Osmington’s story
18 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Osmington’s built-up area.
21% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
OsmingtonDorset
A village of 208 in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: mwanasimba from La Réunion · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
208
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median age
61
42% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
40%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Osmington a good place to live?
Osmington has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Osmington stand out
The 3 things Osmington does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
2 Grade II*, including Charity Farmhouse and Attached Forge; 35.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
42% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Osmington.
Who lives here
Osmington skews older, with 42% of residents 65 or over, more than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
For Osmington, that is above both Dorset’s towns (25%) and England’s towns (18%). 10% of residents are children under 15. Osmington has a median age of 61.
61median age
OsmingtonDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
42%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level40%
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.
| Osmington | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 4.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 11% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 42% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.2% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 40% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Only 7% of commuters in Osmington go to work without a car, fewer than in Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 43% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Osmington sits below both Dorset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (27%) on this measure. For 6% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving93%
Bus5%
On foot2%
6%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
43%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£57K
mean household income, before tax
1.8%
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
More households own their home in Osmington than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 82%
That puts Osmington above both Dorset’s towns (66%) and England’s towns (61%). 0% of households live in social housing.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Osmington£0K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £690,000 | 5 |
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
18%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,677
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
Burglary and damage hit Osmington harder than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 17.6 per 1,000 residents a year
On this, Osmington is above both Dorset’s towns (7.9) and England’s towns (9.4). Violence comes to 40.1 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 9 crimes inside Osmington’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 2 reports of anti-social behaviour.
40.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual5
Damage & arson1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
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.
40.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
17.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8
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
Health
Just 2.9% of people in Osmington say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
In the comparison, Osmington comes below both Dorset’s towns (5.3%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Osmington 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.
82%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Osmington | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.9% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 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
History
More buildings in Osmington are listed than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 865 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Osmington has 18 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 2 Grade II*. Of Osmington’s land, 50% lies in conservation areas, above both Dorset’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (7%). Homes from before 1919 make up 21% of the total.
18listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*2
Grade II16
Among them · Grade II*
- Charity Farmhouse and Attached Forge Grade II*
- Parish Church of St Osmund Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
21%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
865
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Fantasy Island Fun Park and 5 more in and around Osmington
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Osmington. Best known first.
Theme parkTheme parkFantasy Island Fun Park1.9 km outside town, to the southwestZooZooSealife Centre3.9 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionPirate Adventure mini golf4 km outside town, to the southwestTheme parkTheme parkSandworld4.1 km outside town, to the southwestTheme parkTheme parkLeisure Ranch4.1 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionOsmington White Horse1 km outside town, to the northwest
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Osmington
12pages on Osmington
The big questions
Osmington’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WeymouthCrosswaysDorchesterChickerellFortuneswellCharminsterGroveOsmington
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osmington | 208 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Weymouth | 55,540 | 3.9 | D | C− | C− | C |
| Crossways | 2,494 | 4.4 | — | C− | A− | B+ |
| Dorchester | 21,358 | 4.9 | C | D | C+ | C+ |
| Chickerell | 3,973 | 5.2 | C | D | B+ | B− |
| Fortuneswell | 4,554 | 6.3 | D | C+ | C− | C− |
| Charminster | 1,732 | 6.7 | — | D | A− | B+ |
| Grove | 1,032 | 6.8 | — | C | D | C− |
Crossways, Charminster and Grove have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Osmington
How many listed buildings are there in Osmington?
That is 35.5 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Osmington?
Band D council tax in Osmington is £2,677 for 2026–27, more than in 94% 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 Osmington
Village in Dorset, England
Osmington is a built-up area of 208 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
- 208 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006796
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.