Charlton Down’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Charlton Down’s built-up area.
29% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Charlton DownDorset
Population 1,487: a village in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Andrew Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,487
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£260K
68 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.6
22% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
41%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Charlton Down a good place to live?
Crime is low (A+): police record 8.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 4.7 home and vehicle crimes. Health outcomes beat most towns: life expectancy 81.6 for men, 85.4 for women. Few people walk, cycle or take the bus to work: 8% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Homes are dear (C): the median home sold for £260,000, 5 years of area income.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · life expectancy, ONS · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years. Charlton Down is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
No state school with published KS2 or GCSE results is in or within 3 km of this town, so it has no School Grade.
What makes Charlton Down stand out
The 3 things Charlton Down does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
91%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
How Charlton Down grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Charlton Down is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Charlton Down is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
SafetyVery little crime by comparisonA+Open →WalkabilityNear the bottom of the towns comparedDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesB+Open →Cost of livingHomes are harder to afford than in most townsCOpen →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentBOpen →
SchoolsNot graded yet–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsCOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 58% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeAOpen →Civic life2 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 Charlton Down.
Safety
Fewer crimes per resident in Charlton Down than in 96% of UK towns
Police recorded 24 crimes inside Charlton Down’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. For its size, Charlton Down records less crime per resident than 91% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 3.6 reports per 1,000, below both Dorset’s towns (9.8) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences were 50% of the crimes.
8.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 91% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual12
Shoplifting4
Damage & arson3
Public order2
Vehicle crime2
Bicycle theft1
Other theft0
Burglary0
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.
8.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
24
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
More commuters in Charlton Down drive than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 90%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 32% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Short trips to work, under 5 km: 38%, below both Dorset’s towns (48%) and England’s towns (45%). Unemployment benefit claims reached 1.5% of 16 to 64s in 2026. Also worth knowing: a household here earns £57K a year before tax, on average.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot5%
Bicycle1%
38%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
32%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£57K
mean household income, before tax
1.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 9% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Just 3.6% of people in Charlton Down say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
Charlton Down has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.6 miles away. The nearest A&E to Charlton Down is Dorset County Hospital, 2.8 miles away. Disability touches nearly a fifth of the town’s population.
82%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Charlton Down | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.6% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 19% | 17% |
81.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.4
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.
History
Much of Charlton Down is a conservation area: 57% of its land, more than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Before 1919: that is when 29% of homes were built. Historic England’s list names 2 listed buildings in Charlton Down, every one Grade II. Relative to its size, Charlton Down keeps 13 listed buildings per 10,000 residents.
2listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
29%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
13
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C
Charlton Down is a town of owners: 69% of households own their home, above Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
Social housing holds just over one in ten households, below both Dorset’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,056 a month across the Dorset council area. Behind the median of £260,000: 68 standard sales inside Charlton Down’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£260Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Charlton Down£260K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £471,500 | 13 |
| Semi-detached | £317,000 | 13 |
| Terraced | £315,000 | 8 |
| Flat or maisonette | £183,125 | 34 |
69%
of households own their home · England 61%
18%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,666
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Charlton Down is a graduates’ town: 41% hold a degree, more than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
People 65 and over make up 22% of the town, between Dorset’s towns (25%) and England’s towns (18%). The under-15s are 18% of the population here. The age that splits Charlton Down in two is 45.6.
45.6median age
Charlton DownDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications10%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level41%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Charlton Down | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 9.8% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.8% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 41% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Dinosaur Museum and 8 more in and around Charlton Down
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Charlton Down. Best known first.
MuseumDinosaur Museum3.8 km outside town, to the south
MuseumDorset Museum3.6 km outside town, to the south
Historic houseWolfeton House2 km outside town, to the south
Historic house · National TrustMax Gate5 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumThe Teddy Bear Museum3.8 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumThe Keep Military Museum3.6 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Dinosaur Museum: Chris Talbot, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dorset Museum: Cmyk at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Wolfeton House: Mike Searle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Max Gate: Pierre Terre, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Teddy Bear Museum: Chris Talbot, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Keep Military Museum: Jim Linwood, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Charlton Down
14pages on Charlton Down
The big questions
SafetyA+8.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £260K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing16 sold in 12 months · busiest street Hawthorn RoadSchoolsHealthB+Life expectancy 81.6 (men), 85.4 (women)Work & commuteB48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Charlton Down’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
CharminsterDorchesterPuddletownMaiden NewtonCrosswaysMilborne St AndrewChickerellCharlton Down
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlton Down | 1,487 | — | — | C | A+ | B+ |
| Charminster | 1,732 | 1.3 | — | D | A− | B+ |
| Dorchester | 21,358 | 3 | C | D | C+ | C+ |
| Puddletown | 1,193 | 4.9 | — | D | A+ | B+ |
| Maiden Newton | 1,128 | 5.3 | — | C | A− | B |
| Crossways | 2,494 | 6.8 | — | C− | A− | B+ |
| Milborne St Andrew | 1,090 | 7.9 | — | D | A− | A |
| Chickerell | 3,973 | 9.2 | C | D | B+ | B− |
Charminster, Puddletown, Maiden Newton, Crossways and Milborne St Andrew have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Charlton Down
How many listed buildings are there in Charlton Down?
2 on Historic England’s list.
How much is council tax in Charlton Down?
Band D council tax in Charlton Down is £2,666 for 2026–27, more than in 93% 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.
About Charlton Down
Village in Dorset, England
Charlton Down is a built-up area of 1,487 people, in the Dorset 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
- 1,487 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006682
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.