Aberfan’s story
3 listed buildings
Cadw lists them inside Aberfan’s built-up area.
61% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
AberfanMid Glamorgan
In Mid Glamorgan, Wales, this village has 2,431 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Llywelyn2000 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,431
Census 2021 · Merthyr Tydfil council
Median home
£120K
55 sales in 3 years
Median age
40.2
19% are 65+ · Mid Glamorgan 20%
Degree level
21%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · Wales 16%
Is Aberfan a good place to live?
Health is a weak point: 10% in bad or very bad health, 26% disabled. The median home sold for £120,000, 2.9 times what households in the Merthyr Tydfil council area earn in a year. Jobs and pay trail most towns: households earn a mean £38,905 a year, and 3.5% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for walkability and C+ for hazard risk.
Figures: health, Census 2021 (the grade adjusts for age) · income, ONS · claimants, DWP · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021 · flood risk, Natural Resources Wales. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Aberfan has subject grades but no overall one.
This town's Health Grade uses ONS's small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for 2019 to 2023, and two Census 2021 measures, bad health and disability, adjusted for age. English towns' grades also use OHID's small-area early deaths, hospital admissions and child obesity, which OHID publishes for England only.
How Aberfan grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Aberfan is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedD−Open →Jobs & incomeAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD−Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentC−Open →Hazard risk0.5% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC+Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carB−Open →Cost of livingAbout average among the towns comparedB−Open →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History3 listed buildingsC+Open →Outdoors58% live within 400 m of a park; 4.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life2.5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 75% live within 1 km of a libraryA−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Aberfan stand out
The 3 things Aberfan does most differently from other towns.
Homes built before 1919
History
61% of homes built before 1919
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
57% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Household income, against UK towns
Work
Mean, before tax: lower than in 96% of UK towns
ONS small-area income estimates.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Aberfan.
Health
Lifespans in Aberfan run shorter than in 99% of UK towns
74%good or very good healthD−Health Grade
Just over a quarter of residents have a disability, above both Mid Glamorgan’s towns (23%) and Wales’s towns (22%). Aberfan has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.3 miles away. Asked at the census, 74% of residents of Aberfan said they were in good or very good health. The nearest A&E to Aberfan is Prince Charles Hospital, 5.2 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 74%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 10%
| Census 2021 | Aberfan | Mid Glamorgan | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 74% | 77% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 10% | 8.2% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 26% | 23% | 22% |
73.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
77.4
life expectancy at birth, women
Welsh towns’ Health Grades use ONS’s small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for 2019 to 2023, and two Census 2021 measures, bad health and disability, adjusted for age. English towns’ also use OHID’s small-area early deaths, hospital admissions and child obesity, which OHID publishes for England only.
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · ONS, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy among them.
Schools
2 state schools in Aberfan
Aberfan’s two primaries have 589 pupils between them. They are listed below. All of them are below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ynysowen Community Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 311 | – |
| Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Rhyd-Y-GrugLargest Welsh-medium schoolPrimary | Primary | 278 | – |
Welsh Government · schools list · Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.See all 2 schools →
Safety
Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Aberfan records more crime per resident than 92% of them
42.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
Violence accounts for 42.1 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Over the year to August 2026, 168 offences were reported in Aberfan, along with 22 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Burglary and damage came to 10 per 1,000 residents a year, near Mid Glamorgan’s towns (10.4) and lower than Wales’s towns (10.7).
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 8% 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 & sexual84
Public order28
Damage & arson21
Other theft9
Other crime8
Vehicle crime5
Burglary4
Weapons4
Anti-social22
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.
42.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
168
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
History
Aberfan keeps more of its old housing than Mid Glamorgan’s towns or Wales’s towns: 61% built before 1919
3listed buildingsC+History Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II covers all 3 listed buildings that Cadw records here. For its size, Aberfan has 12 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above Mid Glamorgan’s towns (8) but below Wales’s towns (18).
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
61%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
12
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Cadw list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Fewer commuters in Aberfan work nearby than in Mid Glamorgan’s towns or Wales’s towns: 22% travel under 5 km
14%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 14% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Working mainly from home: 14% of workers, below both Mid Glamorgan’s towns (21%) and Wales’s towns (24%). About 6% of its commuters stay in Aberfan for work. Jobs per working resident: 0.3.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving85%
Bus7%
On foot5%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
22%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
14%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£39K
mean household income, before tax
3.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 53% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B−
More households in Aberfan live in social housing than in Mid Glamorgan’s towns or Wales’s towns: 20%
£120Kmedian sale
Private rents average £754 a month across the Merthyr Tydfil council area. 55 standard sales inside Aberfan’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £120,000. Households that own their home make up 65%.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Aberfan£120K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £120,000 | 11 |
| Terraced | £120,000 | 42 |
65%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
14%
rent privately · Wales 17%
£754
average private rent a month, Merthyr Tydfil council area
£2,594
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Fewer people in Aberfan hold a degree than in Mid Glamorgan’s towns or Wales’s towns: 21%
40.2median age
Aberfan has a median age of 40.2 years. Children under 15 make up 18%, near Mid Glamorgan’s towns (17%) and higher than Wales’s towns (17%). Over-65s are 19% of the population.
AberfanMid GlamorganWales
Ages · share of residents
11%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications28%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level21%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Aberfan | Mid Glamorgan | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 26% | 25% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 27% | 26% |
| 65+ | 19% | 20% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 28% | 24% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.6% | 5.3% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 21% | 28% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · Mid Glamorgan and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Aberfan
14pages on Aberfan
The big questions
SafetyC−42.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £120K · rent £754 a monthHousing18 sold in 12 months · busiest street Aberfan RoadSchools2 state schools (no results published in Wales)HealthD−Work & commuteD−36% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC+0.5% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Famous people from Aberfan
5 notable people were born in Aberfan.
About Aberfan
Village in Mid Glamorgan, Wales
Aberfan is a built-up area of 2,431 people, in the Merthyr Tydfil 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
- 2,431 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Merthyr Tydfil
- County
- Mid Glamorgan
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000454
Aberfan’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BedlinogTroedyrhiw and PentrebachMountain AshTreharrisAbercynonTrelewisNelsonAberfan
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberfan | 2,431 | — | — | B− | C− | D− |
| Bedlinog | 1,098 | 1.6 | — | B− | C− | D− |
| Troedyrhiw and Pentrebach | 3,780 | 1.6 | D− | B− | D | D− |
| Mountain Ash | 13,002 | 1.7 | D | B+ | D | D− |
| Treharris | 5,042 | 2.6 | D | B− | C+ | D |
| Abercynon | 6,376 | 2.8 | D | B+ | C− | D− |
| Trelewis | 2,022 | 2.8 | — | B− | C | D |
| Nelson | 4,235 | 3.8 | C | B+ | C | D |
Bedlinog and Trelewis have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Aberfan
Is Aberfan expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £120,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
How many listed buildings are there in Aberfan?
3 on Cadw’s list.
Is Aberfan safe?
Police recorded 168 crimes inside Aberfan’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 50% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
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) · Cadw listed buildings, scheduled monuments and registered historic parks and gardens via DataMapWales, 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.