Machen’s story
2 listed buildings
Cadw lists them inside Machen’s built-up area.
36% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
MachenGwent
A village of 1,985 in Gwent, Wales.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Jaggery · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,985
Census 2021 · Caerphilly council
Median home
£250K
84 sales in 3 years
Median age
47
22% are 65+ · Gwent 20%
Degree level
40%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · Wales 16%
Is Machen a good place to live?
Machen has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is jobs & income (B): mean household income £47,884; 1.7% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Its weakest is hazard risk (C−): 3.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. The median home sold for £250,000 in the last three years, 5.9 times what households in the Caerphilly council area earn in a year.
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 Machen stand out
The 3 things Machen does most differently from other towns.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (Wales’s towns 16%)
Band D council tax
Council tax
£2,083 Band D
16% below the typical UK town’s £2,472, 2026–27
The Caerphilly council average. Welsh Government.
How Machen grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Machen is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Hazard riskC−Open →WalkabilityC−Open →Health6.3% in bad or very bad health, 19% disabled (adjusted for age in the grade)COpen →Jobs & incomeBOpen →SafetyBOpen →Cost of livingrent £747 a monthB−Open →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsC+Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 3.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsAOpen →Civic life3 local charities per 1,000 residents; 100% live within 1 km of a libraryAOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Caerphilly Castle and 4 more in and around Machen
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Machen. Best known first.
CastleCastle · CadwCaerphilly Castle5 km outside town, to the west
CastleRuperra Castle2.3 km outside town, to the south
CastleCraig Ruperra Motte1.9 km outside town, to the southeastCastleCastleCastell Meredydd500 m outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionCwmcarn Forest Drive Visitor Centre4.3 km outside town, to the north
CastleRuperra Castle2.3 km outside town, to the southCastleCraig Ruperra Motte1.9 km outside town, to the southeastCastleCastleCastell Meredydd500 m outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionCwmcarn Forest Drive Visitor Centre4.3 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Ruperra Castle: Andrew King, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Craig Ruperra Motte: Jeremy Bolwell, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Machen.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Fewer commuters in Machen work nearby than in Gwent’s towns or Wales’s towns: 13% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Machen, that is below both Gwent’s towns (39%) and Wales’s towns (41%). 10% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot4%
Bus2%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
13%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
1.7%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 23% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Schools
1 state school in Machen
Its one school is below. Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machen Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 166 | – |
Welsh Government · schools listThe Schools page →
Health
82% of people in Machen say their health is good or very good, more than in Gwent’s towns or across Wales’s towns
Machen sits above both Gwent’s towns (77%) and Wales’s towns (78%) on this measure. Machen has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.8 miles away. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy.
82%good or very good healthCHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Machen | Gwent | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 77% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.3% | 7.7% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 22% | 22% |
78.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.3
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
History
2 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Machen has 2 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Cadw’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 36% of its homes were built before 1919.
2listed buildingsC+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
36%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
10
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Cadw list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Machen records less violent crime per resident than Gwent’s towns or Wales’s towns, at 20 per 1,000 a year
That puts Machen below both Gwent’s towns (36.8) and Wales’s towns (33.8). Burglary and damage come to 9.1 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 95 crimes inside Machen’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 23 reports of anti-social behaviour.
20violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 37% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual46
Public order16
Damage & arson10
Burglary7
Vehicle crime4
Other theft3
Other crime3
Drugs2
Anti-social23
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.
20
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
95
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B−
Most households in Machen own their home: 80%, more than in Gwent’s towns or across Wales’s towns
On this, Machen is above both Gwent’s towns (65%) and Wales’s towns (65%). Social housing holds 8% of households.
£250Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Machen£250K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £395,000 | 24 |
| Semi-detached | £250,000 | 30 |
| Terraced | £207,750 | 30 |
80%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
12%
rent privately · Wales 17%
£747
average private rent a month, Caerphilly council area
£2,083
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
Machen is a graduates’ town: 40% hold a degree, more than in Gwent’s towns or Wales’s towns
In the comparison, Machen comes above both Gwent’s towns (28%) and Wales’s towns (31%). Young adults of 15 to 24 are 8.9% of the population. Half the people of Machen are older than 47.
47median age
MachenGwentWales
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level40%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 men for every 100 women. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Machen | Gwent | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 8.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 26% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 27% | 26% |
| 65+ | 22% | 20% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 23% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.2% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 40% | 28% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gwent and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Machen
14pages on Machen
The big questions
SafetyB20 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £250K · rent £747 a monthHousing32 sold in 12 months · busiest street Commercial RoadSchools1 state school (no results published in Wales)HealthCWork & commuteB48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC−3.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Machen’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
TrethomasRiscaCwmfelinfachBedwasRogerstoneAbercarnLlanbradachMachen
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machen | 1,985 | — | — | B− | B | C |
| Trethomas | 1,713 | 1.3 | — | B− | D− | D |
| Risca | 15,194 | 1.8 | C− | A− | D | D |
| Cwmfelinfach | 1,353 | 2.3 | — | A | C | D |
| Bedwas | 6,463 | 2.6 | D | B− | C− | D |
| Rogerstone | 7,546 | 3.2 | B | C− | B | B |
| Abercarn | 5,123 | 3.6 | C | A− | C− | D |
| Llanbradach | 3,766 | 4 | C | A− | C− | D |
Trethomas and Cwmfelinfach have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Machen
How many listed buildings are there in Machen?
2 on Cadw’s list.
Does Machen flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on Natural Resources Wales’s flood risk service.
How much is council tax in Machen?
Band D council tax in Machen is £2,083 for 2026–27, less than in 85% of UK towns (the Caerphilly council average, with police and community councils). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Machen
Village in Gwent, Wales
Machen is a built-up area of 1,985 people, in the Caerphilly 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
- 1,985 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Caerphilly
- County
- Gwent
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000540
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.