Southwell’s story
4 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Southwell’s built-up area.
15% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SouthwellDorset
A village of 1,700 in Dorset, South West.
5 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Brendan and Ruth McCartney · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,700
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£263K
96 sales in 3 years
Median age
55
33% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
24%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
15%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Southwell a good place to live?
Southwell has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (A): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is schools (C−): primary results beat 38% of towns in England; secondary results beat 5% of towns in England. The median home sold for £263,000 in the last three years, 5 times what households in the Dorset council area earn in a year.
What makes Southwell stand out
The 3 things Southwell does most differently from other towns.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
33% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
15% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Own outright
Housing
55% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
How Southwell grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Southwell is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Hazard riskAOpen →SafetyAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 38% of towns in England; secondary results beat 5% of towns in EnglandC−Open →Cost of livingrent £1,056 a monthCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 79.4 for men, 84.2 for womenC+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £48,938C+Open →WalkabilityBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryCOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 0.7 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsAOpen →Civic life1.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Portland Castle and 15 more in and around Southwell
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Southwell. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritagePortland Castle3.6 km outside town, to the north
CastleRufus Castle1.2 km outside town, to the northeast
CastlePennsylvania Castle1.1 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumPortland Museum1.2 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumTout Quarry1.9 km outside town, to the north
FortThe Verne Citadel3.1 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Portland Castle: Mark.murphy at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rufus Castle: Mike Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Pennsylvania Castle: Mike Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Portland Museum: Mike Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tout Quarry: Ajsmith141, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Verne Citadel: Chris Downer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Southwell.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Southwell: 33% are 65 or over, above Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
7.9% of the population is aged 15 to 24, below both Dorset’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Typical age in Southwell: 55, the median.
55median age
SouthwellDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
33%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level24%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Southwell | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.7% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 24% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC−
On exam results, Southwell’s schools trail 84% of towns in England
Below is its only school. Secondary results at the one secondary school within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 37.7, with 27% at grade 5 or above in English and maths. Nearly three in five pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
C−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Academy PortlandLargest secondary schoolAll-through | All-through | 769 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Homes in Southwell see less burglary and damage than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 2 per 1,000 a year
Southwell logged 35 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 7 complaints of anti-social conduct. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 60% of recorded crime. Each year, 16.7 violent crimes are recorded per 1,000 residents.
16.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 73% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual21
Other theft5
Public order3
Vehicle crime2
Damage & arson1
Burglary1
Weapons1
Other crime1
Anti-social7
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.
16.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
35
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.
History
Southwell’s listed buildings: 4, all Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 15% of the total.
4listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II4
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
15%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
24
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C
Southwell is a town of owners: 82% of households own their home, above Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
The social rented sector houses 1% of households. Private renters make up 16% of households, below Dorset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. Behind the median of £263,000: 96 standard sales inside Southwell’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£263Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Southwell£263K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £362,500 | 28 |
| Semi-detached | £279,999 | 25 |
| Terraced | £240,000 | 37 |
| Flat or maisonette | £153,500 | 6 |
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
16%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,782
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
More people in Southwell live with a disability than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 21%
At the census, 6.2% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. Four fifths of Southwell’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, lower than both Dorset’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%). Also worth knowing: this Dorset town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.1 miles away.
80%good or very good healthC+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Southwell | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.2% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 19% | 17% |
79.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Southwell than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 15%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 20% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 82% of commuters, higher than both Dorset’s towns (76%) and England’s towns (70%). 34% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. In 2026, 1.5% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits.
15%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving82%
On foot8%
Bus5%
Bicycle3%
34%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
20%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£49K
mean household income, before tax
1.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B
Walkability: more walkable than 59% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Southwell
14pages on Southwell
The big questions
SafetyA16.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £263K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing29 sold in 12 months · busiest street Rip CroftSchoolsC−1 state schoolHealthC+Life expectancy 79.4 (men), 84.2 (women)Work & commuteC+42% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Southwell’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WestonGroveFortuneswellWeymouthChickerellSouthwell
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwell | 1,700 | — | — | C | A | C+ |
| Weston | 5,208 | 0.9 | C− | C | C+ | C |
| Grove | 1,032 | 1.8 | — | C | D | C− |
| Fortuneswell | 4,554 | 2.2 | D | C+ | C− | C− |
| Weymouth | 55,540 | 6.1 | D | C− | C− | C |
| Chickerell | 3,973 | 6.8 | C | D | B+ | B− |
Grove has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Southwell
How much is council tax in Southwell?
Band D council tax in Southwell is £2,782 for 2026–27, more than in 99% 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.
Are schools in Southwell good?
GCSE results trail 95% of towns in England, and primary results trail 62% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Dorset council.
About Southwell
Village in Dorset, England
Southwell is a built-up area of 1,700 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
- 1,700 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006864
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.