Shobdon’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Shobdon’s built-up area.
34% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ShobdonHerefordshire
Population 481: a village in Herefordshire, West Midlands.
6 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Philip Pankhurst · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
481
Census 2021 · Herefordshire council
Median home
£353K
16 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.4
23% are 65+ · Herefordshire 24%
Degree level
21%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Shobdon a good place to live?
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Shobdon has none; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 9% of commuters. Just over a third of homes were built before 1919. 21% of adults are qualified to degree level.
What makes Shobdon stand out
The 3 things Shobdon does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Herefordshire 30%.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Shobdon.
Who lives here
A town of families: 23% of people in Shobdon are under 15, more than in Herefordshire’s towns or England’s towns
Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 7.5% of the town. At 45.4, the median resident of Shobdon sits in the middle of the age range. People 65 and over make up nearly a quarter of the town.
45.4median age
ShobdonHerefordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications28%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level21%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Shobdon | Herefordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 23% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.5% | 9.7% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 28% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.5% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 21% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Herefordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Commuters in Shobdon travel far: only 25% go under 5 km, fewer than in Herefordshire’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 17% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Household income came to £48K a year before tax, close to Herefordshire’s towns (£50K) and below England’s towns (£55K). Nearly nine in ten commuters drove to work at the census. Also worth knowing: the 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 3.3%.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot7%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
25%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
17%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
3.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Social housing is more common in Shobdon than in Herefordshire’s towns or across England’s towns, at 32% of households
The middle sale price: £353K, above both Herefordshire’s towns (£278K) and England’s towns (£308K). Renting privately is how 5% of households live. Private rents average £821 a month across the Herefordshire, County of council area.
£353Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Shobdon£353K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £441,250 | 8 |
| Semi-detached | £237,500 | 6 |
57%
of households own their home · England 61%
5%
rent privately · England 21%
£821
average private rent a month, Herefordshire, County of council area
£2,598
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
Homes in Shobdon see less burglary and damage than in Herefordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 4.2 per 1,000 a year
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 3.5 reports per 1,000, lower than both Herefordshire’s towns (7.1) and England’s towns (7.8). Police figures for Shobdon’s built-up area: 22 crimes and 2 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 68% of recorded crime.
24.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual15
Damage & arson2
Public order2
Other crime2
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Anti-social2
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.
24.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
22
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.
Health
More people in Shobdon say their health is bad than in Herefordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 6.9%
At the census, 79% of people in Shobdon called their health good or very good, close to Herefordshire’s towns (80%) and below England’s towns (82%). This Herefordshire town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.2 miles away. The nearest A&E to Shobdon is The County Hospital, 15.4 miles away.
79%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Shobdon | Herefordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.9% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 19% | 17% |
81.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Old homes shape Shobdon: 34% were built before 1919, more than in Herefordshire’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Its heritage register entries (2 listed buildings) are all Grade II. Per 10,000 residents, Shobdon counts 42 listed buildings, lower than Herefordshire’s towns (134) yet higher than England’s towns (39). The town has one registered historic park or garden.
2listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
34%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
42
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Eardisland Dovecote and 2 more in and around Shobdon
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Shobdon. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumEardisland Dovecote2 km outside town, to the southeastAttractionAttractionDunkertons Cider Mill3.7 km outside town, to the southGardenGardenWestonbury Mill Water Gardens4.3 km outside town, to the southwest
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Shobdon
13pages on Shobdon
The big questions
Safety24.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £353K · rent £821 a monthHousing3 sold in 12 months · busiest street Hampton LeaSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.4 (men), 86.9 (women)Work & commute34% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Shobdon’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
PresteigneLeominsterWeobleyKingtonKnightonLudlowShobdon
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shobdon | 481 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Presteigne | 1,929 | 5 | — | B− | C− | B− |
| Leominster | 11,206 | 6.3 | C− | B+ | D | C− |
| Weobley | 1,273 | 6.6 | — | C | C+ | B− |
| Kington | 2,423 | 6.7 | — | B+ | C | C+ |
| Knighton | 2,911 | 9.2 | C | B | C | B− |
| Ludlow | 10,037 | 11 | C | B+ | C | C+ |
Presteigne, Weobley and Kington have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Shobdon
How many listed buildings are there in Shobdon?
2 on Historic England’s list. That is 1.7 times the typical UK town for its size.
Who lives in Shobdon?
At the 2021 Census, 7.5% of Shobdon’s 481 residents were 15 to 24 and 23% were 65 or over, against 12% and 18% across England’s towns.
Is Shobdon expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £237,500 and detached houses £441,250.
About Shobdon
Village in Herefordshire, England
Shobdon is a built-up area of 481 people, in the Herefordshire 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
- 481 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Herefordshire
- County
- Herefordshire
- Region
- West Midlands
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003381
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) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), 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.