Tarvit Farm · Category A listed · Photo: James Allan · CC BY-SA 2.0
Cupar’s story
Cupar in pictures
Historic Environment Scotland lists 179 buildings inside Cupar’s locality, 4 of them in the top category.
Explore the history →
CuparFife
A town of 8,835 in Fife, Scotland.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: thejackrustles · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
8,835
Census 2022 · Fife council
Median home
£179K
471 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.9
27% are 65+ · Fife 20%
Degree level
38%
of residents 16+ · Scotland 32%
Walk, cycle, bus
24%
of commuters · Scotland 27%
Is Cupar a good place to live?
Police Scotland doesn’t publish street-level crime, so Cupar has no Safety Grade and, without it, no overall grade. Its other subjects are graded below. Its strongest subject is cost of living (A): the 185th most affordable of 296 Scottish towns: median sale £179,300, 4.1 years of area income; rent £868 a month. Its weakest is health (C−): life expectancy 77.9 for men, 80.4 for women.
What makes Cupar stand out
The 3 things Cupar does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
179 listed buildings
4 Category A, including Cupar Old St Michael of Tarvit Parish Church Comprising:- Tower and Remains of Nave; And; 8.3 times the typical town in England and Wales for its size
Historic Environment Scotland’s list, October 2026.
Band D council tax
Council tax
£1,574 Band D
36% below the typical town in England and Wales’s £2,472, 2026–27
The council’s Band D; water and sewerage are billed on top. Scottish Government.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
35% below the typical town in England and Wales’s £277K
Data-zone medians, 2023 to 2025, at early-2025 prices.
How Cupar grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Scotland), ordered by how far Cupar is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Police Scotland doesn’t publish street-level crime, so Cupar has no Safety Grade and, without it, no overall grade. Its other subjects are graded below.
Cost of livingAOpen →WalkabilityAOpen →HealthC−Open →Hazard risk2.3% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaCOpen →SchoolsBOpen →
SafetyNo street-level crime data–
Jobs & incomeNo small-area income data in Scotland–
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cupar.
HousingCost of living grade A
Most households in Cupar own their home: 68%, more than in Fife’s towns or across Scotland’s towns
On this, Cupar is above both Fife’s towns (63%) and Scotland’s towns (60%). Social housing holds 18% of households.
£179Kmedian sale
Median sale price · 2023 to 2025, at early-2025 prices
Cupar£179K
Typical UK town£277K
68%
of households own their home · Scotland 60%
12%
rent privately · Scotland 13%
£868
average private rent a month, Fife council area
£1,574
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
Registers of Scotland data-zone sale prices · Scottish Government council tax · Scotland’s Census 2022 tenure · OGL
SchoolsB
Results at Cupar’s schools beat 58% of Scottish towns
Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The grade uses the secondaries its children go to; Scotland publishes no primary results by school.
BSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castlehill Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 393 | – |
| Bell Baxter High SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 1,455 | B− |
Scottish Government · school statistics and leavers’ resultsSee all 4 schools →
Work & commute
Cupar is more walkable than 89% of UK towns
Scotland’s Census was taken on 20 March 2022, a year after England and Wales’s lockdown census; 28% of workers were mainly at home, and shares here are of those who travelled.
24% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train at the census, above Fife’s towns (20%) but below Scotland’s towns (27%). 74% of commuters drove to work at the census.
24%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2022
Driving74%
On foot15%
Bus6%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
34%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Scotland 44%
28%
worked mainly from home in March 2022
2.6%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A
Walkability: more walkable than 89% of UK towns
Scotland’s Census 2022 (NRS), method of travel and distance to work · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Life expectancy in Cupar is shorter than in 86% of UK towns
Women here live to 80.4 on average and men to 77.9 (2020–24). 6% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, below both Fife’s towns (7.2%) and Scotland’s towns (7.2%). 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.
79%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2022 | Cupar | Fife | Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 77% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6% | 7.2% | 7.2% |
| Activities limited (health or disability) | 26% | 26% | 24% |
77.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2020–24)
80.4
life expectancy at birth, women
Scotland’s Census 2022, general health and disability · Public Health Scotland life expectancy by intermediate zone, 2020–24 · OGL
History
More buildings in Cupar are listed than in Fife’s towns or Scotland’s towns: 203 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
In the comparison, Cupar comes above both Fife’s towns (30) and Scotland’s towns (22).
179listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic Environment Scotland
Category A4
Category B58
Category C117
Among them · Category A
- Cupar Old St Michael of Tarvit Parish Church Comprising:- Tower and Remains of Nave; And Category A
- Goods Shed at Cupar Railway Station Category A
- Preston Lodge, 95 Bonnygate Category A
- Tarvit Farm Category A
0
scheduled monuments
0
gardens and designed landscapes
203
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical town in England and Wales 24
Historic Environment Scotland list, October 2026 · OGL
Who lives here
An older town: 27% of people in Cupar are 65 or over, more than in Fife’s towns or Scotland’s towns
For Cupar, that is above both Fife’s towns (20%) and Scotland’s towns (19%). Young adults of 15 to 24 are 9.6% of the population. Cupar has a median age of 48.9.
