Gaerwen’s story
6 listed buildings
Cadw lists them inside Gaerwen’s built-up area.
28% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
GaerwenGwynedd
The village has 1,277 residents and lies in Gwynedd, Wales.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Monsyn · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,277
Census 2021 · Isle of Anglesey council
Median home
£177K
38 sales in 3 years
Median age
39.8
19% are 65+ · Gwynedd 23%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · Wales 16%
Is Gaerwen a good place to live?
Prices are modest for what you get: homes sell for a median £176,975, about 3.9 times local household income. Its lowest grade is for walkability: 7% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It lags on jobs & income as well: mean household income £45,191; 2.5% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for safety, B− for health and B for hazard risk.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021 · income, ONS · claimants, DWP · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · health, Census 2021 (the grade adjusts for age) · flood risk, Natural Resources Wales. Gaerwen has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
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 Gaerwen stand out
The 3 things Gaerwen does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% 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.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
36% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Gaerwen grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Gaerwen is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityAmong the weakest of the towns comparedDOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnAOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work trail most townsC−Open →Hazard risk0.1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaBOpen →SafetyGraded on crime per residentB−Open →HealthAbout average among the towns comparedB−Open →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBased on listed places, the town’s age and notable peopleB−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 7% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeC+Open →Civic life3.1 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Gaerwen.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
The car carries 92% of commuters in Gaerwen, more than in both Gwynedd’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.
33% of commuters travelled under 5 km, below Gwynedd’s towns (39%) and Wales’s towns (41%) alike. The census counted 15% of workers working mainly from home. About nearly a tenth of its commuters stay in Gaerwen for work. There are 1.6 jobs in Gaerwen for each resident in work.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot3%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
33%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
15%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£45K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 5% 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 Gaerwen
It is shown below. 129 pupils attend Gaerwen’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ysgol Gynradd EsceifiogLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 129 | – |
Welsh Government · schools list · Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.The Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade A
Most households in Gaerwen own their home: 70%, more than in both Gwynedd’s towns and Wales’s towns
The social rented sector houses 14% of households. Private rents average £714 a month across the Isle of Anglesey council area. The median sale, £176,975, comes from 38 standard sales inside Gaerwen’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
£177Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Gaerwen£177K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £260,000 | 12 |
| Semi-detached | £167,000 | 19 |
| Terraced | £140,000 | 7 |
70%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
15%
rent privately · Wales 17%
£714
average private rent a month, Isle of Anglesey council area
£2,261
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
Gaerwen records less burglary and damage per resident than Gwynedd’s towns or Wales’s towns, at 3.9 per 1,000 a year
For its size, Gaerwen records more crime per resident than nearly three quarters of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people. Over the year to August 2026, 46 offences were reported in the town, along with 24 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences made up 59% of the total.
30.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 26% 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 & sexual27
Public order6
Other theft5
Other crime3
Shoplifting2
Burglary1
Drugs1
Vehicle crime1
Anti-social24
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.
30.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
14.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
46
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.
History
Gaerwen’s listed buildings: 6, all Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
The pre-1919 share of homes is 28%. For its size, Gaerwen has 47 listed buildings per 10,000 residents.
6listed buildingsB−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II6
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
28%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
47
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Cadw list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Fewer people in Gaerwen live with a disability than in Gwynedd’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 16%
3.9% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, below Gwynedd’s towns (5.5%) and Wales’s towns (7.1%) alike. Self-reported good health: 83% of Gaerwen’s residents. There is no GP practice locally: the nearest is 1.2 miles off.
83%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Gaerwen | Gwynedd | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 80% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.9% | 5.5% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 20% | 22% |
81.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.1
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 · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy.
Who lives here
Children make up 20% of Gaerwen, above Gwynedd’s towns and Wales’s towns
Young adults of 15 to 24 are nearly a tenth of the population. Ages in Gaerwen split evenly at 39.8: half are older, half younger.
39.8median age
GaerwenGwyneddWales
Ages · share of residents
19%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar21%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Gaerwen | Gwynedd | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 9.5% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 27% | 22% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 19% | 23% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 18% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.1% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 21% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 32% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gwynedd and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Oriel Môn and 6 more in and around Gaerwen
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Gaerwen. Best known first.
Art galleryOriel Môn4.4 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseum · National TrustPlas Newydd3.6 km outside town, to the southeastHistoric siteHistoric siteBryn Celli Ddu Chambered Tomb2.3 km outside town, to the southeastArt galleryArt galleryOriel Ger Y Fenai3.3 km outside town, to the eastZooZooPili Palas5 km outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionRayner Memorial Clock Tower3.6 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Oriel Môn: Neil Theasby, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gaerwen
14pages on Gaerwen
The big questions
SafetyB−30.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingAMedian home £177K · rent £714 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street Gaerwen Uchaf EstateSchools1 state school (no results published in Wales)HealthB−Work & commuteC−35% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Gaerwen’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
LlangefniLlanfair PwllgwyngyllY FelinheliMenai BridgeBethelBangorCaernarfonGaerwen
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaerwen | 1,277 | — | — | A | B− | B− |
| Llangefni | 5,264 | 2.9 | C | A | D | C |
| Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll | 2,905 | 3 | B+ | B | A− | B+ |
| Y Felinheli | 2,333 | 3.8 | — | B+ | B− | B− |
| Menai Bridge | 3,045 | 4.4 | B | A− | C | B |
| Bethel | 1,091 | 4.8 | — | B | A | B− |
| Bangor | 16,994 | 5.7 | C | A− | D | D |
| Caernarfon | 9,831 | 5.7 | C | B+ | D− | C− |
Y Felinheli and Bethel have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Gaerwen
How many listed buildings are there in Gaerwen?
6 on Cadw’s list. That is 1.9 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Gaerwen expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £176,975, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £140,000, semi-detached houses £167,000 and detached houses £260,000.
Is Gaerwen safe?
Burglary was rare, with 1 report in the year.
About Gaerwen
Village in Gwynedd, Wales
Gaerwen is a built-up area of 1,277 people, in the Isle of Anglesey 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
- 1,277 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Isle of Anglesey
- County
- Gwynedd
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000073
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.