Bethel’s story
4 listed buildings
Cadw lists them inside Bethel’s built-up area.
40% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BethelGwynedd
The village has 1,091 residents and lies in Gwynedd, Wales. 51% of households own their home outright.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Meirion · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,091
Census 2021 · Gwynedd council
Median home
£235K
32 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.7
24% are 65+ · Gwynedd 23%
Degree level
39%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · Wales 16%
Is Bethel a good place to live?
Recorded crime is low: 13.4 violent and sexual offences and 4 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. The median home sold for £235,000, 5.2 times what households in the Gwynedd council area earn in a year. Getting around depends on the car (D−): on the way to work, 5% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for health and B− for jobs & income.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS · health, Census 2021 (the grade adjusts for age) · claimants, DWP. An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so Bethel is graded subject by subject only.
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 Bethel stand out
The 3 things Bethel 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 (Wales’s towns 16%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Own outright
Housing
51% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (Wales’s towns 36%)
How Bethel grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Bethel is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD−Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentAOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesBOpen →HealthNear typical for the towns comparedB−Open →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentB−Open →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryGraded on historic places and the town’s ageB−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 10% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeB+Open →Civic life6.4 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Caernarfon and 10 more in and around Bethel
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Bethel. Best known first.
FortCaernarfon4.4 km outside town, to the southwest
Castle · CadwCastell Caernarfon4.8 km outside town, to the southwest
Fort · CadwCaernarfon Town Walls4.9 km outside town, to the southwest
AquariumAnglesey Sea Zoo4.1 km outside town, to the west
Theme parkGreenwood Family Park1.4 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumRoyal Welch Fusiliers Museum4.9 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Caernarfon: Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Castell Caernarfon: Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Caernarfon Town Walls: Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Anglesey Sea Zoo: Lynne Kirton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Greenwood Family Park: TCExplorer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum: Alan Fryer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bethel.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
The car carries 94% of commuters in Bethel, more than in both Gwynedd’s towns and Wales’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, above both Gwynedd’s towns (£45K) and Wales’s towns (£44K). Just over a fifth of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. Work in town: 2% of resident commuters. In 2026, 1.6% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving94%
On foot3%
Bus1%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
22%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
25%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
1.6%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D−
Walkability: more walkable than 2% 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 Bethel
It is shown below. Its one primary school teaches 147 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ysgol Gynradd BethelLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 147 | – |
Welsh Government · schools list · Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.The Schools page →
Safety
Crime per resident in Bethel is lower than in 89% of UK towns
Bethel logged 37 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 15 complaints of anti-social conduct. For its size, Bethel records less crime per resident than 78% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people. Violence and sexual offences made up 70% of the total.
13.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 78% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual26
Damage & arson3
Public order2
Other theft2
Drugs2
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social15
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.
13.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
37
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.
HousingCost of living grade B
Most households in Bethel own their home: 81%, more than in both Gwynedd’s towns and Wales’s towns
Social housing holds nearly one in ten households, below both Gwynedd’s towns (19%) and Wales’s towns (18%). Half of the 32 standard sales inside Bethel’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £235,000. Private rents average £724 a month across the Gwynedd council area.
£235Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bethel£235K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £295,000 | 12 |
| Semi-detached | £235,000 | 11 |
| Terraced | £127,500 | 9 |
81%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
9%
rent privately · Wales 17%
£724
average private rent a month, Gwynedd council area
£2,469
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
Is Bethel a healthy place? 84% of its people say their health is good, above Gwynedd’s towns and Wales’s towns
4.9% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, below Gwynedd’s towns (5.5%) and Wales’s towns (7.1%) alike. Disability touches 18% of Bethel’s population. There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 1.1 miles off.
84%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Bethel | Gwynedd | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 80% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.9% | 5.5% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 20% | 22% |
79.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.1
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 · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy.
History
All 4 of Bethel’s listed buildings are Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Before 1919: that is when 40% of homes were built. Scaled to its population, Bethel has 37 listed buildings per 10,000 people, below Gwynedd’s towns (78) but above Wales’s towns (18).
4listed buildingsB−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II4
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
40%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
37
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Cadw list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Degrees are more common in Bethel than in Gwynedd’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 39% of adults
People aged 15 to 24 make up 10% of the town, lower than both Gwynedd’s towns (13%) and Wales’s towns (12%). Ages in Bethel split evenly at 44.7: half are older, half younger. Nearly a quarter of residents are 65 or over.
44.7median age
BethelGwyneddWales
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level39%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Bethel | Gwynedd | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 22% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 24% | 23% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 18% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.4% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 39% | 32% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gwynedd and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bethel
15pages on Bethel
The big questions
SafetyA13.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingBMedian home £235K · rent £724 a monthHousing16 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state school (no results published in Wales)HealthB−Work & commuteB−38% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Bethel’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Y FelinheliLlanrugCaernarfonClwt-y-bontLlanfair PwllgwyngyllLlanberisMenai BridgeBethel
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel | 1,091 | — | — | B | A | B− |
| Y Felinheli | 2,333 | 1.2 | — | B+ | B− | B− |
| Llanrug | 1,537 | 1.5 | — | B | B | B− |
| Caernarfon | 9,831 | 3.1 | C | B+ | D− | C− |
| Clwt-y-bont | 1,385 | 3.4 | — | A | C | C− |
| Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll | 2,905 | 4.1 | B+ | B | A− | B+ |
| Llanberis | 1,838 | 4.6 | — | B | C | C |
| Menai Bridge | 3,045 | 4.6 | B | A− | C | B |
Y Felinheli, Llanrug, Clwt-y-bont and Llanberis have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bethel
How many listed buildings are there in Bethel?
4 on Cadw’s list. That is 1.5 times the typical UK town for its size.
Does Bethel flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on Natural Resources Wales’s flood risk service.
About Bethel
Village in Gwynedd, Wales
Bethel is a built-up area of 1,091 people, in the Gwynedd 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
- 1,091 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Gwynedd
- County
- Gwynedd
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000104
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.