Bow Street’s story
4 listed buildings
Cadw lists them inside Bow Street’s built-up area.
21% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Bow StreetDyfed
A village of 1,101 in Dyfed, Wales.
5 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Voice of Clam · Public domain
Population
1,101
Census 2021 · Ceredigion council
Median home
£217K
34 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.3
23% are 65+ · Dyfed 24%
Degree level
38%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
13%
of commuters · Wales 16%
Is Bow Street a good place to live?
Bow Street has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its weakest is jobs & income (C): mean household income £51,334; 2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits.
Dyfed Powys Police published 32 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published. This town's Health Grade uses ONS's small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for 2019 to 2023, and two Census 2021 measures, bad health and disability, adjusted for age. English towns' grades also use OHID's small-area early deaths, hospital admissions and child obesity, which OHID publishes for England only.
How Bow Street grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Bow Street is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Jobs & incomeCOpen →Hazard risk1.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaCOpen →Health6.6% in bad or very bad health, 22% disabled (adjusted for age in the grade)C+Open →Cost of livingMedian sale £216,500, 5 years of area income; rent £723 a monthB−Open →SafetyB−Open →WalkabilityB−Open →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryC+Open →Outdoors33% live within 400 m of a park; 3.1 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsCOpen →Civic life0.9 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryDOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →National Library of Wales and 8 more in and around Bow Street
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Bow Street. Best known first.
Art galleryNational Library of Wales3.5 km outside town, to the southwest
CastleAberystwyth Castle4.6 km outside town, to the southwest
ZooBorth Animalarium3.8 km outside town, to the north
Heritage railwayVale of Rheidol Railway4.3 km outside town, to the southwest
CastleYstrad Peithyll3.6 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumAmgueddafa Ceredigion Museum4.1 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 (6)
- National Library of Wales: Ian Capper, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Aberystwyth Castle: Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Borth Animalarium: Steve Sea, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Vale of Rheidol Railway: John Lucas, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ystrad Peithyll: Nigel Callaghan, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Amgueddafa Ceredigion Museum: Ian Capper, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bow Street.
Who lives here
Degrees are more common in Bow Street than in Dyfed’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 38% of adults
In the comparison, Bow Street comes above both Dyfed’s towns (30%) and Wales’s towns (31%). People aged 15 to 24 make up 9.9% of the town. The median resident of Bow Street is 45.3 years old.
45.3median age
Bow StreetDyfedWales
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level38%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Bow Street | Dyfed | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 16% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 9.9% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 22% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 23% | 24% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 19% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 38% | 30% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dyfed and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
History
4 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Bow Street has 4 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Cadw’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 21% of its homes were built before 1919.
4listed buildingsC+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II4
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
21%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
36
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Cadw list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
78% of residents say their health is good or very good
78% of Bow Street’s residents described their health as good or very good in 2021, against 77% across Dyfed’s towns. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy.
78%good or very good healthC+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Bow Street | Dyfed | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 77% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.6% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 23% | 22% |
80.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.9
life expectancy at birth, women
Welsh towns’ Health Grades use ONS’s small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for 2019 to 2023, and two Census 2021 measures, bad health and disability, adjusted for age. English towns’ also use OHID’s small-area early deaths, hospital admissions and child obesity, which OHID publishes for England only.
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · ONS, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B−
Few households rent privately in Bow Street: 13%, fewer than in Dyfed’s towns and Wales’s towns
For Bow Street, that is below both Dyfed’s towns (18%) and Wales’s towns (17%).
£217Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bow Street£217K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £264,750 | 8 |
| Semi-detached | £220,000 | 18 |
| Terraced | £183,500 | 8 |
66%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
13%
rent privately · Wales 17%
£723
average private rent a month, Ceredigion council area
£2,419
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 are rarer in Bow Street than in Dyfed’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 3.8 per 1,000 residents a year
Bow Street sits below both Dyfed’s towns (11.2) and Wales’s towns (10.7) on this measure. Violence comes to 27.6 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 37 crimes inside Bow Street’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 4 reports of anti-social behaviour.
27.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 32% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual26
Damage & arson3
Other theft3
Public order2
Shoplifting1
Drugs1
Theft from person1
Burglary0
Anti-social4
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.
27.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
37
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
More commuters in Bow Street work nearby than in Dyfed’s towns or Wales’s towns: 50% travel under 5 km
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.
That puts Bow Street above both Dyfed’s towns (41%) and Wales’s towns (41%). At the census, 13% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
13%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot7%
Bus3%
Bicycle2%
Train2%
50%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
22%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 47% 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 Bow Street
15pages on Bow Street
The big questions
SafetyB−27.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £217K · rent £723 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street BryncastellSchoolsHealthC+Work & commuteC41% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC1.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Bow Street’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Penrhyn-cochAberystwythLlanbadarn FawrBorthTywynBow Street
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow Street | 1,101 | — | — | B− | B− | C+ |
| Penrhyn-coch | 1,378 | 1.6 | — | B− | A | B |
| Aberystwyth | 14,646 | 2.9 | C | B | D | C− |
| Llanbadarn Fawr | 1,766 | 2.9 | — | B− | C− | C |
| Borth | 1,115 | 3 | — | C+ | C | C+ |
| Tywyn | 3,134 | 9.9 | B− | B+ | B− | C+ |
Penrhyn-coch, Llanbadarn Fawr and Borth have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bow Street
Does Bow Street flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on Natural Resources Wales’s flood risk service.
Is Bow Street expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £216,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £183,500, semi-detached houses £220,000 and detached houses £264,750.
Is Bow Street safe?
Against all UK towns, it grades B−. Police recorded 37 crimes inside Bow Street’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 70% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking. Burglary was rare, with 0 reports in the year.
About Bow Street
Village in Dyfed, Wales
Bow Street is a built-up area of 1,101 people, in the Ceredigion 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
- 1,101 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Ceredigion
- County
- Dyfed
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000224
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) · Cadw listed buildings, scheduled monuments and registered historic parks and gardens via DataMapWales, 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.