Portesham’s story
22 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Portesham’s built-up area.
46% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
PorteshamDorset
A village of 610 in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
610
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£425K
26 sales in 3 years
Median age
59.1
40% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
38%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
13%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Portesham a good place to live?
Portesham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Portesham stand out
The 3 things Portesham does most differently from other towns.
Homes built before 1919
History
46% of homes built before 1919
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
40% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
13% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Portesham.
Who lives here
Portesham skews older, with 40% of residents 65 or over, more than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
38% of adults hold a degree. Children under 15 make up 9.2%, below both Dorset’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). What’s more, the share aged 15 to 24 is 7.2%. The age that splits Portesham in two is 59.1.
59.1median age
PorteshamDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
40%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level38%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 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.
| Portesham | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.2% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.2% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 12% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 40% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.9% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 38% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Portesham
The one school in town appears below. Its one primary school teaches 46 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portesham Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 46 | D− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Commuters in Portesham travel far: only 6% 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 38% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
84% of commuters drove, above Dorset’s towns (76%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Unemployment benefit claims reached 2% of 16 to 64s in 2026. Before tax, the average household brings in £50K a year.
13%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot9%
Bicycle3%
Bus1%
6%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
38%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
mean household income, before tax
2%
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 Portesham than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 12%
Social housing holds just over one in ten households, about level with Dorset’s towns (12%) and below England’s towns (18%). Just over three quarters of households own their home. Half of the 26 standard sales inside Portesham’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £425,000.
£425Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Portesham£425K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £535,000 | 11 |
| Semi-detached | £412,500 | 8 |
| Terraced | £295,000 | 7 |
76%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,625
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
Portesham records less burglary and damage per resident than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns, at 2.2 per 1,000 a year
Violence and sexual offences were 64% of the crimes. Reported offences in Portesham came to 14 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 2. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 3.3 reports per 1,000, below both Dorset’s towns (9.3) and England’s towns (7.8).
17.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual9
Other theft2
Drugs2
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Burglary0
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.
17.5
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
3.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
14
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
More people in Portesham live with a disability than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 24%
Asked at the census, 79% of residents of Portesham said they were in good or very good health. There is no GP practice locally: the nearest is 5.4 miles off. The nearest A&E to Portesham is Dorset County Hospital, 5.9 miles away.
79%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Portesham | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.4% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 24% | 19% | 17% |
81.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.6
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
Portesham keeps more of its old housing than Dorset or England’s towns: 46% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Scaled to its population, Portesham has 361 listed buildings per 10,000 people, above Dorset’s towns (100) and England’s towns (39) alike. The town’s listed buildings include the Parish Church of St Peter, Grade I. Historic England’s list names 22 listed buildings locally: 1 Grade I, 1 Grade II*.
22listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II20
Among them · Grade I
- Parish Church of St Peter Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
46%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
361
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 →Abbotsbury Abbey and 4 more in and around Portesham
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Portesham. Best known first.
Abbey or priory · English HeritageAbbotsbury Abbey1.9 km outside town, to the west
MuseumAbbotsbury Subtropical Gardens3.3 km outside town, to the westHistoric siteHistoric site · English HeritageKingston Russell Stone Circle2.9 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttractionAbbotsbury Children's Farm1.9 km outside town, to the westAttractionAttractionAbbotsbury Swannery2.5 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Abbotsbury Abbey: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens: Donarreiskoffer, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Portesham
13pages on Portesham
The big questions
Safety17.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £425K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street Front StreetSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 81.5 (men), 85.6 (women)Work & commute53% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Portesham’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ChickerellWeymouthDorchesterCharminsterCharlton DownMaiden NewtonFortuneswellPortesham
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portesham | 610 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chickerell | 3,973 | 4.3 | C | D | B+ | B− |
| Weymouth | 55,540 | 5.6 | D | C− | C− | C |
| Dorchester | 21,358 | 5.9 | C | D | C+ | C+ |
| Charminster | 1,732 | 6.3 | — | D | A− | B+ |
| Charlton Down | 1,487 | 7.3 | — | C | A+ | B+ |
| Maiden Newton | 1,128 | 7.4 | — | C | A− | B |
| Fortuneswell | 4,554 | 9.2 | D | C+ | C− | C− |
Charminster, Charlton Down and Maiden Newton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Portesham
How many listed buildings are there in Portesham?
That is 14.8 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Parish Church of St Peter.
Is Portesham expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £425,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £295,000, semi-detached houses £412,500 and detached houses £535,000. Private rents in the Dorset council area averaged £1,056 a month in August 2026.
About Portesham
Village in Dorset, England
Portesham is a built-up area of 610 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
- 610 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006772
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.