East Stour’s story
5 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside East Stour’s built-up area.
48% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
East StourDorset
The village, home to 603 people, lies in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Mike Searle · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
603
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£380K
31 sales in 3 years
Median age
54.2
30% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
32%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is East Stour a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, East Stour is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. 5% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Pre-1919 homes make up 48% of the housing. 30% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes East Stour stand out
The 3 things East Stour does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
30% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in East Stour.
Who lives here
Few people in East Stour are 15 to 24: 6.8%, fewer than in Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
At 54.2, the median resident of East Stour sits in the middle of the age range. People 65 and over make up 30% of the town, above Dorset’s towns (25%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. 32% of adults hold a degree.
54.2median age
East StourDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
30%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar14%
Degree level32%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 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.
| East Stour | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.7% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 32% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
The car carries 90% of commuters in East Stour, more than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Just over a third of commuters travelled under 5 km, lower than both Dorset’s towns (48%) and England’s towns (45%). In 2026, 1.5% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits. About 8% of its commuters stay in East Stour for work. The town counts 0.6 jobs per working resident.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot4%
Bicycle1%
34%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
1.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Private renting is less common in East Stour than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 11%
Half the homes sold went for more than £380K, above both Dorset’s towns (£355K) and England’s towns (£308K). Just over three quarters of households are owner-occupiers. Private rents average £1,056 a month across the Dorset council area.
£380Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
East Stour£380K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £411,250 | 20 |
| Semi-detached | £375,000 | 9 |
76%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,691
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Homes in East Stour see less burglary and damage than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 2.2 per 1,000 a year
Violent crime comes to 11.6 per 1,000 residents a year. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 9 recorded crimes inside East Stour’s built-up area, and 2 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 78% of recorded crime.
11.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Public order1
Other theft1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social2
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.
11.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
9
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.
Health
83% of residents say their health is good or very good
The nearest A&E to East Stour is Yeovil District Hospital, 16.1 miles away. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.8 miles away. At the census, 4.5% of people here described their health as bad or very bad.
83%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | East Stour | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.5% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 19% | 17% |
82.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.1
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
East Stour keeps more of its old housing than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 48% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
East Stour has 5 listed buildings on Historic England’s list, all Grade II. Relative to its size, East Stour keeps 83 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, between Dorset’s towns (100) and England’s towns (39).
5listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II5
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
48%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
83
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about East Stour
13pages on East Stour
The big questions
Safety11.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £380K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 months · busiest street Back StreetSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.4 (men), 86.1 (women)Work & commute58% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
East Stour’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
GillinghamMarnhullMotcombeShaftesburyStalbridgeSturminster NewtonHenstridgeEast Stour
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Stour | 603 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gillingham | 11,009 | 2.1 | C+ | C− | B | B |
| Marnhull | 1,466 | 3.1 | — | D | A− | B |
| Motcombe | 1,366 | 3.1 | — | D− | A+ | A |
| Shaftesbury | 9,163 | 4.1 | C− | C− | C+ | B |
| Stalbridge | 2,367 | 5.5 | — | C− | A− | B− |
| Sturminster Newton | 3,565 | 5.5 | C− | C− | C+ | B− |
| Henstridge | 1,579 | 5.6 | — | B | C− | B |
Marnhull, Motcombe, Stalbridge and Henstridge have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about East Stour
How many listed buildings are there in East Stour?
That is 3.4 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in East Stour?
Band D council tax in East Stour is £2,691 for 2026–27, more than in 95% 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 East Stour expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £375,000 and detached houses £411,250.
About East Stour
Village in Dorset, England
East Stour is a built-up area of 603 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
- 603 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006205
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.