Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Some 3,576 people live in this town, in Shropshire, West Midlands. 61% of households own their home outright.
Church Stretton does the important things well, at a cost. Its strongest subject is walkability — on the way to work, 25% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. What holds it back is hazard risk: 12.5% of homes face a high or medium risk of river or sea flooding. The median home sold for £361,000, 7.2 times what households in the Shropshire council area earn in a year. All told, that adds up to a B+ overall and a rank of #3 of 19 in Shropshire. Set against the rest, it does better than nearly three quarters of UK towns.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · flood risk, Environment Agency · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Church Stretton is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The 3 things Church Stretton does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 46 buildings inside Church Stretton’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade I.
21% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →46 listed buildings in Church Stretton, 1 of them Grade I.
17, High Street: Photo: Richard Law · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Tudor Cottage: Photo: Jaggery · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Kings Arms Public House: Photo: Dr Neil Clifton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ashford House: Photo: Richard Law · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Geograph
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Church Stretton.
Half the people of Church Stretton are older than 61.1. Children under 15 make up 9.8%, lower than both Shropshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Add to that, 7.2% of residents are aged 15 to 24.
53% women, 47% men
About 87 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Church Stretton | Shropshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.8% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.2% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 12% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 43% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 5.9% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 42% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Shropshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Between them, one primary and one secondary teach 761 pupils in Church Stretton. Below are its two schools. Attainment 8 at the one secondary school within 3 km averages 44.7, and just over two in five pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Lawrence CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 222 | A− |
| Church Stretton SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 539 | C+ |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 31% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 1.9%. 73% of commuters drove, lower than Shropshire’s towns (80%) yet higher than England’s towns (70%). For every resident in work, Church Stretton has 0.8 jobs.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Per 10,000 residents, Church Stretton counts 129 listed buildings, above both Shropshire’s towns (71) and England’s towns (39). Its listed buildings include the Church of St Lawrence, Grade I. Historic England’s list names 46 listed buildings in the town: 1 Grade I, 2 Grade II*. Homes built before 1919 account for 21% of the housing.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
78% of people in Church Stretton rate their own health good or very good. The nearest A&E to Church Stretton is Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, 11.9 miles away. One GP practice serves the town; just over four in five patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
| Census 2021 | Church Stretton | Shropshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 19% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
The private rented sector houses 13% of households. 11% live in social housing, below Shropshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Church Stretton is the most expensive of the 20 towns in Shropshire: its median sale is £361,000.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £525,000 | 103 |
| Semi-detached | £310,750 | 36 |
| Terraced | £250,000 | 17 |
| Flat or maisonette | £120,000 | 42 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 4.3 reports per 1,000, below Shropshire’s towns (8.2) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Over the year to August 2026, 102 offences were reported in Church Stretton, along with 12 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Per 1,000 residents, 7.1 burglaries and acts of damage are recorded a year. Violence and sexual offences made up 53% of the total.
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.
3 notable people were born in Church Stretton.
Town in Shropshire, England
Church Stretton is a built-up area of 3,576 people, in the Shropshire 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
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Church Stretton | 3,576 | — | B+ | C | B+ | A− |
| Craven Arms | 2,563 | 6.8 | C+ | A− | C− | B− |
| Pontesbury | 1,968 | 8.6 | — | C+ | B− | B− |
| Minsterley | 1,719 | 8.6 | — | A− | C+ | C+ |
| Bishop's Castle | 1,847 | 8.8 | — | B− | C+ | B− |
| Bayston Hill | 5,221 | 9.5 | A | B | A+ | B |
| Hanwood | 1,257 | 10 | — | B+ | C | C+ |
| Much Wenlock | 1,766 | 11 | — | B− | C+ | B |
Pontesbury, Minsterley, Bishop's Castle, Hanwood and Much Wenlock have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
That is 5.3 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Lawrence.
Band D council tax in Church Stretton is £2,703 for 2026–27, more than in 96% 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.
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.
