Dunston’s story
7 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Dunston’s built-up area.
19% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DunstonLincolnshire
Over-65s are 26% of the population. 744 people live in this village in Lincolnshire, East Midlands.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Brian Westlake · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
744
Census 2021 · North Kesteven council
Median home
£367K
34 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.9
26% are 65+ · Lincolnshire 22%
Degree level
40%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Dunston a good place to live?
There are no grades for Dunston: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 8% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. 7 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I.
What makes Dunston stand out
The 3 things Dunston does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 3.9 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
26% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Dunston.
Who lives here
More people in Dunston hold a degree than in Lincolnshire’s towns or England’s towns: 40%
7.1% of residents are aged 15 to 24. People 65 and over make up just over a quarter of the town, higher than both Lincolnshire’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (18%). Half of Dunston is older than 50.9, half younger.
50.9median age
DunstonLincolnshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications10%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level40%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Dunston | Lincolnshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.1% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 26% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 10% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.6% | 6.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 40% | 25% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lincolnshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Dunston
Below is its only school. Key Stage 2 results at the 3 primary schools within 3 km: 50% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). 94 pupils attend Dunston’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dunston St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 94 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Dunston: just 14% travel under 5 km, below Lincolnshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Jobs per working resident: 0.4. The car took 89% of commuters, above Lincolnshire’s towns (79%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Home was the main workplace for just over a third of workers at the census. Work in town: 3% of resident commuters.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot5%
Bus1%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
Underground, tram1%
14%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£52K
mean household income, before tax
1.4%
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
Most households in Dunston own their home: 82%, more than in Lincolnshire’s towns and across England’s towns
At the median, a home went for £367K, above Lincolnshire’s towns (£235K) and England’s towns (£308K) alike. Renting privately is how 10% of households live. The social rented sector houses 7% of households.
£367Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Dunston£367K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £459,000 | 24 |
| Terraced | £182,500 | 6 |
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£824
average private rent a month, North Kesteven council area
£2,303
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
Violence is recorded less often in Dunston than in Lincolnshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 7.6 per 1,000 residents a year
Burglary and damage came to 5.4 per 1,000 residents a year, below Lincolnshire’s towns (7.8) and England’s towns (9.4) alike. Police figures for Dunston’s built-up area: 13 crimes and 5 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences made up 54% of the total.
7.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Other theft2
Burglary2
Damage & arson1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Drugs0
Anti-social5
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.
7.6
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
4.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
13
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
Fewer people in Dunston live with a disability than in Lincolnshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 16%
84% of people in Dunston rate their own health good or very good. At the census, 4% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, lower than both Lincolnshire’s towns (5.9%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Seeing a GP means leaving Dunston: the nearest practice is 1.2 miles away.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Dunston | Lincolnshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 20% | 17% |
80.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, 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 and early deaths.
History
Much of Dunston is a conservation area: 25% of its land, more than in Lincolnshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Relative to its size, Dunston keeps 94 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above Lincolnshire’s towns (42) and England’s towns (39) alike. Homes built before 1919 account for nearly a fifth of the housing.
7listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II7
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
19%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
94
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dunston
13pages on Dunston
The big questions
Safety7.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £367K · rent £824 a monthHousing10 sold in 12 months · busiest street Fen LaneSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 80.3 (men), 81.5 (women)Work & commute53% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards8.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Dunston’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MetheringhamBranstonWashingborough and HeighingtonBardneyFiskertonBracebridge HeathNavenbyDunston
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunston | 744 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Metheringham | 3,524 | 1 | B | A | A− | C+ |
| Branston | 4,285 | 3.9 | B+ | A | B | B− |
| Washingborough and Heighington | 6,386 | 4.9 | A | A | A | B+ |
| Bardney | 2,069 | 5.2 | — | A | C+ | C+ |
| Fiskerton | 1,202 | 5.6 | — | A | A− | C+ |
| Bracebridge Heath | 5,794 | 5.7 | A− | A+ | B+ | B |
| Navenby | 3,165 | 6 | A | A− | A | A− |
Bardney and Fiskerton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Dunston
How many listed buildings are there in Dunston?
That is 3.9 times the typical UK town for its size.
Who lives in Dunston?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 26% of residents were 65 or over and 30% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 17% were under 15.
Is Dunston expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £182,500 and detached houses £459,000. Private rents in the North Kesteven council area averaged £824 a month in August 2026.
About Dunston
Village in Lincolnshire, England
Dunston is a built-up area of 744 people, in the North Kesteven 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
- 744 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North Kesteven
- County
- Lincolnshire
- Region
- East Midlands
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001719
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.