Shroton’s story
22 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Shroton’s built-up area.
46% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ShrotonDorset
A village of 215 in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Chris Heaton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
215
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£440K
13 sales in 3 years
Median age
57.1
33% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
49%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
0%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Shroton a good place to live?
Shroton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Shroton stand out
The 3 things Shroton 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
65% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
33% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Shroton.
Who lives here
Degrees are more common in Shroton than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 49% of adults
For Shroton, that is above both Dorset’s towns (31%) and England’s towns (34%). People 65 and over make up 33% of the town. The median resident of Shroton is 57.1 years old.
57.1median age
ShrotonDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
33%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications6%
Apprenticeship2%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level49%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 89 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.
| Shroton | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.4% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 5.6% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 43% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 5.8% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 2.1% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 49% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Only 0% of commuters in Shroton 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 22% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Shroton sits below both Dorset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (27%) on this measure. For 21% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
0%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving97%
21%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
22%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
0.6%
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
Shroton is a town of owners: 91% of households own their home, above Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
That puts Shroton above both Dorset’s towns (66%) and England’s towns (61%). Social housing holds 1% of households.
£440Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Shroton£440K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £496,500 | 6 |
91%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,654
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
Shroton records more burglary and damage per resident than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns, at 14 per 1,000 a year
On this, Shroton is above both Dorset’s towns (7.9) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 11 crimes inside Shroton’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 3 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 45% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
18.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual5
Damage & arson2
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Anti-social3
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.
18.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
14
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
11
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
Bad health is less common in Shroton than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.3% of residents
In the comparison, Shroton comes below both Dorset’s towns (5.3%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Shroton has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 4.2 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.
86%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Shroton | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.3% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 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
History
More buildings in Shroton are listed than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 1,023 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Shroton’s listed buildings include Church of St Mary, Grade I. Shroton has 22 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 2 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 46% of its homes were built before 1919, above both Dorset’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (16%).
22listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I2
Grade II*0
Grade II20
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Grade I
- Ranston Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
46%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
1,023
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 Shroton
12pages on Shroton
The big questions
Safety18.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £440K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.7 (men), 86.6 (women)Work & commute39% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Shroton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Child OkefordShillingstoneBlandford ForumSturminster NewtonPimperneCharlton MarshallMarnhullShroton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shroton | 215 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Child Okeford | 1,159 | 1.6 | — | D | A | A |
| Shillingstone | 1,165 | 2.4 | — | D− | B− | A− |
| Blandford Forum | 11,805 | 4.2 | C | C− | C+ | B− |
| Sturminster Newton | 3,565 | 4.4 | C− | C− | C+ | B− |
| Pimperne | 2,770 | 4.7 | A− | D | A+ | A+ |
| Charlton Marshall | 1,084 | 6.1 | — | D | B+ | A |
| Marnhull | 1,466 | 6.2 | — | D | A− | B |
Child Okeford, Shillingstone, Charlton Marshall 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 Shroton
Who lives in Shroton?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 33% of residents were 65 or over and 43% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 11% were under 15.
How many listed buildings are there in Shroton?
That is 42 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Church of St Mary. 46% of Shroton’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
How much is council tax in Shroton?
Band D council tax in Shroton is £2,654 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 Shroton expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £440,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the Dorset council area averaged £1,056 a month in August 2026.
About Shroton
Village in Dorset, England
Shroton is a built-up area of 215 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
- 215 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006410
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.