Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes’s story
2 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Cadw lists them inside Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes’ built-up area.
29% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Cross Hands and Pen-y-groesDyfed
Private rents average £687 a month. 6,339 people call this town in Dyfed, Wales home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Ben Brooksbank · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
6,339
Census 2021 · Carmarthenshire council
Median home
£200K
312 sales in 3 years
Median age
42.7
21% are 65+ · Dyfed 24%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · Wales 16%
TownGrade
C−
#4 of 23 in Dyfed
Is Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes a good place to live?
Easy on the wallet, harder on other counts. Getting around depends on the car: 7% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It does especially well on cost of living (B+): the median home sold for £200,000, 4.7 years of area income. Overall, that makes a C−, good for #4 of 23 in Dyfed. On that grade it does better than a quarter of UK towns.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021.
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.
What makes Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes stand out
The 3 things Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (Wales’s towns 16%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Rent against income, UK towns
Renting
£687 a month
Average private rent, 19% of what households in the area earn: less than in 88% of UK towns
ONS private rents, Carmarthenshire council area.
How Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedC−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £43,361C−Open →Cost of livingAhead of most towns comparedB+Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentCOpen →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsCOpen →Outdoors70% live within 400 m of a park; 9.7 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsCOpen →Civic life0.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryDOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes is more walkable than 5% of UK towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 21% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
2.5% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, lower than both Dyfed’s towns (3.2%) and Wales’s towns (3%). At the census, 92% of commuters went by car. Work in town: 17% of resident commuters. For 30% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot5%
Bus1%
30%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
21%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£43K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 5% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Schools
4 state schools in Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes
Two of them are below, each with the reason it’s listed. Between them, three primaries and one secondary teach 1,482 pupils in Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penygroes C.P. SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 166 | – |
| Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Maes Y GwendraethLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 1,084 | – |
Welsh Government · schools list · Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.See all 4 schools →
Health
People in Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes live shorter lives than in 78% of UK towns
2 GP practices serve the town. The nearest A&E to Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes is Glangwili General Hospital, 9.9 miles away. 7.7% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, near Dyfed’s towns (7.4%) and higher than Wales’s towns (7.1%).
77%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 77%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes | Dyfed | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 77% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.7% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 23% | 22% |
78.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.7
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 · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy.
History
Among Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes’s 2 listed buildings: Crosshands Public Hall, Grade II*
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Cadw’s list names 2 listed buildings in Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes: 1 Grade II*. Only one town in Dyfed has fewer listed buildings for its size than Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes. 29% of its homes were built before 1919, about level with Dyfed’s towns (30%) and above Wales’s towns (27%).
2listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II1
Among them · Grade II*
- Crosshands Public Hall Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
29%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
3
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Cadw list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B+
Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes is a town of owners: 75% of households own their home, above Dyfed’s towns and Wales’s towns
14% rent privately, below Dyfed’s towns (18%) and Wales’s towns (17%) alike. Council and housing-body homes hold just over one in ten households. Behind the median of £200,000: 312 standard sales inside Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£200Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes£200K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £269,997 | 128 |
| Semi-detached | £180,000 | 129 |
| Terraced | £139,125 | 54 |
75%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
14%
rent privately · Wales 17%
£687
average private rent a month, Carmarthenshire council area
£2,351
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
Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes records less violent crime per resident than Dyfed’s towns or Wales’s towns, at 30.8 per 1,000 a year
Violence and sexual offences made up 48% of the total. Reported offences in Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes came to 415 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 32. Among the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes has more crime per resident than 67% of them.
30.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearCSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 33% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual198
Public order50
Damage & arson37
Other theft36
Shoplifting27
Other crime19
Weapons15
Drugs13
Anti-social32
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.
30.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
415
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.
Who lives here
Few people in Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes are 15 to 24: 9.6%, fewer than in both Dyfed’s towns and Wales’s towns
Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes has a median age of 42.7. 17% are under 15, about level with Wales’s towns (17%) and above Dyfed’s towns (16%). Over-65s are just over a fifth of the population.
42.7median age
Cross Hands and Pen-y-groesDyfedWales
Ages · share of residents
21%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes | Dyfed | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 16% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 9.6% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 26% | 22% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 21% | 24% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 19% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.4% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 30% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dyfed and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →National Botanic Garden of Wales and 2 more in and around Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes. Best known first.
GardenNational Botanic Garden of Wales4.6 km outside town, to the northwest
Heritage railwayAmman Valley Railway3.6 km outside town, to the southeastAttractionAttractionIce House4.8 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- National Botanic Garden of Wales: Col Ford and Natasha de Vere, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Amman Valley Railway: Hywel Williams, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes
15pages on Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes
The big questions
SafetyC30.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB+Median home £200K · rent £687 a monthHousing67 sold in 12 months · busiest street Heol Cae PowndSchools4 state schools (no results published in Wales)HealthC−Work & commuteC−48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Famous people from Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes
3 notable people were born in Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes.
Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Capel HendreTumbleTycroesPenybancLlandybieAmmanfordPontyberemCross Hands and Pen-y-groes
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes | 6,339 | — | C− | B+ | C | C− |
| Capel Hendre | 1,143 | 1.8 | — | B− | C− | D |
| Tumble | 4,040 | 2 | C− | A− | C− | D |
| Tycroes | 2,480 | 3 | — | B+ | A− | C− |
| Penybanc | 1,165 | 3.1 | — | B+ | A− | D |
| Llandybie | 2,563 | 3.3 | D | B+ | C | D |
| Ammanford | 8,282 | 4.1 | D | B+ | D | D |
| Pontyberem | 1,484 | 4.4 | — | A | C+ | C |
Capel Hendre, Tycroes, Penybanc and Pontyberem have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes
How many listed buildings are there in Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes?
2 on Cadw’s list, 1 of them Grade II*.
Is Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £200,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £139,125, semi-detached houses £180,000 and detached houses £269,997.
Is Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes safe?
Burglary was rare, with 7 reports in the year.
About Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes
Town in Dyfed, Wales
Cross Hands and Pen-y-groes is a built-up area of 6,339 people, in the Carmarthenshire 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
- 6,339 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Carmarthenshire
- County
- Dyfed
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 1.7 sq mi (4.4 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000333
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.