Brading’s story
61 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Brading’s built-up area.
35% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BradingIsle of Wight
Over-65s are 31% of the population. 1,909 residents make their home in this village in Isle of Wight, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Editor5807 · Public domain
Population
1,909
Census 2021 · Isle of Wight council
Median home
£249K
67 sales in 3 years
Median age
53.9
31% are 65+ · Isle of Wight 29%
Degree level
25%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
19%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Brading a good place to live?
Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (B+): on the way to work, 19% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. The median home sold for £249,000, 5.4 times what households in the Isle of Wight council area earn in a year. School results trail most towns (D−). Jobs and pay trail most towns: the mean household earns £41,206 a year.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS · claimants, DWP. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Brading has its subject grades alone.
How Brading grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Brading is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 10% of towns in England; secondary results beat 0% of towns in EnglandD−Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedDOpen →Cost of livingIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carB+Open →HealthLife expectancy 78 for men, 83 for womenCOpen →SafetyMore crime than in most townsC+Open →Hazard risk0.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryIn the top fifth of the towns comparedA+Open →Outdoors84% live within 400 m of a park; 21% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA+Open →Civic life3.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Brading stand out
The 3 things Brading does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Mary; 13.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Secondary results, towns in England
Schools
Secondary results trail 100%
of towns in England, on GCSE results (Attainment 8, English and maths)
Primary results beat 10%. Department for Education.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
31% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Brading.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Brading than in Isle of Wight’s towns or England’s towns: 13% are under 15
53.9median age
31% of residents are 65 or over, above Isle of Wight’s towns (29%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. People aged 15 to 24 make up 8.8% of the town. Brading has a median age of 53.9 years. Among adults, 25% have a degree.
BradingIsle of WightEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications24%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level25%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Brading | Isle of Wight | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 14% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.8% | 8.9% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 20% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 28% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 29% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 24% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.4% | 7.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 25% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Isle of Wight and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsD−
On exam results, Brading’s schools trail 97% of towns in England
D−School Grade
At the 4 primary schools within 3 km, just over half of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Below is its only school. Secondary results at the one secondary school within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 32, with 16% at grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brading Church of England Controlled Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 96 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
History
More buildings in Brading are listed than in Isle of Wight’s towns or England’s towns: 320 per 10,000 residents
61listed buildingsA+History Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Brading’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary, Grade I. It has 61 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I. Before 1919: that is when just over a third of homes were built. Conservation areas cover 100% of the town’s land, near Isle of Wight’s towns (100%) and higher than England’s towns (7%).
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II60
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
35%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
320
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade D
Few households rent privately in Brading: 13%, fewer than in Isle of Wight’s towns and across England’s towns
£249Kmedian sale
Owners make up 72% of households, higher than both Isle of Wight’s towns (67%) and England’s towns (61%). Private rents average £951 a month across the Isle of Wight council area. 15% of households rent from a council or housing body.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Brading£249K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £317,500 | 24 |
| Semi-detached | £247,750 | 23 |
| Terraced | £199,975 | 14 |
| Flat or maisonette | £161,750 | 6 |
72%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£951
average private rent a month, Isle of Wight council area
£2,614
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Commuters in Brading travel far: only 34% go under 5 km, fewer than in Isle of Wight’s towns and across England’s towns
19%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 22% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
4% of commuters who live in Brading also work there. By car: that was how just over three quarters of commuters travelled at the census. Unemployment benefit claims came to 3.6% of 16 to 64s in 2026, higher than both Isle of Wight’s towns (3.4%) and England’s towns (2.3%). There are 0.4 jobs in Brading for each resident in work.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving76%
Bus7%
On foot6%
Train3%
Bicycle3%
34%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
22%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£41K
mean household income, before tax
3.6%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B+
Walkability: more walkable than 74% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Fewer people in Brading say their health is good than in Isle of Wight’s towns or across England’s towns: 74%
74%good or very good healthCHealth Grade
The nearest A&E to Brading is St Mary's Hospital, 7.4 miles away. At the census, a quarter of people here had a disability, above both Isle of Wight’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (17%). Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 8% of the town. This Isle of Wight town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.9 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 74%Fair 18%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Brading | Isle of Wight | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 74% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8% | 6.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 25% | 24% | 17% |
78
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
Safety
Violence is recorded more often in Brading than in Isle of Wight’s towns or across England’s towns: 33.4 per 1,000 residents a year
33.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC+Safety Grade
Reported offences in Brading came to 96 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 10. Burglary and damage came to 5.4 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Isle of Wight’s towns (7.5) and England’s towns (9.4). Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Brading has more crime per resident than just over four fifths of them. Violence and sexual offences were 64% of the crimes.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 19% 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 & sexual61
Public order14
Damage & arson7
Other theft5
Drugs5
Robbery2
Shoplifting1
Vehicle crime1
Anti-social10
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.
33.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
96
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.
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brading
15pages on Brading
The big questions
SafetyC+33.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £249K · rent £951 a monthHousing21 sold in 12 months · busiest street High StreetSchoolsD−1 state schoolHealthCLife expectancy 78 (men), 83 (women)Work & commuteD45% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Brading Railway Heritage Centre and 27 more in and around Brading
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Brading. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumBrading Railway Heritage Centrein town
MuseumDinosaur Isle1.1 km outside town, to the south
MuseumBrading Roman Villa200 m outside town, to the southwest
GardenNunwell House and Garden700 m outside town, to the west
Abbey or priorySt Cecilia's Abbey, Ryde4.9 km outside town, to the north
Wildlife parkThe Wildheart Animal Sanctuary1 km outside town, to the south
MuseumDinosaur Isle1.1 km outside town, to the southMuseumBrading Roman Villa200 m outside town, to the southwestGardenNunwell House and Garden700 m outside town, to the westAbbey or priorySt Cecilia's Abbey, Ryde4.9 km outside town, to the northWildlife parkThe Wildheart Animal Sanctuary1 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Dinosaur Isle: Editor5807, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Brading Roman Villa: Martyn Davies, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nunwell House and Garden: Jo Turner, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St Cecilia's Abbey, Ryde: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary: Fluteflute, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Brading
Village in Isle of Wight, England
Brading is a built-up area of 1,909 people, in the Isle of Wight 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
- 1,909 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Isle of Wight
- County
- Isle of Wight
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006761
Brading’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SandownBembridgeSeaview and NettlestoneRydeWinfordShanklinWoottonBrading
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brading | 1,909 | — | — | D | C+ | C |
| Sandown | 11,652 | 2 | D− | D | D | C |
| Bembridge | 3,564 | 2.6 | B | D− | A− | A |
| Seaview and Nettlestone | 2,053 | 2.7 | — | D− | A | A |
| Ryde | 24,094 | 3.2 | D− | C− | D | C |
| Winford | 1,082 | 3.3 | — | D | A− | C+ |
| Shanklin | 9,112 | 3.6 | D− | D | C− | C |
| Wootton | 3,103 | 5.2 | C− | D− | B− | B |
Seaview and Nettlestone and Winford have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Brading
Are schools in Brading good?
GCSE results trail almost all towns in England, and primary results trail 90% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Isle of Wight council.
How many listed buildings are there in Brading?
That is 13.1 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary.
Is Brading safe?
Burglary was rare, with 0 reports in the year.
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.