Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A village of 287 in Herefordshire, West Midlands.
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Symonds Yat West has no grades; its figures are still real. It has 8 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. Nearly half of households own their home with no mortgage. People aged 65 and over make up a quarter of residents.
The 3 things Symonds Yat West does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Symonds Yat West’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
42% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Symonds Yat West.
Degrees are held by 45% of adults. 9.4% of the population is aged 15 to 24, about level with Herefordshire’s towns (9.7%) and below England’s towns (12%). Line up the people of Symonds Yat West by age and the one in the middle is 54.1.
49% women, 51% men
About 105 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Symonds Yat West | Herefordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.4% | 9.7% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 12% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 44% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 45% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Herefordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 44% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
1.2% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. Working mainly from home: 44% of workers, above both Herefordshire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (31%). By car: that was how 78% of commuters travelled at the census.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Homes sold for a median £403K, higher than both Herefordshire’s towns (£278K) and England’s towns (£308K). 3% of households live in social housing. Renting privately is how 12% of households live.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £560,000 | 7 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
13 crimes and 2 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Symonds Yat West’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Of all the crimes, 54% were violence and sexual offences. Violence came to 27.9 per 1,000 residents a year, close to Herefordshire’s towns (26.7) and above England’s towns (22).
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.
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.
The nearest A&E to Symonds Yat West is The County Hospital, 14.9 miles away. Self-reported good health: 86% of the town’s residents. This Herefordshire town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.5 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Symonds Yat West | Herefordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.8% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 19% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Young towns look healthier on these answers, which aren’t adjusted for age; the Health Grade uses measures that are, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
For its size, Symonds Yat West has 279 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above both Herefordshire’s towns (134) and England’s towns (39). One scheduled monument lies here.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Symonds Yat West. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageGoodrich Castle3.2 km outside town, to the northeastAttractionAttraction · National TrustThe Round House4.3 km outside town, to the southwestPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustThe Kymin4.3 km outside town, to the southwestZooZooCoppett Hill Butterfly Site2.1 km outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symonds Yat West | 287 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Berry Hill | 2,211 | 2.7 | — | B− | C | C+ |
| Welsh Bicknor | 1,988 | 2.8 | — | B | B+ | B− |
| Coleford | 5,023 | 3.7 | C | B+ | D | C |
| Monmouth | 10,330 | 3.8 | C− | C | C | B− |
| Broadwell and Coalway | 3,304 | 3.9 | C+ | B | B− | C |
| Ruardean | 1,195 | 4.1 | — | A− | B+ | C+ |
| Ross-on-Wye | 10,993 | 5.5 | B− | C+ | C+ | C |
Berry Hill, Welsh Bicknor and Ruardean have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 11.4 times the typical UK town for its size. It also has 1 scheduled monument.
Private rents in the Herefordshire, County of council area averaged £821 a month in August 2026.
Village in Herefordshire, England
Symonds Yat West is a built-up area of 287 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
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.