Swarthmoor’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Swarthmoor’s built-up area.
17% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SwarthmoorCumbria
Some 1,030 people live in this village, in Cumbria, North West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Yohan euan o4 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,030
Census 2021 · South Lakeland council
Median home
£220K
53 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.7
27% are 65+ · Cumbria 23%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
13%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Swarthmoor a good place to live?
Swarthmoor’s standout strength is safety — police record 17.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 5.2 home and vehicle crimes. Work and incomes are strong (B+): the mean household earns £50,074 a year. Housing is expensive (C): the median home sold for £220,000, 4.8 years of area income. Elsewhere it is close to typical: C+ for schools, B for health and B− for walkability.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · income and life expectancy, ONS · claimants, DWP · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Swarthmoor has its subject grades alone.
ONS publishes one rent for all of Westmorland and Furness, so this town's Cost Grade uses house prices and council tax only.
What makes Swarthmoor stand out
The 3 things Swarthmoor does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
13% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Claimant rate, against UK towns
Work
of 16 to 64s in 2026: fewer than in 98% of UK towns
DWP claimant count, January to August 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
27% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Swarthmoor grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Swarthmoor is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Swarthmoor has its subject grades alone.
Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SafetyLess crime than in most townsA−Open →Jobs & incomeBetter than most of the towns comparedB+Open →Cost of livingRent £816 a monthCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 79.8 for men, 82.9 for womenBOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 32% of towns in England; secondary results beat 57% of towns in EnglandC+Open →WalkabilityClose to the middle of the towns comparedB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History1 listed buildingC−Open →Outdoors79% live within 400 m of a park; 0.2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life1.9 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Swarthmoor.
Who lives here
Swarthmoor skews older, with 27% of residents 65 or over, more than in Cumbria’s towns and across England’s towns
28% of adults hold a degree. The 15-to-24 age group: 7.3%, below Cumbria’s towns (9.9%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. What’s more, under-15s account for 14% of the population. Typical age in Swarthmoor: 50.7, the median.
50.7median age
SwarthmoorCumbriaEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship11%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level28%
Women and men · all 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.
| Swarthmoor | Cumbria | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.3% | 9.9% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 28% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 11% | 8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 28% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cumbria and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
History
Swarthmoor’s listed buildings: 1, all Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes built before 1919 account for 17% of the housing. Scaled to its population, Swarthmoor has 10 listed buildings per 10,000 people, below Cumbria’s towns (47) and England’s towns (39) alike.
1listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
17%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
10
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Per resident, Swarthmoor sees less crime than three in four UK towns
Over the year to August 2026, 28 offences were reported in Swarthmoor. Of all the crimes, 50% were violence and sexual offences. Also worth knowing: there were 1 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below Cumbria’s towns (3.5) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
17.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 60% 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 & sexual14
Damage & arson4
Public order3
Drugs3
Other crime2
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social0
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.
17.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
28
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
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.
HousingCost of living grade C
More households own their home in Swarthmoor than in Cumbria’s towns or across England’s towns: 84%
Nearly one in ten households rent privately. Social housing holds 7% of households, below both Cumbria’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). The £220,000 median rests on 53 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£220Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Swarthmoor£220K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £325,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £228,500 | 24 |
| Terraced | £181,500 | 20 |
84%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£816
average private rent a month, Westmorland and Furness council area
£2,481
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
81% of residents say their health is good or very good
There is no GP practice in Swarthmoor: the nearest is 1.2 miles off. The nearest A&E to Swarthmoor is Furness General Hospital, 5 miles away. Women here live to 82.9 on average and men to 79.8 (2019–23).
81%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Swarthmoor | Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.1% | 6.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 20% | 17% |
79.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Fewer commuters in Swarthmoor walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Cumbria’s towns or England’s towns: 13%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 21% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
0.9% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, below both Cumbria’s towns (1.7%) and England’s towns (2.3%). The car carried 84% of commuters at the census. For 31% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
13%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot7%
Bus3%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
31%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
21%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
mean household income, before tax
0.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 47% 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 Swarthmoor
14pages on Swarthmoor
The big questions
SafetyA−17.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £220K · rent £816 a monthHousing13 sold in 12 months · busiest street Ulverston RoadSchoolsC+HealthBLife expectancy 79.8 (men), 82.9 (women)Work & commuteB+34% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Swarthmoor’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
UlverstonDalton-in-FurnessAskam in FurnessBarrow-in-FurnessMillomAllithwaiteHaveriggSwarthmoor
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swarthmoor | 1,030 | — | — | C | A− | B |
| Ulverston | 11,219 | 1.1 | C− | D | C− | C+ |
| Dalton-in-Furness | 7,551 | 3.3 | C+ | C+ | C+ | C |
| Askam in Furness | 3,172 | 3.7 | D | D− | B+ | C |
| Barrow-in-Furness | 55,260 | 6.3 | D− | C+ | D | D |
| Millom | 5,690 | 6.4 | C | B | C+ | C− |
| Allithwaite | 1,171 | 7 | — | D− | A+ | B |
| Haverigg | 1,551 | 7.3 | — | B− | A | C− |
Allithwaite and Haverigg have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Swarthmoor
Is Swarthmoor safe?
Against all UK towns, it grades A−.
Is Swarthmoor expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £220,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £181,500, semi-detached houses £228,500 and detached houses £325,000.
About Swarthmoor
Village in Cumbria, England
Swarthmoor is a built-up area of 1,030 people, in the South Lakeland 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
- 1,030 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Lakeland
- County
- Cumbria
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000479
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.