Dalston’s story
20 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Dalston’s built-up area.
18% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DalstonCumbria
A village of 1,541 in Cumbria, North West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Jo and Steve Turner · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,541
Census 2021 · Carlisle council
Median home
£255K
79 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.4
33% are 65+ · Cumbria 23%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
15%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Dalston a good place to live?
Dalston has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is health (B): life expectancy 80.9 for men, 83.2 for women. Its weakest is cost of living (D−): median sale £255,000, 6.2 years of area income; rent £681 a month.
ONS publishes one rent for all of Cumberland, so this town's Cost Grade uses house prices and council tax only.
What makes Dalston stand out
The 3 things Dalston does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Michael and All Angels; 5.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
33% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
15% leave the car
How Dalston grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Dalston is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingD−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 26% of towns in England; secondary results beat 6% of towns in EnglandDOpen →Hazard risk0.9% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaCOpen →HealthBOpen →SafetyBOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £45,594; 1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →WalkabilityBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryB+Open →Outdoors66% live within 400 m of a park; 3.4 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life5.2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Dalston.
Who lives here
An older town: 33% of people in Dalston are 65 or over, more than in Cumbria’s towns or England’s towns
For Dalston, that is above both Cumbria’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for 7.4% of residents. The median resident of Dalston is 51.4 years old.
51.4median age
DalstonCumbriaEngland
Ages · share of residents
33%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 86 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.
| Dalston | Cumbria | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.4% | 9.9% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 28% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.2% | 8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 28% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cumbria and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsD
Results at Dalston’s schools trail 89% of towns in England
Its two schools are below.
DSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Michael's CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 186 | D |
| Caldew SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 990 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
HousingCost of living grade D−
Most households in Dalston own their home: 76%, more than in Cumbria’s towns or across England’s towns
Dalston sits above both Cumbria’s towns (68%) and England’s towns (61%) on this measure. Social housing holds 9% of households.
£255Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Dalston£255K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £352,500 | 26 |
| Semi-detached | £239,000 | 23 |
| Terraced | £180,000 | 27 |
76%
of households own their home · England 61%
15%
rent privately · England 21%
£681
average private rent a month, Cumberland council area
£2,525
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
More buildings in Dalston are listed than in Cumbria’s towns or England’s towns: 130 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
That puts Dalston above both Cumbria’s towns (45) and England’s towns (39). Dalston has 20 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 1 Grade II*. 18% of homes were built before 1919.
20listed buildingsB+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II19
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Michael and All Angels Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
18%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
130
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Bad health is less common in Dalston than in Cumbria’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.5% of residents
On this, Dalston is below both Cumbria’s towns (6.1%) and England’s towns (5.2%). One GP practice serves the town; 74% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey. 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.
80%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Dalston | Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.5% | 6.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 20% | 17% |
80.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Safety
Burglary and damage are rarer in Dalston than in Cumbria’s towns or across England’s towns: 5.9 per 1,000 residents a year
In the comparison, Dalston comes below both Cumbria’s towns (8.6) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 76 crimes inside Dalston’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 3 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 64% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
21.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 40% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual49
Other theft8
Public order6
Damage & arson5
Vehicle crime3
Burglary2
Drugs1
Weapons1
Anti-social3
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.
21.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
76
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Commuters in Dalston travel far: only 20% go under 5 km, fewer than in Cumbria’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 26% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, 15% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, below both Cumbria’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (27%). The car carried 84% of commuters at the census.
15%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot9%
Bicycle2%
Bus2%
Train2%
20%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
26%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£46K
mean household income, before tax
1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B
Walkability: more walkable than 57% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dalston
14pages on Dalston
The big questions
SafetyB21.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingD−Median home £255K · rent £681 a monthHousing17 sold in 12 months · busiest street Bishops WaySchoolsD2 state schoolsHealthBLife expectancy 80.9 (men), 83.2 (women)Work & commuteB47% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC0.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Dalston’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
CarlisleScotbyHoughtonWetheralWigtonWarwick BridgeGretnaDalston
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalston | 1,541 | — | — | D− | B | B |
| Carlisle | 77,729 | 3.6 | D | C+ | D | D |
| Scotby | 1,830 | 5.5 | — | D− | A+ | A− |
| Houghton | 1,486 | 6 | — | D | A | B+ |
| Wetheral | 1,129 | 6.4 | — | D− | A | A+ |
| Wigton | 5,396 | 7.2 | D− | C− | C− | C− |
| Warwick Bridge | 1,232 | 7.9 | — | D | B+ | A− |
| Gretna | 3,435 | 11 | — | A+ | — | C+ |
Scotby, Houghton, Wetheral and Warwick Bridge have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Dalston
How many listed buildings are there in Dalston?
That is 5.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
Are schools in Dalston good?
GCSE results trail 94% of towns in England, and primary results trail 74% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). Dalston has 2 state schools; places are handled by Cumbria council.
Does Dalston flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Dalston
Village in Cumbria, England
Dalston is a built-up area of 1,541 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
- Population
- 1,541 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Carlisle
- County
- Cumbria
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000163
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.