Highnam’s story
10 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Highnam’s built-up area.
14% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HighnamGloucestershire
This village in Gloucestershire, South West has a population of 1,920.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: mattbuck ( category ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,920
Census 2021 · Tewkesbury council
Median home
£415K
75 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.3
30% are 65+ · Gloucestershire 20%
Degree level
44%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Highnam a good place to live?
Highnam’s schools beat most: primary results beat 98% of towns in England. Where it falls short is walkability — 11% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. At a median £415,000, a home costs 7 times the yearly income of households in the Tewkesbury council area. Hazard risk is lower than in most UK towns (A).
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS · flood risk, Environment Agency. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Highnam has subject grades but no overall one.
Gloucestershire Police published 29 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Highnam stand out
The 3 things Highnam does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results beat 98%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Department for Education.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of the Holy Innocents; 2.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
How Highnam grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Highnam is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
With fewer than 2,500 residents, Highnam has subject grades but no overall one.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 98% of towns in EnglandA+Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SafetyNear the top of the towns comparedA−Open →HealthLife expectancy 80.4 for men, 85.5 for womenB+Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carCOpen →Jobs & income3.6% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB−Open →Cost of livingRent £1,093 a monthB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBased on listed places, the town’s age and notable peopleB−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 12 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB+Open →Civic life2.6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Gloucester Cathedral and 15 more in and around Highnam
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Highnam. Best known first.
CathedralGloucester Cathedral3.3 km outside town, to the east
CastleGloucester Castle3.3 km outside town, to the southeast
Abbey or priorySt Oswald's Priory, Gloucester3.1 km outside town, to the east
Abbey or priory · English HeritageGreyfriars, Gloucester3.5 km outside town, to the southeast
Abbey or priory · English HeritageBlackfriars3.3 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumGloucester Waterways Museum3.2 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 (6)
- Gloucester Cathedral: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gloucester Castle: William Andrew (1848-1908), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- St Oswald's Priory, Gloucester: Philafrenzy, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Greyfriars, Gloucester: David Stowell, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Blackfriars: Philafrenzy, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gloucester Waterways Museum: Jongleur100, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Highnam.
SchoolsA+
Results at Highnam’s schools are among the best in England
Key Stage 2 results at the one primary school within 3 km: 79% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Highnam CofE Primary Academy’s results beat 90% of schools in England like it. Its one school is below.
A+School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highnam CofE Primary AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 206 | A |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Violent crime runs low in Highnam: 11 per 1,000 residents a year, under Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
Highnam logged 27 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 8 complaints of anti-social conduct. There were 3.9 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (9.3) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences were 37% of the crimes.
11violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 69% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual10
Vehicle crime7
Public order5
Damage & arson2
Other theft1
Burglary1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social8
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.
11
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
27
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.
Health
Bad health is less common in Highnam than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.3% of residents
13% of residents have a disability, below Gloucestershire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. Self-reported good health: 88% of Highnam’s residents. One GP practice serves the town; 73% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
88%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 9%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | Highnam | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.3% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
80.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, 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 and early deaths.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Under 5 km to work: 27% in Highnam, fewer than in Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 39% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Before tax, the average household brings in £63K a year. The car took 87% of commuters, higher than both Gloucestershire’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (70%). Working from home was the norm for nearly two in five workers at the census. Work in town: 4% of resident commuters.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot7%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
27%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
39%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£63K
mean household income, before tax
3.6%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 31% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
1 Grade I buildings among Highnam’s 10 listed
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Highnam’s listed buildings include the Church of the Holy Innocents, Grade I. The pre-1919 share of homes is 14%. One registered park or garden lies in the town.
10listed buildingsB−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II9
Among them · Grade I
- Church of the Holy Innocents Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
14%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
52
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B−
Most households in Highnam own their home: 89%, more than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns
Private tenants account for 6% of households. 3% live in social housing, below Gloucestershire’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. From September 2023 to August 2026, 75 homes sold inside Highnam’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £415,000.
£415Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Highnam£415K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £454,000 | 61 |
| Semi-detached | £342,500 | 7 |
| Terraced | £305,000 | 7 |
89%
of households own their home · England 61%
6%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,093
average private rent a month, Tewkesbury council area
£2,322
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Highnam skews older, with 30% of residents 65 or over, more than Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns
The median resident of Highnam is 48.3 years old. People aged 15 to 24 make up 9% of the town, lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Graduates make up 44% of adults.
48.3median age
HighnamGloucestershireEngland
Ages · share of residents
30%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications8%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level44%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Highnam | Gloucestershire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 24% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 7.6% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.8% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 44% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gloucestershire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Highnam
14pages on Highnam
The big questions
SafetyA−11 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £415K · rent £1,093 a monthHousing28 sold in 12 months · busiest street MaidenhallSchoolsA+1 state schoolHealthB+Life expectancy 80.4 (men), 85.5 (women)Work & commuteB−51% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Highnam’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Moor EndLongfordGloucesterQuedgeley and HardwickeHuntleyChurchdownUpton St LeonardsHighnam
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highnam | 1,920 | — | — | B− | A− | B+ |
| Moor End | 1,168 | 1.8 | — | A− | A | B+ |
| Longford | 2,536 | 2.8 | A− | A | B | B |
| Gloucester | 118,562 | 3.5 | C− | C+ | D | C− |
| Quedgeley and Hardwicke | 21,125 | 4.1 | B | C+ | C+ | B− |
| Huntley | 1,152 | 4.7 | — | C+ | A | B+ |
| Churchdown | 13,480 | 4.7 | A− | B+ | B− | B+ |
| Upton St Leonards | 1,132 | 5.3 | — | C | A− | B+ |
Moor End, Huntley and Upton St Leonards have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Highnam
Are schools in Highnam good?
Primary results beat 98% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Gloucestershire council.
How many listed buildings are there in Highnam?
That is 2.1 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of the Holy Innocents.
Is Highnam expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £415,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £305,000, semi-detached houses £342,500 and detached houses £454,000. Household incomes are higher than in 76% of UK towns, so cost of living still grades B−.
About Highnam
Village in Gloucestershire, England
Highnam is a built-up area of 1,920 people, in the Tewkesbury 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
- 1,920 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Tewkesbury
- County
- Gloucestershire
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004212
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.