Crossways’s story
No listed buildings inside Crossways’s built-up area
13% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
CrosswaysDorset
A village of 2,494 in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Mike Searle · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,494
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£320K
122 sales in 3 years
Median age
49
27% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
27%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Crossways a good place to live?
Crossways has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (A): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is cost of living (C−): median sale £320,000, 6.1 years of area income; rent £1,056 a month.
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 Crossways stand out
The 3 things Crossways does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
27% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Own outright
Housing
42% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
How Crossways grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Crossways is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Hazard riskAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →WalkabilityC−Open →Safety15.2 violent and sexual offences and 7.5 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026A−Open →HealthLife expectancy 82.1 for men, 84.8 for womenB+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £57,199; 2.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC+Open →
SchoolsNot graded yet–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsDOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 22% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeC+Open →Civic life2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 100% live within 1 km of a libraryAOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Crossways.
Who lives here
Crossways has fewer young adults than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 8.4% are 15 to 24
On this, Crossways is below both Dorset’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Over-65s are 27% of the population. Half the people of Crossways are older than 49.
49median age
CrosswaysDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar21%
Degree level27%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Crossways | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.4% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.8% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 27% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Crossways
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frome Valley CofE First SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 141 | – |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
History
Most of Crossways is newer: only 13% of homes were built before 1919, below Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
In the comparison, Crossways comes below both Dorset’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (16%).
0listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
1
scheduled monument
0
registered parks and gardens
13%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
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−
Few households rent privately in Crossways: 11%, fewer than in Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
For Crossways, that is below both Dorset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). 72% of households own their home.
£320Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Crossways£320K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £380,000 | 56 |
| Semi-detached | £300,000 | 28 |
| Terraced | £280,000 | 26 |
| Flat or maisonette | £149,940 | 12 |
72%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,661
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Commuters in Crossways travel far: only 13% go under 5 km, fewer than in Dorset’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.
Crossways sits below both Dorset’s towns (48%) and England’s towns (45%) on this measure. At the census, 10% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot6%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
Bus1%
13%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
26%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£57K
mean household income, before tax
2.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 23% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
Crossways has less crime per resident than 76% of UK towns
Police recorded 86 crimes inside Crossways’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 17 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence came to 15.2 per 1,000 residents a year, close to Dorset’s towns (16.9) and below England’s towns (22). Violence and sexual offences were 58% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
15.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 59% 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 & sexual50
Other theft10
Damage & arson9
Public order5
Vehicle crime4
Other crime3
Burglary2
Shoplifting1
Anti-social17
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.
15.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
86
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Life expectancy in Crossways is longer than in 73% of UK towns
Women here live to 84.8 on average and men to 82.1 (2019–23). Crossways has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.4 miles away. 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 healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Crossways | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.5% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 19% | 17% |
82.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Clouds Hill and 4 more in and around Crossways
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Crossways. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustClouds Hill4.9 km outside town, to the northeast
CastleWoodsford Castle1.2 km outside town, to the northwest
Historic house · National TrustMax Gate5 km outside town, to the west
CastleAthelhampton House5 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumCider Museum900 m 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 (4)
- Clouds Hill: LordHarris at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Woodsford Castle: Mike Searle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Max Gate: Pierre Terre, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Athelhampton House: MilborneOne at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Crossways
14pages on Crossways
The big questions
SafetyA−15.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £320K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing35 sold in 12 months · busiest street Devitt DriveSchools1 state schoolHealthB+Life expectancy 82.1 (men), 84.8 (women)Work & commuteC+46% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Crossways’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
PuddletownWoolDorchesterMilborne St AndrewBere RegisCharminsterCharlton DownCrossways
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crossways | 2,494 | — | — | C− | A− | B+ |
| Puddletown | 1,193 | 3.6 | — | D | A+ | B+ |
| Wool | 5,044 | 4.5 | C | C− | B+ | C+ |
| Dorchester | 21,358 | 5.1 | C | D | C+ | C+ |
| Milborne St Andrew | 1,090 | 6 | — | D | A− | A |
| Bere Regis | 1,320 | 6.1 | — | D | B | A− |
| Charminster | 1,732 | 6.2 | — | D | A− | B+ |
| Charlton Down | 1,487 | 6.8 | — | C | A+ | B+ |
Puddletown, Milborne St Andrew, Bere Regis, Charminster and Charlton Down have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Crossways
Who lives in Crossways?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 27% of residents were 65 or over and 27% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 16% were under 15.
How much is council tax in Crossways?
Band D council tax in Crossways is £2,661 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.
Is Crossways safe?
Against all UK towns, it grades A−.
About Crossways
Village in Dorset, England
Crossways is a built-up area of 2,494 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
- 2,494 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (1 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006752
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.