48.9median age
CuparFifeScotland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship7%
Highers or similar11%
Degree level38%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 90 men for every 100 women. Across Scotland, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Cupar | Fife | Scotland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 15% |
| 15–24 | 9.6% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 26% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 27% | 27% |
| 65+ | 27% | 20% | 19% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.6% | 8.2% | 7.5% |
| Highers or similar | 11% | 12% | 11% |
| Degree level | 38% | 27% | 32% |
Scotland’s Census 2022 · Fife and Scotland: all residents of their towns · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Cupar Heritage Centre and 7 more in and around Cupar
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Cupar. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumCupar Heritage Centrein town
Historic house · National Trust for ScotlandHill of Tarvit1.5 km outside town, to the south
CastleDairsie Castle2.2 km outside town, to the east
CastleFernie Castle4.3 km outside town, to the west
CastleScotstarvit Tower2 km outside town, to the south
MuseumFife Folk Museum2.8 km outside town, to the southeast
Historic house · National Trust for ScotlandHill of Tarvit1.5 km outside town, to the southCastleDairsie Castle2.2 km outside town, to the eastCastleFernie Castle4.3 km outside town, to the westCastleScotstarvit Tower2 km outside town, to the southMuseumFife Folk Museum2.8 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Hill of Tarvit: Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dairsie Castle: James Allan, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fernie Castle: Simon Johnston, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Scotstarvit Tower: Gordon Hatton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fife Folk Museum: Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cupar
14pages on Cupar
The big questions
SafetyNot graded · 9% live in Scotland’s most crime-deprived fifthCost of livingAMedian home £179K · rent £868 a monthSchoolsB4 state schoolsHealthC−Life expectancy 77.9 (men), 80.4 (women)Work & commute57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC2.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Landmarks
179 listed buildings in Cupar, 4 of them in the top category.
Cupar Railway StationCategory B listed
Town Hall, And 5 St Catherine StCategory B listed
Castle Hill (Academy) Original Primary School BuildingCategory B listed
Elmwood College, Main Block to South, Carslogie Road, CuparCategory B listed
Photo credits
Cupar Railway Station: Photo: Scott Cormie · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Town Hall, And 5 St Catherine St: Photo: yellow book · CC BY 2.0 · Castle Hill (Academy) Original Primary School Building: Photo: kim traynor · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Elmwood College, Main Block to South, Carslogie Road, Cupar: Photo: Kint Tan ,Elmwood College · CC BY-SA 3.0
Famous people from Cupar
24 notable people were born in Cupar.
Photo credits
Alexander Wood: Barraud & Jerrard, Photographers, Public domain · John Campbell, 1st Baron Campbell: Francis Grant, Public domain · Sir Thomas Russell, 1st Baronet: Leslie Ward, Public domain · Alexander Berry: copy print made by Freeman & Co, Public domain
Cupar’s neighbours
The nearest towns and villages, from National Records of Scotland’s 2022 localities. See them on the map →
KennowayLevenSt AndrewsNewport-on-Tay and WormitMethilBuckhavenTayportCupar
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cupar | 8,835 | — | — | A | — | C− |
| Kennoway | 4,665 | 7.4 | — | A | — | D |
| Leven | 10,088 | 8.1 | — | A | — | D |
| St Andrews | 16,465 | 8.2 | — | C | — | C+ |
| Newport-on-Tay and Wormit | 4,119 | 8.4 | — | B | — | B |
| Methil | 10,712 | 9 | — | A | — | D− |
| Buckhaven | 4,413 | 9.9 | — | A | — | D− |
| Tayport | 3,967 | 10 | — | A | — | C− |
No Scottish town has a Safety Grade or an overall grade yet: Police Scotland doesn’t publish street-level crime. People: Census 2022. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Cupar
How many listed buildings are there in Cupar?
That is 8.3 times the typical town in England and Wales for its size. Its Category A buildings include Cupar Old St Michael of Tarvit Parish Church Comprising:- Tower and Remains of Nave; And.
How much is council tax in Cupar?
Band D council tax in Cupar is £1,574 for 2026–27, less than in 97% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Is Cupar expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £179,300, against £277,000 in the typical town in England and Wales. On cost of living it is the 185th most affordable of 296 Scottish towns.
Does Cupar flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Cupar
Town in Fife, Scotland
Cupar is a locality of 8,835 people, in the Fife council area. TownRatings uses National Records of Scotland’s 2022 localities as Scotland’s towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council area, so its figures cover the town itself. Localities split the big settlements into their towns, as ONS’s 2022 boundaries split conurbations in England and Wales.
Built from NRS geography and Census 2022
- Population
- 8,835 (Census 2022)
- Council
- Fife
- Nation
- Scotland
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi (3.7 km²)
- NRS code
- S52000179
Sources: Scotland’s Census 2022 (National Records of Scotland), output areas summed to the NRS 2022 locality · Registers of Scotland house price statistics, medians and quartiles of residential sales by 2022 data zone, 2004 to 2025 (the 2023 to 2025 headline brought to early-2025 prices with each council’s medians) · Scottish Government, Council Tax by band 2026-27; Scottish Water charges 2026-27 · Scottish Government, Recorded Crime in Scotland (crimes, offences and clear-up rates by council area, 2016-17 to 2025-26); Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020v2 crime domain and SIMD crime indicators (2014/15, 2017/18), 2011 data zones with Census 2022 residents · ONS gross disposable household income by council (2022), scaled to household income on England and Wales’s councils, with Scotland’s Census 2022 households · DWP / ONS Claimant Count via Nomis (2022 data zones, January to August 2026), over residents aged 16 to 64 at Scotland’s Census 2022; council series since 2015 · Scottish Government school contact list (31 July 2026) and school summary statistics (pupil census, September 2025); School Information Dashboard leavers’ attainment by school, 2022-23 to 2024-25 (data.gov.scot) · 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.