Pencader’s story
3 listed buildings
Cadw lists them inside Pencader’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
43% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
PencaderDyfed
A village of 1,061 in Dyfed, Wales.
5 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Alwyn Williams · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,061
Census 2021 · Carmarthenshire council
Median home
£150K
30 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.5
22% are 65+ · Dyfed 24%
Degree level
24%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · Wales 16%
Is Pencader a good place to live?
Pencader has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is cost of living (A): median sale £150,000, 3.5 years of area income; rent £687 a month. Its weakest is jobs & income (D−): mean household income £38,368; 3% 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.
What makes Pencader stand out
The 3 things Pencader 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.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (Wales’s towns 16%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
46% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Pencader grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Pencader is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →Safety47 violent and sexual offences and 11.3 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026DOpen →WalkabilityDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →Hazard risk2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC−Open →HealthCOpen →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History3 listed buildingsBOpen →Outdoors30% live within 400 m of a park; 1.2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsD−Open →Civic life2.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Pencader.
Safety
Pencader has more crime per resident than 87% of UK towns
Violent crime ran at 47 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Dyfed’s towns (38.9) and Wales’s towns (33.8). Police recorded 60 crimes inside Pencader’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 10 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 72% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
47violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 6% 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 & sexual43
Damage & arson7
Other theft3
Drugs2
Public order1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Anti-social10
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.
47
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
60
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Schools
1 state school in Pencader
Its one school is below. Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cae'r Felin Community SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 104 | – |
Welsh Government · schools listThe Schools page →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Fewer commuters in Pencader work nearby than in Dyfed’s towns or Wales’s towns: 12% 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.
On this, Pencader is below both Dyfed’s towns (41%) and Wales’s towns (41%). At the census, 8% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot5%
Bus3%
12%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
22%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£38K
mean household income, before tax
3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 13% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade A
More households in Pencader live in social housing than in Dyfed’s towns or Wales’s towns: 24%
In the comparison, Pencader comes above both Dyfed’s towns (17%) and Wales’s towns (18%). Private renters make up 13% of households.
£150Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Pencader£150K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £246,500 | 14 |
| Semi-detached | £132,500 | 7 |
| Terraced | £105,000 | 9 |
62%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
13%
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
Health
Bad health is less common in Pencader than in Dyfed’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 6% of residents
For Pencader, that is below both Dyfed’s towns (7.4%) and Wales’s towns (7.1%). Pencader has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.4 miles away. 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 healthCHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Pencader | Dyfed | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 77% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 23% | 22% |
81.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
80.6
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
History
Old homes shape Pencader: 43% were built before 1919, more than in Dyfed’s towns or Wales’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Pencader sits above both Dyfed’s towns (30%) and Wales’s towns (27%) on this measure. Pencader has 3 listed buildings on Cadw’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
3listed buildingsBHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
1
scheduled monument
0
registered parks and gardens
43%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
28
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Cadw list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Pencader than in Dyfed’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 24% of adults
That puts Pencader below both Dyfed’s towns (30%) and Wales’s towns (31%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for 10% of residents. Pencader has a median age of 44.5.
44.5median age
PencaderDyfedWales
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications22%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level24%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Pencader | Dyfed | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 22% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 22% | 24% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 22% | 19% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.4% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 24% | 30% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dyfed and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pencader
14pages on Pencader
The big questions
SafetyD47 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingAMedian home £150K · rent £687 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state school (no results published in Wales)HealthCWork & commuteD−46% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC−2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Pencader’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
LlandysulLlanybydderNewcastle EmlynCarmarthenLampeterPencader
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pencader | 1,061 | — | — | A | D | C |
| Llandysul | 1,321 | 3.5 | — | B+ | D | C |
| Llanybydder | 1,182 | 7.1 | — | A− | C− | C |
| Newcastle Emlyn | 1,842 | 9.1 | — | B+ | D | C |
| Carmarthen | 16,448 | 9.9 | C− | B+ | D− | C− |
| Lampeter | 2,505 | 11 | C− | B+ | D− | C |
Llandysul, Llanybydder and Newcastle Emlyn have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Pencader
How many listed buildings are there in Pencader?
3 on Cadw’s list. It also has 1 scheduled monument.
Is Pencader safe?
Burglary was rare, with 1 report in the year.
Is Pencader expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £150,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £105,000, semi-detached houses £132,500 and detached houses £246,500.
Does Pencader flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on Natural Resources Wales’s flood risk service.
About Pencader
Village in Dyfed, Wales
Pencader is a built-up area of 1,061 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
- 1,061 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Carmarthenshire
- County
- Dyfed
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000282
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.