Stour Row’s story
3 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Stour Row’s built-up area.
48% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Stour RowDorset
A village of 308 in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Michael Garlick · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
308
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£625K
11 sales in 3 years
Median age
57.4
32% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
50%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Stour Row a good place to live?
Stour Row has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Stour Row stand out
The 3 things Stour Row does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.3 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Stour Row.
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Stour Row work nearby than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 20% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 41% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
In the comparison, Stour Row comes below both Dorset’s towns (48%) and England’s towns (45%). At the census, 9% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot6%
Bicycle3%
20%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
41%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
1.5%
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
Homes in Stour Row cost more than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns, with a median sale of £625K
For Stour Row, that is above both Dorset’s towns (£355K) and England’s towns (£308K). 88% of households own their home.
£625Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Stour Row£625K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £625,000 | 11 |
88%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,683
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
Homes in Stour Row see less burglary and damage than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 2.2 per 1,000 a year
Stour Row sits below both Dorset’s towns (7.9) and England’s towns (9.4) on this measure. Violence comes to 5.4 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 1 crimes inside Stour Row’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1 reports of anti-social behaviour.
5.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
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.
5.4
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
2.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
1
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 3.6% of people in Stour Row say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
That puts Stour Row below both Dorset’s towns (5.3%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Stour Row has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.3 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.
85%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Stour Row | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.6% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 19% | 17% |
82.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Old homes shape Stour Row: 48% were built before 1919, more than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
On this, Stour Row is above both Dorset’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (16%). Stour Row has 3 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
3listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
48%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
97
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Stour Row is a graduates’ town: 50% hold a degree, more than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
11% are under 15, below both Dorset’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). 32% of residents are 65 or over. Stour Row has a median age of 57.4.
57.4median age
Stour RowDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
32%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications8%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar14%
Degree level50%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 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.
| Stour Row | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 5.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 35% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 32% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 7.8% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.6% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 50% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Shaftsbury Abbey Museum and 3 more in and around Stour Row
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Stour Row. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryShaftsbury Abbey Museum3.5 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumGold Hill3.6 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumGillingham Museum4.9 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumStour Micro Museum2.3 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Shaftsbury Abbey Museum: Chris Downer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Stour Row
13pages on Stour Row
The big questions
Safety5.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £625K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.4 (men), 86.1 (women)Work & commute60% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Stour Row’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MarnhullShaftesburyMotcombeGillinghamSturminster NewtonChild OkefordStalbridgeStour Row
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stour Row | 308 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Marnhull | 1,466 | 2.8 | — | D | A− | B |
| Shaftesbury | 9,163 | 3.3 | C− | C− | C+ | B |
| Motcombe | 1,366 | 3.4 | — | D− | A+ | A |
| Gillingham | 11,009 | 3.7 | C+ | C− | B | B |
| Sturminster Newton | 3,565 | 4.4 | C− | C− | C+ | B− |
| Child Okeford | 1,159 | 5.2 | — | D | A | A |
| Stalbridge | 2,367 | 5.6 | — | C− | A− | B− |
Marnhull, Motcombe, Child Okeford and Stalbridge have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Stour Row
Is Stour Row expensive to live in?
Private rents in the Dorset council area averaged £1,056 a month in August 2026.
How many listed buildings are there in Stour Row?
3 on Historic England’s list. That is 4 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Stour Row?
Band D council tax in Stour Row is £2,683 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 Stour Row
Village in Dorset, England
Stour Row is a built-up area of 308 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
- 308 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006233
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.