Swffryd’s story
Old homes in Swffryd: 39% built before 1919
39% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SwffrydGwent
A village of 1,721 in Gwent, Wales.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: phil matthews · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,721
Census 2021 · Blaenau Gwent council
Median home
£120K
38 sales in 3 years
Median age
41.5
19% are 65+ · Gwent 20%
Degree level
18%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · Wales 16%
Is Swffryd a good place to live?
Swffryd has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (B): 0.1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is jobs & income (D−): mean household income £35,818; 4.2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. The median home sold for £120,000 in the last three years, 3.2 times what households in the Blaenau Gwent 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 Swffryd stand out
The 3 things Swffryd does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
57% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Household income, against UK towns
Work
Mean, before tax: lower than in 99% of UK towns
ONS small-area income estimates.
How Swffryd grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Swffryd is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →HealthD−Open →SafetyDOpen →Walkability10% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transportC−Open →Hazard riskBOpen →Cost of livingB−Open →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsCOpen →Outdoors17% live within 400 m of a park; 1.4 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsD−Open →Civic life1.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Swffryd.
Health
More people in Swffryd live with a disability than in Gwent’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 27%
9.9% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, higher than both Gwent’s towns (7.7%) and Wales’s towns (7.1%). Asked at the census, 71% of residents of Swffryd said they were in good or very good health. Women here live to 79.3 on average and men to 77.3 (2019–23). The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 0.6 miles away.
71%good or very good healthD−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 71%Fair 19%Bad or very bad 10%
| Census 2021 | Swffryd | Gwent | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 71% | 77% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 9.9% | 7.7% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 27% | 22% | 22% |
77.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
79.3
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 · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy.
Schools
1 state school in Swffryd
It appears below. The town’s primary school has 152 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofrydd C.P. SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 152 | – |
Welsh Government · schools list · Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.The Schools page →
Safety
Burglary and damage hit Swffryd harder than Gwent’s towns or Wales’s towns: 19.4 per 1,000 residents a year
55% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Each year, 44.8 violent crimes are recorded per 1,000 residents. Police figures for Swffryd’s built-up area: 158 crimes and 33 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026.
44.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 4% 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 & sexual87
Damage & arson25
Public order20
Other theft7
Burglary7
Vehicle crime6
Drugs3
Other crime3
Anti-social33
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.
44.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
19.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
13.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
158
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Long commutes are the norm in Swffryd: just 25% travel under 5 km, below Gwent’s towns and Wales’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 15% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
15% of workers worked mainly from home at the census. Work in town: 3% of resident commuters. For every resident in work, Swffryd has 0.1 jobs.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot5%
Bus3%
Bicycle1%
Train1%
25%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
15%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£36K
mean household income, before tax
4.2%
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
History
Old homes shape Swffryd: 39% were built before 1919, 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.
Cadw’s list has no building inside Swffryd’s built-up area.
0listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
39%
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−
Home ownership in Swffryd, 56%, runs below Gwent’s towns and Wales’s towns
28% of households live in social housing. Private rents average £692 a month across the Blaenau Gwent council area. Behind the median of £120,000: 38 standard sales inside Swffryd’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£120Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Swffryd£120K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £145,000 | 15 |
| Terraced | £120,000 | 17 |
56%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
17%
rent privately · Wales 17%
£692
average private rent a month, Blaenau Gwent council area
£2,457
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 Swffryd than in Gwent’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 18% of adults
The 15-to-24 age group makes up 8.5% of residents. Swffryd has a median age of 41.5. Nearly a fifth of residents have reached 65.
41.5median age
SwffrydGwentWales
Ages · share of residents
19%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications33%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level18%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
About 107 men for every 100 women. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Swffryd | Gwent | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 8.5% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 27% | 26% |
| 65+ | 19% | 20% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 33% | 23% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.2% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 18% | 28% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gwent and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Swffryd
14pages on Swffryd
The big questions
SafetyD44.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £120K · rent £692 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 months · busiest street Mill CourtSchools1 state school (no results published in Wales)HealthD−Work & commuteD−32% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Swffryd’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
NewbridgeTrinantLlanhillethOakdaleAbercarnPontllanfraithBlackwoodSwffryd
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swffryd | 1,721 | — | — | B− | D | D− |
| Newbridge | 7,582 | 1.1 | C− | A− | C− | C− |
| Trinant | 1,504 | 1.3 | — | A | D | D |
| Llanhilleth | 2,450 | 1.4 | — | B | D− | D− |
| Oakdale | 6,126 | 2 | C | B | B− | C− |
| Abercarn | 5,123 | 2.4 | C | A− | C− | D |
| Pontllanfraith | 9,363 | 3.3 | C− | B+ | C | D |
| Blackwood | 12,621 | 3.3 | D | B+ | D− | D |
Trinant 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 Swffryd
Is Swffryd expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £120,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £120,000 and semi-detached houses £145,000.
Does Swffryd flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on Natural Resources Wales’s flood risk service.
About Swffryd
Village in Gwent, Wales
Swffryd is a built-up area of 1,721 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
- 1,721 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Blaenau Gwent (mostly)
- County
- Gwent
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000467
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.