Chelston’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Chelston’s built-up area.
35% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ChelstonSomerset
Population 415: a village in Somerset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Roger Cornfoot · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
415
Census 2021 · Somerset West and Taunton council
Median age
48.8
21% are 65+ · Somerset 23%
Degree level
34%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Chelston a good place to live?
Chelston is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. Just over one in ten commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Pre-1919 homes make up 35% of the housing.
What makes Chelston stand out
The 2 things Chelston does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Chelston.
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Chelston walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Somerset’s towns or England’s towns: 11%
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.
1% of people aged 16 to 64 were on unemployment benefits in 2026. The car took 86% of commuters, above both Somerset’s towns (76%) and England’s towns (70%). For 28% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot9%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
28%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
31%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£54K
mean household income, before tax
1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Most households in Chelston own their home: 78%, more than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns
11% of households rent privately. Social housing holds 8% of households, below Somerset’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private rents average £1,016 a month across the Somerset council area.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Chelston£0K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £231,475 | 6 |
78%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,016
average private rent a month, Somerset council area
£2,402
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
Homes in Chelston see more burglary and damage than in Somerset’s towns or England’s towns: 36.1 per 1,000 a year
Reported offences in Chelston came to 137 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 11. Violence came to 246.7 per 1,000 residents a year, above Somerset’s towns (27.2) and England’s towns (22) alike. Of all the crimes, 64% were violence and sexual offences.
246.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual88
Other theft16
Public order14
Shoplifting5
Vehicle crime5
Damage & arson3
Drugs2
Robbery2
Anti-social11
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.
246.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
36.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
23.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
137
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
Just 2.9% of people in Chelston say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Somerset’s towns and England’s towns
Chelston has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.6 miles away. 85% of the town’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above Somerset’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. A disability affects 16% of people in the town.
85%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Chelston | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.9% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
80.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
All 2 of Chelston’s listed buildings are Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list puts 2 listed buildings inside Chelston’s built-up area.
2listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
35%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
48
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Children make up only 12% of Chelston, fewer than in Somerset’s towns and England’s towns
The middle age in Chelston is 48.8. People aged 15 to 24 make up 8.2% of the town, below Somerset’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Just over a fifth of residents have reached 65.
48.8median age
ChelstonSomersetEngland
Ages · share of residents
21%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar21%
Degree level34%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Chelston | Somerset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.2% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 35% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 21% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 21% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Somerset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Wellington Museum and 2 more in and around Chelston
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Chelston. Best known first.
MuseumWellington Museum1.2 km outside town, to the southwestPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustWellington Monument3.6 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionSheppy's Cider2.1 km 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 (1)
- Wellington Museum: roger geach, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Chelston
12pages on Chelston
The big questions
Chelston’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WellingtonRockwell GreenMilvertonTrullNorton FitzwarrenCotford St LukeTauntonChelston
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelston | 415 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wellington | 13,815 | 1.2 | D | C | C− | C+ |
| Rockwell Green | 2,854 | 2.2 | D | C− | C | B− |
| Milverton | 1,112 | 3.6 | — | C− | A− | B |
| Trull | 1,427 | 3.6 | — | D | A | A |
| Norton Fitzwarren | 3,770 | 3.8 | B− | B | C | C |
| Cotford St Luke | 2,411 | 3.8 | — | C+ | C+ | B+ |
| Taunton | 61,667 | 4.8 | C− | C | D | C |
Milverton, Trull and Cotford St Luke have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Chelston
How many listed buildings are there in Chelston?
2 on Historic England’s list. That is 2 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Chelston?
Band D council tax in Chelston is £2,402 for 2026–27, less than in 58% 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.
About Chelston
Village in Somerset, England
Chelston is a built-up area of 415 people, in the Somerset West and Taunton 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
- 415 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Somerset West and Taunton
- County
- Somerset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006234
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.