Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Population 637: a village in Cumbria, North West.
Burgh by Sands has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 4% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. 20 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. 51% of households own their home with no mortgage.
The 3 things Burgh by Sands does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 20 buildings inside Burgh by Sands’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade I, and 4 scheduled monuments.
32% 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 Burgh by Sands.
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 22% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 94% of commuters, above both Cumbria’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%). 0.6% of people aged 16 to 64 were on unemployment benefits in 2026. Of the commuters living in Burgh by Sands, 3% work in the town itself. Before tax, the average household brings in £44K a year.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
There is one school here; it is shown below. 52% of pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town’s primary school has 91 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burgh by Sands SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 91 | C− |
7% of households are private tenants. Social housing holds 8% of households, below both Cumbria’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). The median sale, £326,000, comes from 30 standard sales inside Burgh by Sands’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £365,000 | 15 |
| Semi-detached | £239,000 | 10 |
| Terraced | £151,000 | 5 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 1.1 reports per 1,000, below Cumbria’s towns (3.3) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. The violent crime rate is 6.8 per 1,000 residents a year. Over the year to August 2026, 7 offences were reported in Burgh by Sands. Also worth knowing: 57% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
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.
At the census, 14% of people here had a disability, below both Cumbria’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%). Burgh by Sands has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 4.6 miles away. The nearest A&E to Burgh by Sands is Cumberland Infirmary, 4.4 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Burgh by Sands | Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.3% | 6.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 20% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as 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.
It is part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire (Hadrian's Wall) World Heritage Site. Conservation areas cover just over three fifths of Burgh by Sands’ land, above both Cumbria’s towns (7%) and England’s towns (7%). Its listed buildings include the Church of St Michael, Grade I. Before 1919: that is when 32% of homes were built.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
The median resident of Burgh by Sands is 50 years old. 24% of residents are 65 or over, about level with Cumbria’s towns (23%) and above England’s towns (18%). Children under 15 make up 15% of residents.
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Burgh by Sands | Cumbria | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.7% | 9.9% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 28% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.3% | 8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 39% | 28% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cumbria and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burgh by Sands | 637 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gretna | 3,435 | 5.1 | — | A+ | — | C+ |
| Carlisle | 77,729 | 5.3 | D | C+ | D | D |
| Houghton | 1,486 | 5.5 | — | D | A | B+ |
| Dalston | 1,541 | 6.1 | — | D− | B | B |
| Longtown | 2,176 | 7.2 | — | C+ | D | C |
| Scotby | 1,830 | 7.6 | — | D− | A+ | A− |
| Wigton | 5,396 | 7.9 | D− | C− | C− | C− |
Houghton, Dalston, Longtown and Scotby have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 12.9 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Michael. It also has 4 scheduled monuments. Part of it is in the Frontiers of the Roman Empire (Hadrian's Wall) World Heritage Site.
Band D council tax in Burgh by Sands is £2,500 for 2026–27, more than in 64% 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.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £326,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £151,000, semi-detached houses £239,000 and detached houses £365,000. Private rents in the Cumberland council area averaged £681 a month in August 2026.
Village in Cumbria, England
Burgh by Sands is a built-up area of 637 people, in the Carlisle 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.