Garrel Mill House · Category B listed · Photo: BJ Smur · CC BY-SA 2.0
Kilsyth’s story
Kilsyth in pictures
Historic Environment Scotland lists 11 buildings inside Kilsyth’s locality, 1 of them in the top category.
Explore the history →
KilsythNorth Lanarkshire
A town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, home to 10,958 people. Band D council tax is £1,555.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Tim Heaton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
10,958
Census 2022 · North Lanarkshire council
Median home
£125K
454 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.6
21% are 65+ · North Lanarkshire 18%
Degree level
23%
of residents 16+ · Scotland 32%
Walk, cycle, bus
16%
of commuters · Scotland 27%
Is Kilsyth a good place to live?
Homes are affordable: the median home sold for £124,800, 2.8 years of area income. Health lags (D): life expectancy 75.7 for men, 81 for women. It lags on hazard risk as well (C+) — 1.4% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Homes sell for a median £124,800.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · life expectancy, ONS · flood risk, SEPA. Without street-level crime figures from Police Scotland, Kilsyth has no Safety Grade, and so no overall grade. Its other subjects still get grades, below.
What makes Kilsyth stand out
The 3 things Kilsyth does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
55% below the typical town in England and Wales’s £277K
Data-zone medians, 2023 to 2025, at early-2025 prices.
Band D council tax
Council tax
£1,555 Band D
37% below the typical town in England and Wales’s £2,472, 2026–27
The council’s Band D; water and sewerage are billed on top. Scottish Government.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
16% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (Scotland’s towns 27%)
How Kilsyth grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Scotland), ordered by how far Kilsyth is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Without street-level crime figures from Police Scotland, Kilsyth has no Safety Grade, and so no overall grade. Its other subjects still get grades, below.
Cost of livingRent £779 a monthA+Open →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesDOpen →SchoolsSchools rank among the strongest comparedA−Open →Hazard riskWeaker than most of the towns comparedC+Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carBOpen →
SafetyNo street-level crime data–
Jobs & incomeNo small-area income data in Scotland–
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Kilsyth Museum and 5 more in and around Kilsyth
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Kilsyth. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumKilsyth Museumin town
FortAntonine Wall400 m outside town, to the southwest
FortDuncarron Medieval Village4.6 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumColzium Museum100 m outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumCumbernauld Museum4.1 km outside town, to the southeastCastleCastleColzium Castle300 m outside town, to the northeast
FortAntonine Wall400 m outside town, to the southwestFortDuncarron Medieval Village4.6 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumColzium Museum100 m outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumCumbernauld Museum4.1 km outside town, to the southeastCastleCastleColzium Castle300 m outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Antonine Wall: Chris Wimbush, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Duncarron Medieval Village: The Clanranald Trust for Scotland, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Kilsyth.
HousingCost of living grade A+
Buying in Kilsyth costs less than in North Lanarkshire’s towns or Scotland’s towns, at an estimated median of £125K
Private renters make up 10% of households. 30% live in social housing, close to North Lanarkshire’s towns (28%) and above Scotland’s towns (24%). Owners make up nearly three in five households.
£125Kmedian sale
Median sale price · 2023 to 2025, at early-2025 prices
Kilsyth£125K
Typical UK town£277K
59%
of households own their home · Scotland 60%
10%
rent privately · Scotland 13%
£779
average private rent a month, North Lanarkshire council area
£1,555
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
Registers of Scotland data-zone sale prices · Scottish Government council tax · Scotland’s Census 2022 tenure · OGL · The Scottish median is our estimate from data-zone sales, brought to early-2025 prices.
SchoolsA−
Kilsyth’s schools outperform 82% of Scottish towns on results
Two of its 5 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. Kilsyth Academy’s results beat 78% of schools in Scotland like it. Between them, four primaries and one secondary teach 1,147 pupils locally.
A−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balmalloch Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 318 | – |
| Kilsyth AcademyLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 428 | A− |
Scottish Government · school statistics and leavers’ results · The grade uses the secondaries its children go to; Scotland publishes no primary results by school.See all 5 schools →
Health
People in Kilsyth live shorter lives than in 90% of UK towns
75% of Kilsyth’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, near North Lanarkshire’s towns (75%) and lower than Scotland’s towns (78%). At the census, 9.1% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. Disability touches 27% of the town’s population.
75%good or very good healthDHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 75%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 9%
| Census 2022 | Kilsyth | North Lanarkshire | Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 75% | 75% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 9.1% | 9% | 7.2% |
| Activities limited (health or disability) | 27% | 26% | 24% |
75.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2020–24)
81
life expectancy at birth, women
Scotland’s Census 2022, general health and disability · Public Health Scotland life expectancy by intermediate zone, 2020–24 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
Work & commute
Only 21% of Kilsyth’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in North Lanarkshire’s towns or Scotland’s towns
Scotland’s Census was taken on 20 March 2022, a year after England and Wales’s lockdown census; 29% of workers were mainly at home, and shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, 16% of commuters got to work without a car. 15% of commuters who live in Kilsyth also work there. The car carried 83% of commuters at the census.
16%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2022
Driving83%
On foot6%
Bus5%
Train4%
Bicycle1%
21%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Scotland 44%
29%
worked mainly from home in March 2022
2.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B
Walkability: more walkable than 61% of UK towns
Scotland’s Census 2022 (NRS), method of travel and distance to work · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Kilsyth has 11 listed buildings, 1 of them in the top category
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Category B covers 7 of them, Category A 1. Kilsyth’s listed buildings include 30 Low Craigends, St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, Category A. Conservation areas cover 2% of the town’s land, above North Lanarkshire’s towns (0%) and Scotland’s towns (1%) alike.
11listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic Environment Scotland
Category A1
Category B7
Category C3
Among them · Category A
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
10
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical town in England and Wales 24
Historic Environment Scotland list, October 2026 · OGL
Who lives here
An older town: 21% of people in Kilsyth are 65 or over, more than in North Lanarkshire’s towns or Scotland’s towns
The middle age in Kilsyth is 44.6. Young adults of 15 to 24 are just over a tenth of the population. Degrees are held by 23% of adults, about level with North Lanarkshire’s towns (23%) and below Scotland’s towns (32%).
44.6median age
KilsythNorth LanarkshireScotland
Ages · share of residents
21%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship10%
Highers or similar10%
Degree level23%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across Scotland, 51% of residents are women.
| Kilsyth | North Lanarkshire | Scotland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 16% | 15% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 25% | 26% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 29% | 27% |
| 65+ | 21% | 18% | 19% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 21% | 17% |
| Apprenticeship | 9.7% | 8.4% | 7.5% |
| Highers or similar | 10% | 11% | 11% |
| Degree level | 23% | 23% | 32% |
Scotland’s Census 2022 · North Lanarkshire and Scotland: all residents of their towns · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kilsyth
14pages on Kilsyth
The big questions
SafetyNot graded · 26% live in Scotland’s most crime-deprived fifthCost of livingA+Median home £125K · rent £779 a monthSchoolsA−5 state schoolsHealthDLife expectancy 75.7 (men), 81 (women)Work & commute55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC+1.4% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Landmarks
11 listed buildings in Kilsyth, 1 of them in the top category.
Parish Church Backbrae StreetCategory B listed
Colzium Lennox EstateGrade park or garden
Nos 48 and 50 Market StreetCategory C listed
6, 7, 8 and 9 Market Square (former court house and police station), …Category C listed
Photo credits
Parish Church Backbrae Street: Photo: Texas Radio and The Big Beat · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Colzium Lennox Estate: Photo: Texas Radio and The Big Beat · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Nos 48 and 50 Market Street: Photo: BJ Smur · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 6, 7, 8 and 9 Market Square (former court house and police station), excluding detached brick shed and boundary walls to rear, Kilsyth.: Photo: Texas Radio and The Big Beat · CC BY-SA 2.0
Famous people from Kilsyth
25 notable people were born in Kilsyth.
C
Charlie EganAustralian soccer player · born 1959G
Graeme EnglishBritish wrestler · 1964–2021I
Irv FrewScottish-born Canadian ice hockey player · 1907–1995Photo credits
Tom Walker: Tore Sætre, CC BY-SA 4.0 · John Livingstone: Frans Hals, Public domain
Kilsyth’s neighbours
The nearest towns and villages, from National Records of Scotland’s 2022 localities. See them on the map →
CumbernauldKirkintillochMilton of CampsieMoodiesburnLenzieChrystonLennoxtownKilsyth
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilsyth | 10,958 | — | — | A+ | — | D |
| Cumbernauld | 50,557 | 3.1 | — | A+ | — | D |
| Kirkintilloch | 22,013 | 4.2 | — | A | — | C− |
| Milton of Campsie | 3,843 | 4.2 | — | A | — | C |
| Moodiesburn | 6,706 | 4.5 | — | A+ | — | D |
| Lenzie | 8,278 | 5.4 | — | B+ | — | A |
| Chryston | 3,257 | 5.5 | — | B | — | C− |
| Lennoxtown | 4,162 | 5.5 | — | A | — | D |
No Scottish town has a Safety Grade or an overall grade yet: Police Scotland doesn’t publish street-level crime. People: Census 2022. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Kilsyth
Is Kilsyth expensive to live in?
On cost of living it is the 58th most affordable of 296 Scottish towns.
How much is council tax in Kilsyth?
Band D council tax in Kilsyth is £1,555 for 2026–27, less than in 98% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Are schools in Kilsyth good?
GCSE results beat 82% of towns in England (Department for Education, Attainment 8).
About Kilsyth
Town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland
Kilsyth is a locality of 10,958 people, in the North Lanarkshire council area. TownRatings uses National Records of Scotland’s 2022 localities as Scotland’s towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council area, so its figures cover the town itself. Localities split the big settlements into their towns, as ONS’s 2022 boundaries split conurbations in England and Wales.
Built from NRS geography and Census 2022
- Population
- 10,958 (Census 2022)
- Council
- North Lanarkshire
- Nation
- Scotland
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi (4.2 km²)
- NRS code
- S52000353
Sources: Scotland’s Census 2022 (National Records of Scotland), output areas summed to the NRS 2022 locality · Registers of Scotland house price statistics, medians and quartiles of residential sales by 2022 data zone, 2004 to 2025 (the 2023 to 2025 headline brought to early-2025 prices with each council’s medians) · Scottish Government, Council Tax by band 2026-27; Scottish Water charges 2026-27 · Scottish Government, Recorded Crime in Scotland (crimes, offences and clear-up rates by council area, 2016-17 to 2025-26); Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020v2 crime domain and SIMD crime indicators (2014/15, 2017/18), 2011 data zones with Census 2022 residents · ONS gross disposable household income by council (2022), scaled to household income on England and Wales’s councils, with Scotland’s Census 2022 households · DWP / ONS Claimant Count via Nomis (2022 data zones, January to August 2026), over residents aged 16 to 64 at Scotland’s Census 2022; council series since 2015 · Scottish Government school contact list (31 July 2026) and school summary statistics (pupil census, September 2025); School Information Dashboard leavers’ attainment by school, 2022-23 to 2024-25 (data.gov.scot) · 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.