Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Some 385 people live in this village, in Isle of Wight, South East.
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Fishbourne is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. It has 8 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. It skews older: 42% of residents are 65 or over. 67% of households own their home with no mortgage.
The 3 things Fishbourne does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Fishbourne’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
14% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Fishbourne. Best known first.
Historic house · English HeritageOsborne House4.1 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumIsle of Wight Steam Railway1.9 km outside town, to the south
Abbey or priorySt Cecilia's Abbey, Ryde3.6 km outside town, to the east
ZooButterfly World2.5 km outside town, to the southwest
PierRyde Pier2.6 km outside town, to the eastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fishbourne.
Over-65s are just over two fifths of the population. The 15-to-24 age group: 7.8%, below Isle of Wight’s towns (8.9%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. The middle age in Fishbourne is 60.7. Degrees are held by 37% of adults.
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Fishbourne | Isle of Wight | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.6% | 14% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.8% | 8.9% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 11% | 20% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 28% | 25% |
| 65+ | 42% | 29% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.5% | 7.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Isle of Wight and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 33% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims reached 2.2% of 16 to 64s in 2026. 18% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train at the census, lower than both Isle of Wight’s towns (26%) and England’s towns (27%). The average household earns £52K a year before tax.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
5% of households rent privately. Social housing holds 1% of households, lower than both Isle of Wight’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £951 a month across the Isle of Wight council area.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £485,000 | 8 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Violence and sexual offences were 49% of the crimes. Reported offences in Fishbourne came to 37 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 2. Burglary and damage came to 9.5 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than Isle of Wight’s towns (7) and near England’s towns (9.4).
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.
Fishbourne has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 0.4 miles away. Nearly a quarter of residents in Fishbourne live with a disability. At the census, 77% of people in Fishbourne called their health good or very good, near Isle of Wight’s towns (77%) and lower than England’s towns (82%).
| Census 2021 | Fishbourne | Isle of Wight | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.3% | 6.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 24% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, 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 and early deaths among them.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Fishbourne’s listed buildings include Quarr Abbey, Grade I. Conservation areas cover 100% of the town’s land, about level with Isle of Wight’s towns (100%) and above England’s towns (7%). Homes from before 1919 make up 14% of the total.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fishbourne | 385 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wootton | 3,103 | 0.5 | C− | D− | B− | B |
| Ryde | 24,094 | 2.5 | D− | C− | D | C |
| East Cowes | 8,424 | 3.2 | D | C− | C | C+ |
| Newport | 25,396 | 3.8 | D− | C− | D | C− |
| Cowes | 14,366 | 4.2 | C | D− | B− | B− |
| Seaview and Nettlestone | 2,053 | 4.8 | — | D− | A | A |
| Brading | 1,909 | 4.8 | — | D | C+ | C |
Seaview and Nettlestone and Brading have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 8.5 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Quarr Abbey. It also has 1 scheduled monument.
Band D council tax in Fishbourne is £2,525 for 2026–27, more than in 70% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Village in Isle of Wight, England
Fishbourne is a built-up area of 385 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
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.