Blazey6,569 peopleC#2,003 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 35% of UK towns

34Probus2,565 peopleC#2,148 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 28% of UK towns

35Gunnislake and St Ann's Chapel3,506 peopleC#2,154 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 28% of UK towns

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the most walkable town in Cornwall?

St Ives ranks first on walkability among 35 towns, with an A+: better than almost every UK town. Penzance and Truro follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). 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 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 most civic life35 towns · #1 Lostwithiel 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: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · 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.