Sling’s story
No listed buildings inside Sling’s built-up area
28% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SlingGloucestershire
Home to 895 people, this village lies in Gloucestershire, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Pauline Eccles · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
895
Census 2021 · Forest of Dean council
Median home
£266K
28 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.7
29% are 65+ · Gloucestershire 20%
Degree level
21%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Sling a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Sling has no grades; its figures are still real. 5% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. 28% of homes were built before 1919. Just over a fifth of adults have a degree-level qualification.
What makes Sling stand out
The 3 things Sling does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Gloucestershire 34%.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sling.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Sling: 29% are 65 or over, above Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
Children under 15 make up 15%, below both Gloucestershire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%), and people aged 15 to 24 are 7.8% of the population. Typical age in Sling: 51.7, the median. Among adults, 21% have a degree.
51.7median age
SlingGloucestershireEngland
Ages · share of residents
29%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications26%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level21%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 90 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Sling | Gloucestershire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 26% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.3% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 21% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gloucestershire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
The car carries 94% of commuters in Sling, more than in Gloucestershire’s towns and across 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.
Household income came to £51K a year before tax, below both Gloucestershire’s towns (£59K) and England’s towns (£55K). 29% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. Among 16 to 64s, 2.8% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving94%
On foot3%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
29%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
25%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
2.8%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Few households rent privately in Sling: 12%, fewer than in Gloucestershire’s towns and across England’s towns
The median sale price was £266K, below Gloucestershire’s towns (£347K) and England’s towns (£308K) alike. Owners make up 75% of households. Private rents average £828 a month across the Forest of Dean council area.
£266Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Sling£266K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £405,000 | 16 |
| Semi-detached | £240,000 | 11 |
75%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£828
average private rent a month, Forest of Dean council area
£2,389
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
Crime recorded by police in Sling
Burglary and damage come to 6.9 per 1,000 residents a year. Police figures for Sling’s built-up area: 13 crimes and 3 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences were 85% of the crimes.
22.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual11
Public order1
Other theft1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social3
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.
22.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
13
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
Fewer people in Sling say their health is good than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 75%
Seeing a GP means leaving Sling: the nearest practice is 2.5 miles away. 22% of residents in Sling live with a disability; what’s more, at the census, 6.8% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, higher than both Gloucestershire’s towns (4.5%) and England’s towns (5.2%). The nearest A&E to Sling is Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, 17.3 miles away.
75%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 75%Fair 18%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Sling | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 75% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.8% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 17% | 17% |
80.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.3
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.
History
No listed buildings in Sling
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list has no building inside Sling’s built-up area.
0listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
28%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →St Briavels Castle and 8 more in and around Sling
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Sling. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageSt Briavels Castle3.8 km outside town, to the southwest
CastleClearwell Castle1 km outside town, to the west
MuseumClearwell Caves100 m outside town, to the northwest
Heritage railwayDean Forest Railway4.2 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumColeford Great Western Railway Museum2 km outside town, to the northArt galleryArt galleryForest of Dean Sculpture Trail5 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 (5)
- St Briavels Castle: Roy Parkhouse, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Clearwell Castle: AHFilms Adam Huckle Films. www.adamhuckle.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Clearwell Caves: Andy Dingley, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dean Forest Railway: Jamielw, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Coleford Great Western Railway Museum: Graham Horn, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sling
13pages on Sling
The big questions
Safety22.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £266K · rent £828 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street Michaels WaySchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.1 (men), 85.3 (women)Work & commute43% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Sling’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BreamColefordBroadwell and CoalwayBerry HillYorkley and WhitecroftLydneyRuspidgeSling
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sling | 895 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bream | 3,117 | 1.9 | C | B+ | C+ | B− |
| Coleford | 5,023 | 1.9 | C | B+ | D | C |
| Broadwell and Coalway | 3,304 | 2.1 | C+ | B | B− | C |
| Berry Hill | 2,211 | 3 | — | B− | C | C+ |
| Yorkley and Whitecroft | 2,678 | 3 | C+ | B− | B+ | B |
| Lydney | 9,655 | 4.3 | C | B | C | C+ |
| Ruspidge | 2,431 | 5.1 | — | A− | B− | C− |
Berry Hill and Ruspidge have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Sling
How much is council tax in Sling?
Band D council tax in Sling is £2,389 for 2026–27, less than in 60% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Is Sling expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £240,000 and detached houses £405,000.
About Sling
Village in Gloucestershire, England
Sling is a built-up area of 895 people, in the Forest of Dean 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
- 895 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Forest of Dean
- County
- Gloucestershire
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004432
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.