Sharpness’s story
3 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Sharpness’ built-up area.
42% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SharpnessGloucestershire
A village of 1,237 in Gloucestershire, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Steinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,237
Census 2021 · Stroud council
Median home
£253K
49 sales in 3 years
Median age
39.9
17% are 65+ · Gloucestershire 20%
Degree level
22%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Sharpness a good place to live?
Sharpness 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 £252,500, 4.4 years of area income; rent £1,041 a month. Its weakest is walkability (C−): 9% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
Gloucestershire Police published 29 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Sharpness stand out
The 3 things Sharpness does most differently from other towns.
How Sharpness grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Sharpness is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityC−Open →SafetyC−Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB+Open →HealthLife expectancy 80 for men, 82.6 for womenC+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 44% of towns in EnglandC+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £60,361; 2.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History3 listed buildingsB−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 2.1 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB+Open →Civic life5.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Berkeley Castle and 13 more in and around Sharpness
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Sharpness. Best known first.
CastleBerkeley Castle2.8 km outside town, to the south
MuseumEdward Jenner Museum2.6 km outside town, to the south
Heritage railwayDean Forest Railway4.9 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttractionFlamingo Lagoon4.4 km outside town, to the northeastAttractionAttractionCaribbean Flamingos4.5 km outside town, to the northeastAttractionAttractionArctic Adventure4.5 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Berkeley Castle: Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Edward Jenner Museum: Nick from Bristol, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dean Forest Railway: Jamielw, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sharpness.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Sharpness than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 22% of adults
That puts Sharpness below both Gloucestershire’s towns (34%) and England’s towns (34%). Children are 20% of the town. Sharpness has a median age of 39.9.
39.9median age
SharpnessGloucestershireEngland
Ages · share of residents
17%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level22%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Sharpness | Gloucestershire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 28% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.8% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 22% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gloucestershire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC+
Results at Sharpness’s schools trail 57% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
C+School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpness Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 114 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade A−
Social housing is more common in Sharpness than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns, at 24% of households
On this, Sharpness is above both Gloucestershire’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (18%). 58% of households own their home.
£253Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Sharpness£253K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £363,500 | 6 |
| Semi-detached | £280,000 | 15 |
| Terraced | £207,125 | 26 |
58%
of households own their home · England 61%
16%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,041
average private rent a month, Stroud council area
£2,476
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Commuters in Sharpness travel far: only 27% go under 5 km, fewer than in Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 25% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
In the comparison, Sharpness comes below both Gloucestershire’s towns (45%) and England’s towns (45%). 89% of commuters drove to work at the census.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot6%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
27%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
25%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£60K
mean household income, before tax
2.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 19% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
Violence is recorded more often in Sharpness than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 35.1 per 1,000 residents a year
For Sharpness, that is above both Gloucestershire’s towns (22.9) and England’s towns (22). Homes see 12.4 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 20 crimes inside Sharpness’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 6 reports of anti-social behaviour.
35.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 11% 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 & sexual8
Other theft4
Public order3
Damage & arson2
Vehicle crime2
Burglary1
Shoplifting0
Drugs0
Anti-social6
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.
35.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
20
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Only 80% of people in Sharpness say their health is good or very good, fewer than in Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
Sharpness sits below both Gloucestershire’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%) on this measure. Sharpness has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.5 miles away. 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.
80%good or very good healthC+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Sharpness | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.8% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
80
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Old homes shape Sharpness: 42% were built before 1919, more than in Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
For its size, Sharpness has 24 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, below Gloucestershire’s towns (105) and close to England’s towns (39). Sharpness has 3 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
3listed buildingsB−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
42%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
24
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sharpness
14pages on Sharpness
The big questions
SafetyC−35.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA−Median home £253K · rent £1,041 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street Oldminster RoadSchoolsC+1 state schoolHealthC+Life expectancy 80 (men), 82.6 (women)Work & commuteC+47% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB+0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Sharpness’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BerkeleyLydneyBlakeneyYorkley and WhitecroftCamBreamDursleySharpness
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpness | 1,237 | — | — | A− | C− | C+ |
| Berkeley | 2,250 | 1.6 | — | B | C+ | B− |
| Lydney | 9,655 | 2.6 | C | B | C | C+ |
| Blakeney | 1,303 | 3.1 | — | B | C+ | C+ |
| Yorkley and Whitecroft | 2,678 | 4.1 | C+ | B− | B+ | B |
| Cam | 7,730 | 4.4 | B− | B | B− | B |
| Bream | 3,117 | 5 | C | B+ | C+ | B− |
| Dursley | 7,935 | 5.4 | C | B+ | C+ | C |
Berkeley and Blakeney have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Sharpness
How many listed buildings are there in Sharpness?
3 on Historic England’s list.
Who lives in Sharpness?
At the 2021 Census, 9.7% of Sharpness’ 1,237 residents were 15 to 24 and 17% were 65 or over, against 12% and 18% across England’s towns.
Is Sharpness safe?
Police recorded 20 crimes inside Sharpness’ built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 40% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking. Burglary was rare, with 1 report in the year.
About Sharpness
Village in Gloucestershire, England
Sharpness is a built-up area of 1,237 people, in the Stroud 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
- 1,237 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Stroud
- County
- Gloucestershire
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004552
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.