Cwm’s story
Old homes in Cwm: 84% built before 1919
84% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
CwmGwent
A town of 2,507 in Gwent, Wales.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: andy dolman · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,507
Census 2021 · Blaenau Gwent council
Median home
£110K
80 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.8
22% are 65+ · Gwent 20%
Degree level
19%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · Wales 16%
TownGrade
D−
#31 of 38 in Gwent
Is Cwm a good place to live?
Cwm grades D− overall against UK towns: better than 2% of UK towns, and #31 of 38 in Gwent. Its strongest subject is cost of living (B): median sale £110,000, 2.9 years of area income; rent £681 a month. Its weakest is jobs & income (D−): mean household income £39,051; 3.6% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits.
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 Cwm stand out
The 3 things Cwm does most differently from other towns.
Homes built before 1919
History
84% of homes built before 1919
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
60% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (Wales’s towns 16%)
How Cwm grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Cwm is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →Health9.2% in bad or very bad health, 24% disabled (adjusted for age in the grade)DOpen →Hazard risk6.3% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaDOpen →WalkabilityDOpen →SafetyC−Open →Cost of livingBOpen →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsCOpen →Outdoors12% live within 400 m of a park; 2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life0 local charities per 1,000 residents; 100% live within 1 km of a libraryB−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cwm.
Health
Life expectancy in Cwm is shorter than in 93% of UK towns
Women here live to 78.5 on average and men to 76.8 (2019–23). At the census, 9.2% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, above both Gwent’s towns (7.7%) and Wales’s towns (7.1%). The nearest A&E to Cwm is Prince Charles Hospital, 8.8 miles away.
75%good or very good healthDHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 75%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 9%
| Census 2021 | Cwm | Gwent | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 75% | 77% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 9.2% | 7.7% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 24% | 22% | 22% |
76.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
78.5
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
Schools
1 state school in Cwm
Its one school is below. Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cwm Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 229 | – |
Welsh Government · schools listThe Schools page →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Commuters in Cwm travel far: only 22% go under 5 km, fewer than in Gwent’s towns or Wales’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 10% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Cwm sits below both Gwent’s towns (39%) and Wales’s towns (41%) on this measure. 8% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot5%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
Train1%
22%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
10%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£39K
mean household income, before tax
3.6%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 14% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
Cwm has more crime per resident than 76% of UK towns
Homes saw 17.4 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, close to Gwent’s towns (16.5) and above Wales’s towns (10.7). Police recorded 153 crimes inside Cwm’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 40 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violent crime runs at 30.3 per 1,000 residents a year.
30.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 21% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual66
Vehicle crime22
Public order14
Other theft14
Damage & arson13
Burglary10
Other crime5
Drugs4
Anti-social40
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.
30.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
17.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
153
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
History
Cwm keeps more of its old housing than Gwent or Wales’s towns: 84% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
That puts Cwm above both Gwent’s towns (26%) and Wales’s towns (27%).
0listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
84%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Cadw list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B
Cwm is a renters’ town: 23% of households rent privately, more than in Gwent’s towns or across Wales’s towns
On this, Cwm is above both Gwent’s towns (14%) and Wales’s towns (17%). Only one of the 38 towns in Gwent costs less to buy into than Cwm, whose median sale is £110,000.
£110Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Cwm£110K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £105,000 | 75 |
63%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
23%
rent privately · Wales 17%
£681
average private rent a month, Blaenau Gwent council area
£2,531
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
Degrees are less common in Cwm than in Gwent’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 19% of adults
In the comparison, Cwm comes below both Gwent’s towns (28%) and Wales’s towns (31%). Children under 15 make up 16% of residents. Cwm has a median age of 44.8.
44.8median age
CwmGwentWales
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications28%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level19%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Cwm | Gwent | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 9.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 26% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 27% | 26% |
| 65+ | 22% | 20% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 28% | 23% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.3% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 19% | 28% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gwent and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Abertillery & District Museum and 5 more in and around Cwm
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Cwm. Best known first.
MuseumAbertillery & District Museum3 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumEbbw Vale Works Museum3.5 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumWinding House4.3 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumTredegar Medical Aid Society Heritage Centre4.7 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumTredegar Museum4.7 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumThe Block of Coal4.5 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Abertillery & District Museum: Jaggery, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cwm
15pages on Cwm
The big questions
SafetyC−30.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingBMedian home £110K · rent £681 a monthHousing20 sold in 12 months · busiest street Marine StreetSchools1 state school (no results published in Wales)HealthDWork & commuteD−29% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD6.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Famous people from Cwm
8 notable people were born in Cwm.
R
Ron BurgessWelsh footballer (1917-2005)H
Henry SpinettiBritish musician · born 1951J
John QuantickWelsh footballer (1909-1972)R
Ryland DaviesWelsh opera singer (1943-2023)Photo credits
Mark Williams: Kroome111, CC0 · Victor Spinetti: Matty06P, Public domain
Cwm’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BlainaAbertilleryMarkhamNew TredegarNantygloEbbw ValeLlanhillethCwm
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cwm | 2,507 | — | D− | B | C− | D |
| Blaina | 4,553 | 2.1 | D− | B− | D | D− |
| Abertillery | 10,248 | 2.2 | D− | B− | D− | D− |
| Markham | 1,443 | 2.6 | — | A | D | D |
| New Tredegar | 3,280 | 2.8 | D | A | D− | D− |
| Nantyglo | 4,548 | 3.1 | D− | C+ | D | D− |
| Ebbw Vale | 19,635 | 3.2 | D− | C+ | D− | D |
| Llanhilleth | 2,450 | 3.3 | — | B | D− | D− |
Markham and Llanhilleth have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Cwm
Is Cwm expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £110,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
Does Cwm flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on Natural Resources Wales’s flood risk service.
Is Cwm safe?
It has more crime per resident than most places its size: 79% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people report less. Police recorded 153 crimes inside Cwm’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 43% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
About Cwm
Town in Gwent, Wales
Cwm is a built-up area of 2,507 people, in the Blaenau Gwent 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
- 2,507 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Blaenau Gwent
- County
- Gwent
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000400
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.