Oakdale’s story
8 listed buildings
Cadw lists them inside Oakdale’s built-up area.
14% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
OakdaleGwent
A town of 6,126 in Gwent, Wales. Council tax at Band D comes to £2,083.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Jaggery · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
6,126
Census 2021 · Caerphilly council
Median home
£230K
222 sales in 3 years
Median age
41.9
19% are 65+ · Gwent 20%
Degree level
29%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · Wales 16%
TownGrade
C
#5 of 38 in Gwent
Is Oakdale a good place to live?
Oakdale’s lowest grade is for health: 6.3% in bad or very bad health, 20.2% disabled. It lags on walkability as well (D): 8% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Housing is within reach: homes sell for a median £230,000, about 5.4 times local household income. The overall grade lands at C, better than 35% of UK towns. In the ranking it comes #5 of 38 in Gwent. Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for safety and B for hazard risk.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · health, Census 2021 (the grade adjusts for age) · commuting, Census 2021 · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · flood risk, Natural Resources Wales.
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 Oakdale stand out
The 2 things Oakdale does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (Wales’s towns 16%)
39% of commuters travel under 5 km.
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 Oakdale grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Oakdale is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesDOpen →Health6.3% in bad or very bad health, 20% disabled (adjusted for age in the grade)C−Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaBOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work trail most townsC+Open →Cost of livingRent £747 a monthBOpen →SafetyAbout average among the towns comparedB−Open →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History14% of homes built before 1919C−Open →Outdoors79% live within 400 m of a park; 5.2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC+Open →Civic life0.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 79% live within 1 km of a libraryC+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Oakdale.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Only 1.9% of 16 to 64s in Oakdale claim unemployment benefits, fewer than in Gwent’s towns and across Wales’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 26% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
90% of commuters drove, higher than both Gwent’s towns (84%) and Wales’s towns (81%). There are 1 jobs in Oakdale for each resident in work. About just over a tenth of its commuters stay in Oakdale for work. Before tax, the average household brings in £46K a year.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot6%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
Train1%
26%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£46K
mean household income, before tax
1.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 13% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Schools
3 state schools in Oakdale
Oakdale’s two primaries and one secondary have 1,814 pupils between them. Every one of them is shown below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhiw Syr Dafydd Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 602 | – |
| Islwyn High SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 1,047 | – |
| Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm DerwenLargest Welsh-medium schoolPrimary | Primary | 165 | – |
Welsh Government · schools list · Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.See all 3 schools →
Health
Is Oakdale a healthy place? 80% of its people say their health is good, above Gwent’s towns and Wales’s towns
The nearest A&E to Oakdale is The Grange University Hospital, 7.9 miles away. At the census, a fifth of people here had a disability, lower than both Gwent’s towns (22%) and Wales’s towns (22%). The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.5 miles away. Women here live to 82.4 on average and men to 78.2 (2019–23).
80%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Oakdale | Gwent | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 77% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.3% | 7.7% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 22% | 22% |
78.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.4
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 · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy among them.
History
Much of Oakdale is a conservation area: 14% of its land, more than in Gwent’s towns and across Wales’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Every one of Oakdale’s 8 listed buildings sits at Grade II, the most common listing. For its size, Oakdale has 13 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, higher than Gwent’s towns (11) yet lower than Wales’s towns (18).
8listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II8
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
14%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
13
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
More households own their home in Oakdale than in Gwent’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 77%
10% of households rent privately. Social housing holds 12% of households, below Gwent’s towns (20%) and Wales’s towns (18%) alike. The median sale, £230,000, comes from 222 standard sales inside Oakdale’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
£230Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Oakdale£230K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £325,000 | 74 |
| Semi-detached | £220,000 | 88 |
| Terraced | £174,975 | 58 |
77%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
10%
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
Safety
Violence is recorded less often in Oakdale than in Gwent’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 24.1 per 1,000 residents a year
Homes saw 9 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, below both Gwent’s towns (16.7) and Wales’s towns (10.7). A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 251 offences in Oakdale and 76 cases of nuisance behaviour. Also worth knowing: just over three fifths of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
24.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 50% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual154
Public order27
Damage & arson21
Other theft17
Burglary15
Vehicle crime9
Other crime4
Drugs2
Anti-social76
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.
24.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
251
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.
Who lives here
A town of families: 18% of people in Oakdale are under 15, more than in Gwent’s towns and across Wales’s towns
At 41.9, the median resident of Oakdale sits in the middle of the age range. People 65 and over make up 19% of the town, below Gwent’s towns (20%) and Wales’s towns (21%) alike. 29% of adults hold a degree.
41.9median age
OakdaleGwentWales
Ages · share of residents
19%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level29%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Oakdale | Gwent | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 26% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 27% | 26% |
| 65+ | 19% | 20% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 23% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.2% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 29% | 28% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gwent and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Oakdale
14pages on Oakdale
The big questions
SafetyB−24.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingBMedian home £230K · rent £747 a monthHousing68 sold in 12 months · busiest street BrynffynnonSchools3 state schools (no results published in Wales)HealthC−Work & commuteC+46% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Famous people from Oakdale
10 notable people were born in Oakdale.
M
Margaret PriceWelsh opera singer (1941-2011)M
Mark KendallBritish footballer (1958-2008)B
Brayley ReynoldsWelsh footballer (born 1935)Photo credits
Richey Edwards: Masao Nakagami, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Lauren Williams: National Lottery Good Causes, CC BY 3.0 · Paul Barrett: 21stCenturyGreenstuff, CC BY 3.0
Oakdale’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
NewbridgeBlackwoodTrinantPontllanfraithSwffrydFleur-de-lis and PengamAberbargoedOakdale
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakdale | 6,126 | — | C | B | B− | C− |
| Newbridge | 7,582 | 1.4 | C− | A− | C− | C− |
| Blackwood | 12,621 | 1.4 | D | B+ | D− | D |
| Trinant | 1,504 | 1.8 | — | A | D | D |
| Pontllanfraith | 9,363 | 1.8 | C− | B+ | C | D |
| Swffryd | 1,721 | 2 | — | B− | D | D− |
| Fleur-de-lis and Pengam | 3,102 | 2.2 | C− | A− | C | D |
| Aberbargoed | 4,412 | 2.2 | D | A− | D | D− |
Trinant and Swffryd have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Oakdale
How much is council tax in Oakdale?
Band D council tax in Oakdale 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.
Does Oakdale flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on Natural Resources Wales’s flood risk service.
Is Oakdale expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £230,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £174,975, semi-detached houses £220,000 and detached houses £325,000.
About Oakdale
Town in Gwent, Wales
Oakdale is a built-up area of 6,126 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
- 6,126 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Caerphilly
- County
- Gwent
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi (2.2 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000469
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.