Berrow and Brean’s story
15 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Berrow and Brean’s built-up area.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Berrow and BreanSomerset
Over-65s are 38% of the population. It is a village of 2,252 residents in Somerset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Neil Owen · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,252
Census 2021 · Sedgemoor council
Median home
£325K
102 sales in 3 years
Median age
58.5
38% are 65+ · Somerset 23%
Degree level
21%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Berrow and Brean a good place to live?
Cost of living is its weak spot (D) — the median home sold for £325,000, 6.6 years of area income. Elsewhere it is close to typical: C+ for health and B− for walkability. Police record more crime here than in most towns (C−): police record 44.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 11.7 home and vehicle crimes. Against UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, it has more crime per resident than 94%.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · life expectancy, ONS · commuting, Census 2021 · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Berrow and Brean is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
ONS publishes one rent for all of Somerset, so this town's Cost Grade uses house prices and council tax only.
How Berrow and Brean grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Berrow and Brean is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Berrow and Brean is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnDOpen →SafetyCrime runs among the highest comparedC−Open →Hazard risk3% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 51% of towns in England; secondary results beat 7% of towns in EnglandC−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £51,081; 2.2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 80.1 for men, 84.1 for womenC+Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryClose to the middle of the towns comparedB−Open →Outdoors75% live within 400 m of a park; 1% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA−Open →Civic life1.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Berrow and Brean stand out
The 3 things Berrow and Brean does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Mary; 2.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
38% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
14% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Berrow and Brean.
Who lives here
Children make up only 9.4% of Berrow and Brean, fewer than in Somerset’s towns and across England’s towns
58.5median age
Those aged 15 to 24 account for 7% of residents. People 65 and over make up 38% of the town, higher than both Somerset’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%). Berrow and Brean has a median age of 58.5. Just over a fifth of adults hold a degree.
Berrow and BreanSomersetEngland
Ages · share of residents
38%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications27%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level21%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Berrow and Brean | Somerset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.4% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 38% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 27% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.1% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 21% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Somerset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC−
Berrow and Brean’s schools fall behind 76% of towns in England on results
C−School Grade
62% of pupils at the 4 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). There is one school here; it is shown below. GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: 27% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 38.9.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berrow Church Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 173 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade D
More households own their home in Berrow and Brean than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns: 79%
£325Kmedian sale
4% live in social housing, below Somerset’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private rents average £1,016 a month across the Somerset council area. Renting privately is how 17% of households live.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Berrow and Brean£325K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £430,000 | 53 |
| Semi-detached | £280,000 | 29 |
| Terraced | £230,000 | 7 |
| Flat or maisonette | £110,000 | 13 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
17%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,016
average private rent a month, Somerset council area
£2,492
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
Per resident, Berrow and Brean sees more crime than 85% of UK towns
44.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
Police recorded 169 crimes inside Berrow and Brean’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 17 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were nearly three fifths of the crimes. There were 5.5 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below Somerset’s towns (7.3) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 6% 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 & sexual100
Public order16
Damage & arson12
Other theft11
Burglary11
Vehicle crime4
Other crime4
Shoplifting3
Anti-social17
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.
44.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
169
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 Berrow and Brean say their health is good than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns: 72%
72%good or very good healthC+Health Grade
26% of residents have a disability, above both Somerset’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). At the census, 7.5% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. Berrow and Brean has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.8 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 72%Fair 20%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Berrow and Brean | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 72% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.5% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 26% | 18% | 17% |
80.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
History
1 Grade I buildings among Berrow and Brean’s 15 listed
15listed buildingsB−History Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, below Somerset’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. Berrow and Brean’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary, Grade I. Scaled to its population, that is 67 listed buildings for every 10,000 people in the town.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II13
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
11%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
67
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Fewer commuters in Berrow and Brean walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Somerset’s towns or England’s towns: 14%
14%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 28% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Nearly a third of commuters travelled under 5 km, lower than both Somerset’s towns (46%) and England’s towns (45%). By car: that was how 84% of commuters travelled at the census. About 16% of its commuters stay in Berrow and Brean for work. Jobs per working resident: 1.6.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot9%
Bicycle3%
Bus1%
32%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
28%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 49% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Berrow and Brean
15pages on Berrow and Brean
The big questions
SafetyC−44.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £325K · rent £1,016 a monthHousing32 sold in 12 months · busiest street South RoadSchoolsC−1 state schoolHealthC+Life expectancy 80.1 (men), 84.1 (women)Work & commuteC55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC−3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Brean Leisure Park and 9 more in and around Berrow and Brean
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Berrow and Brean. Best known first.
Theme parkBrean Leisure Parkin town
Theme parkGrand Pier Main Pavilion4.3 km outside town, to the north
PierBurnham Pier2.3 km outside town, to the south
MuseumWeston Museum4.7 km outside town, to the north
Theme parkTropicana3.7 km outside town, to the northTheme parkTheme parkBrean Theme Parkin townPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Brean Leisure Park: Cboomf (Uploads), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Grand Pier Main Pavilion: Geof Sheppard, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Burnham Pier: Chilli Head, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Weston Museum: Neil Owen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tropicana: Chris Sampson, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Berrow and Brean
5 notable people were born in Berrow and Brean.
C
Charles WhitcombeProfessional golfer (1895–1981)E
Ernest WhitcombeProfessional golfer · 1890–1971E
Ernest FoordBritish golfer (1883-1941)J
James BradbeerGolfer (1880-1937)Photo credits
Elizabeth Hartley: Samuel William Reynolds (1773-1835) after Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), Public domain
About Berrow and Brean
Village in Somerset, England
Berrow and Brean is a built-up area of 2,252 people, in the Sedgemoor 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
- 2,252 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Sedgemoor
- County
- Somerset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005512
Berrow and Brean’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Burnham-on-SeaHighbridgeHuttonWeston-super-MareLockingKewstokeBanwellBerrow and Brean
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berrow and Brean | 2,252 | — | — | D | C− | C+ |
| Burnham-on-Sea | 16,317 | 2.9 | D | C | C− | C− |
| Highbridge | 5,366 | 4.1 | D− | C+ | D− | D |
| Hutton | 1,686 | 4.9 | — | C | A− | B+ |
| Weston-super-Mare | 84,600 | 5.7 | D | B− | D | C− |
| Locking | 3,819 | 5.9 | D | C+ | C− | B |
| Kewstoke | 1,609 | 6.8 | — | C− | D− | B− |
| Banwell | 2,178 | 7 | — | C | C+ | B |
Hutton, Kewstoke and Banwell have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Berrow and Brean
Who lives in Berrow and Brean?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 38% of residents were 65 or over and 31% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 9.4% were under 15.
How many listed buildings are there in Berrow and Brean?
That is 2.7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary.
Does Berrow and Brean flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
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.