Iwerne Minster’s story
39 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Iwerne Minster’s built-up area.
46% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →![Iwerne Minster houses [7]](https://images.townratings.com/uk/town_images/10005784/f6d7179748918a158281.jpg)
Iwerne MinsterDorset
Some 934 people live in this village, in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Michael Dibb · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
934
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£450K
29 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.5
30% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
41%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
19%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Iwerne Minster a good place to live?
Iwerne Minster has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. 46% of homes were built before 1919. Mortgage-free owners make up three in five households. Roughly one resident in 5 is aged 15 to 24.
What makes Iwerne Minster stand out
The 3 things Iwerne Minster does most differently from other towns.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Own outright
Housing
60% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
Residents aged 15 to 24
Who lives here
1 in 5 is 15 to 24
20% of residents, against 12% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Iwerne Minster.
Who lives here
Iwerne Minster skews young, with 20% of residents aged 15 to 24, more than in both Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
30% of residents are 65 or over, higher than both Dorset’s towns (25%) and England’s towns (18%). Children under 15 make up 19% of residents. Iwerne Minster has a median age of 49.5. Degrees are held by 41% of adults.
49.5median age
Iwerne MinsterDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
30%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications10%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar12%
Degree level41%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Iwerne Minster | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 20% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 7.7% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 24% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 10% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.8% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 12% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 41% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Under 5 km to work: 24% in Iwerne Minster, fewer than in both Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 38% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Jobs per working resident: 1.9. Nearly a fifth of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train at the census, below both Dorset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (27%). Working from home was the norm for 38% of workers at the census.
19%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving78%
On foot17%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
Train1%
24%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
38%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
0.7%
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
Buying in Iwerne Minster costs more than in both Dorset’s towns and England’s towns: the median sale is £450K
Private renters make up just over one in ten households, below Dorset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. 4% of households live in social housing. Owners make up 83% of households.
£450Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Iwerne Minster£450K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £665,000 | 17 |
| Terraced | £402,500 | 6 |
83%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
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
Violence is recorded less often in Iwerne Minster than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 6.1 per 1,000 residents a year
There were 1.8 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below Dorset’s towns (9.3) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Police recorded 12 crimes inside Iwerne Minster’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Burglary and damage come to 4.3 per 1,000 residents a year. 42% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
6.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual5
Other theft3
Damage & arson2
Public order1
Burglary1
Shoplifting0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social1
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.
6.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
12
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
Bad health is less common in Iwerne Minster than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.6% of residents
The nearest A&E to Iwerne Minster is Poole Hospital, 17.1 miles away. At the census, 87% of people in Iwerne Minster called their health good or very good, above both Dorset’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%). A disability affects 15% of people here. Seeing a GP means leaving Iwerne Minster: the nearest practice is 4.9 miles away.
87%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Iwerne Minster | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.6% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 19% | 17% |
80.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
History
Iwerne Minster is rich in listed buildings: 418 per 10,000 residents, more than in both 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.
Grade II* covers 1 of them, Grade I 1. Iwerne Minster’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary, Grade I. It has 39 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 1 Grade II*. Conservation areas cover 37% of the town’s land, higher than both Dorset’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (7%).
39listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II37
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
46%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
418
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 Iwerne Minster
14pages on Iwerne Minster
The big questions
Safety6.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £450K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 months · busiest street Home FarmSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.7 (men), 86.6 (women)Work & commute65% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Iwerne Minster’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Child OkefordShillingstoneSturminster NewtonBlandford ForumPimperneShaftesburyMarnhullIwerne Minster
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iwerne Minster | 934 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Child Okeford | 1,159 | 2.2 | — | D | A | A |
| Shillingstone | 1,165 | 3.2 | — | D− | B− | A− |
| Sturminster Newton | 3,565 | 4.7 | C− | C− | C+ | B− |
| Blandford Forum | 11,805 | 4.9 | C | C− | C+ | B− |
| Pimperne | 2,770 | 5 | A− | D | A+ | A+ |
| Shaftesbury | 9,163 | 5.5 | C− | C− | C+ | B |
| Marnhull | 1,466 | 6.1 | — | D | A− | B |
Child Okeford, Shillingstone and Marnhull have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Iwerne Minster
How many listed buildings are there in Iwerne Minster?
That is 17.1 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary.
How much is council tax in Iwerne Minster?
Band D council tax in Iwerne Minster 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 Iwerne Minster expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £402,500 and detached houses £665,000. Private rents in the Dorset council area averaged £1,056 a month in August 2026.
About Iwerne Minster
Village in Dorset, England
Iwerne Minster is a built-up area of 934 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
- 934 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006364
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.