Safety is its weak spot (D−) — 65.9 violent and sexual offences and 21 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Among UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, it has less crime per resident than 2%. Taken together, its subjects give Caernarfon a C overall, better than 26% of UK towns. Its strongest is walkability — just over a quarter of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Housing is within reach (B+): the median home sold for £185,000, 4.1 years of area income.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026.
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.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Caernarfon is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Caernarfon.
History
250 listed buildings, 7 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
It is part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site. Per 10,000 residents, Caernarfon counts 254 listed buildings. The town’s listed buildings include Caernarfon Castle, Grade I. At the top of the list, 7 are Grade I and 12 Grade II*.
Welsh Government · schools list · Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.See all 6 schools →
Safety
Crime per resident in Caernarfon is higher than in 97% of UK towns
Over the year to August 2026, 1,308 offences were reported in Caernarfon, along with 322 incidents of anti-social behaviour. For its size, Caernarfon records more crime per resident than 98% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people. There were 35.2 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), higher than both Gwynedd’s towns (15) and Wales’s towns (10.4). Violence and sexual offences were 47% of the crimes.
65.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearD−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 2% 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.
More crimeLess crime
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual612
Shoplifting167
Damage & arson156
Public order106
Other theft72
Drugs63
Burglary40
Vehicle crime30
Anti-social322
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.
65.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
21
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
35.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
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
Caernarfon gets to work on foot, by bike and by public transport more than Gwynedd’s towns or Wales’s towns: 26% of commuters
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 19% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Caernarfon counts 1.6 jobs per working resident. 73% of commuters drove, below Gwynedd’s towns (79%) and Wales’s towns (81%) alike. For 47% of commuters, work was under 5 km away. About nearly two fifths of its commuters stay in Caernarfon for work.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
People in Caernarfon live shorter lives than in 79% of UK towns
2 GP practices serve the town. The nearest A&E to Caernarfon is Ysbyty Gwynedd, 6.5 miles away. At the census, 5.3% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, about level with Gwynedd’s towns (5.5%) and below Wales’s towns (7.1%).
81%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 5%
Census 2021
Caernarfon
Gwynedd
Wales
Good or very good health
81%
80%
78%
Bad or very bad health
5.3%
5.5%
7.1%
Disabled (Equality Act)
20%
20%
22%
78.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.5
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 · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy among them.
HousingCost of living grade B+
More households in Caernarfon live in social housing than in Gwynedd’s towns or Wales’s towns: 29%
56% of households own their home, below Gwynedd’s towns (63%) and Wales’s towns (65%) alike. Private renters make up 14% of households. The median sale, £185,000, comes from 296 standard sales inside Caernarfon’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
£185Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Caernarfon£185K
Typical UK town£277K
By type
Median
Sales
Detached
£327,500
54
Semi-detached
£217,100
85
Terraced
£155,000
144
Flat or maisonette
£105,000
13
56%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
14%
rent privately · Wales 17%
£724
average private rent a month, Gwynedd council area
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Children make up 19% of Caernarfon, above Gwynedd’s towns and Wales’s towns
Young adults of 15 to 24 are just over one in ten residents, below both Gwynedd’s towns (13%) and Wales’s towns (12%). Over-65s are nearly a fifth of the population. Half of Caernarfon is older than 39.6, half younger.
39.6median age
CaernarfonGwyneddWales
Ages · share of residents
19%
Under 1515–2425–4445–6465+
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level33%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
WomenWalesMen
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
Edward II of England: Founder of Oriel College, after a painting in the Bodleian Library (colour engraving) by English School (19th century), Public domain · Barry Hughes: Hans van Dijk for Anefo, CC0 · John Evans: James Mackay (1759-1822) with the assistance of John Evans (1770-1799), Public domain · Lionel Rees: not identified, Public domain
Bethel, Llanrug, Y Felinheli, Clwt-y-bont, Gaerwen, Llanberis and Penygroes have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Caernarfon
How many listed buildings are there in Caernarfon?
250 on Cadw’s list, 7 of them Grade I and 12 Grade II*. That is 10.4 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Caernarfon Castle. It also has 4 scheduled monuments. Part of it is in the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site.
Is Caernarfon expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £185,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £105,000, terraced houses £155,000, semi-detached houses £217,100 and detached houses £327,500.
Does Caernarfon flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on Natural Resources Wales’s flood risk service.
About Caernarfon
Town in Gwynedd, Wales
Caernarfon is a built-up area of 9,831 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
9,831 (Census 2021)
Council
Gwynedd
County
Gwynedd
Region
Wales
Area
1.2 sq mi (3.1 km²)
ONS code
W45000117
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.
