Photo: Outwivcamera · CC BY-SA 4.0How long people live in Rhayader: 78.9 for men and 80.9 for women
For 2019 to 2023, the figures across Wales are 78.1 and 81.9. At the 2021 Census, 100 people reported bad or very bad health for every 100 expected from Rhayader’s ages at England and Wales’s rates. Rhayader grades C− for health: life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, and Census bad health and disability, each adjusted for age.
What stands out about health in Rhayader
The nearest major A&E is a long way off
Bronglais General Hospital is about 25 mi from the village centre in a straight line; the typical UK town’s nearest A&E is 5.8 mi away. Getting care ↓
Written from the Census 2021 and NHS Wales figures on this page.
Rhayader grades C− for health
Healthier than 25% of UK towns, on age-adjusted measures.
Behind the typical UK town on every measure. Even its strongest, disability and Census bad health, are in the bottom 40% of UK towns; women’s life expectancy and women’s years in good health are furthest behind.
Each measure is ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, the ranks are averaged, and the average is ranked again. Every measure allows for the town’s ages: life expectancy is worked out from the death rate at each age, so it doesn’t depend on how old the town’s residents are; the Census answers are counted against what England and Wales’s rates by single year of age would give a town with these ages, so a seaside town of retired people isn’t marked down for being old.
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.
Care in and near Rhayader
The nearest A&E, GP practices, and where to go when it’s urgent but not an emergency. In an emergency, call 999.
| Distance | Hospital |
|---|---|
| 6.9 mi | Llandrindod Wells Hospital Llandrindod Wells |
| 10 mi | Llanidloes and District War Memorial Hospital Llanidloes |
| 19 mi | Tregaron Community Hospital Tregaron |
| 20 mi | Knighton Hospital Knighton |
| 23 mi | Bronllys Day Hospital Brecon |
| 23 mi | Bronllys Hospital Brecon |
| 24 mi | Llandovery Hospital Llandovery |
| 25 mi | Broddyfi Community Hospital Machynlleth |
NHS Wales hospital sites from the NHS Organisation Data Service (October 2026). “A&E” marks the 12 hospitals with a major emergency department; minor injury units aren’t listed. Healthcare Inspectorate Wales inspects Welsh hospitals but doesn’t publish ratings, so none are shown.
1 GP practice in Rhayader
Nearest first.
| Practice | Distance |
|---|---|
| Rhayader Group Practice Rhayader LD6 5ED | 0.2 mi |
GP practices in Wales from the NHS Organisation Data Service (October 2026), placed by postcode. Healthcare Inspectorate Wales doesn’t publish practice ratings. You can register with any practice whose area covers your address.
Fewer people in Rhayader call their health good than across Powys
Census 2021, all residents, as answered (not adjusted for age).
Adjusted for age, 100 report bad health for every 100 expected, close to the national rate.
Show as a table
| Census 2021 | Rhayader | Powys | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 73% | 78% | 78% |
| Fair health | 20% | 16% | 15% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.9% | 6.5% | 7.1% |
| Disabled under the Equality Act | 23% | 22% | 22% |
| Day-to-day activities limited a lot | 10% | 9.7% | 11% |
Powys and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas (towns and cities), from the same Census 2021 output areas.
How Rhayader compares with UK towns of 1,000 to 2,000
Ordered by Health Grade: the top three, the towns either side of Rhayader, and others in Powys. Bad health per 100 expected for each town’s ages.
| # | Town | People | Bad health | Health | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Keswick West Yorkshire | 1,145 | 35 | A+ | |
| 2 | Bardsey West Yorkshire | 1,819 | 34 | A+ | |
| 3 | Upper Basildon Berkshire | 1,074 | 47 | A+ | |
| … | |||||
| 337 | Llangynidr Powys | 1,038 | 55 | A− | |
| … | |||||
| 500 | Four Crosses Powys | 1,469 | 87 | B+ | |
| … | |||||
| 589 | Guilsfield Powys | 1,160 | 88 | B+ | |
| … | |||||
| 1098 | Johnston Dyfed | 1,766 | 122 | C | |
| 1099 | Bean Kent | 1,633 | 87 | C− | |
| 1100 | Rhayader Powys | 1,837 | 100 | C− | |
| 1101 | Foxhole Cornwall | 1,526 | 133 | C− | |
| 1102 | Llanddulas Clwyd | 1,097 | 99 | C− | |
| … | |||||
| 1215 | Toll Bar South Yorkshire | 1,213 | 207 | D− | |
Health letters rank against every UK town of 1,000 or more; the order here is context only. Welsh towns are graded on life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and the two Census measures: OHID’s early-death, admissions and child-obesity figures cover England.
Health in the places around Rhayader
Bad health per 100 expected for each place’s ages, and the nearest A&E. Tap a town for its health page.
| Town | People | Bad health | Nearest A&E | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhayader | 1,837 | 100 | 25 mi | C− |
| Llandrindod Wells | 5,429 | 124 | 31 mi | C− |
| Llanidloes | 2,197 | 97 | 23 mi | B− |
| Builth Wells | 2,620 | 89 | 27 mi | C+ |
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Adjusted for age. A ratio of 100 means as many deaths, admissions or reports of bad health as England’s rates (England and Wales’s for the Census) would give a town with these ages; 120 means a fifth more.
- Small areas, summed to the town. The Census measures are counted for the town’s own output areas.
- Different years. The Census was taken in March 2021. NHS sites are as listed by NHS Wales in October 2026.
- Distances are straight lines. Miles are measured from the town’s centre to each site; the road is longer. For an emergency, call 999; for urgent advice, call NHS 111.
Questions about health in Rhayader
How healthy is Rhayader?
Rhayader earns a C− for health, healthier than 25% of UK towns on measures adjusted for age. Life expectancy is 78.9 for men and 80.9 for women (ONS, 2019 to 2023; Wales 78.1 and 81.9). For Welsh towns the grade uses life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and two Census 2021 measures: 100 residents in bad health and 107 disabled for every 100 expected for the town’s ages. OHID’s early-death, admissions and child-obesity figures cover England only.
Where is the nearest A&E to Rhayader?
Bronglais General Hospital in Aberystwyth, about 25 mi from the town centre in a straight line. In an emergency call 999; for urgent advice call NHS 111.
How many GP practices are there in Rhayader?
Rhayader has 1 GP practice with surgeries inside the town.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026.
Sources: ONS health state life expectancy for small areas (MSOAs), England and Wales, 2019 to 2023 (life expectancy and healthy life expectancy) · ONS Census 2021 general health and disability, adjusted for age by TownRatings (observed ÷ expected at England and Wales rates) · NHS Organisation Data Service (GP practices and NHS Wales sites, October 2026) · ONS Postcode Directory · 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.