Downside’s story
Old homes in Downside: 36% built before 1919
36% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DownsideSomerset
A village of 127 in Somerset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Neil Owen · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
127
Census 2021 · North Somerset council
Median age
52.2
28% are 65+ · Somerset 23%
Degree level
27%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Downside a good place to live?
Downside has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Downside stand out
The 3 things Downside does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
28% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Downside.
Who lives here
Children make up only 7.7% of Downside, fewer than in Somerset’s towns and England’s towns
In the comparison, Downside comes below both Somerset’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). People 65 and over make up 28% of the town. The median resident of Downside is 52.2 years old.
52.2median age
DownsideSomersetEngland
Ages · share of residents
28%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications22%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar22%
Degree level27%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
About 111 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Downside | Somerset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 7.7% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 38% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 28% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 22% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.3% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 22% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 27% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Somerset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Commuters in Downside travel far: only 5% go under 5 km, fewer than in Somerset’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 21% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Downside, that is below both Somerset’s towns (46%) and England’s towns (45%). At the census, 9% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot4%
Bus2%
Train2%
5%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
21%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£63K
mean household income, before tax
1.6%
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 Downside own their home: 82%, more than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns
Downside sits above both Somerset’s towns (67%) and England’s towns (61%) on this measure. 0% of households live in social housing.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Downside£0K
Typical UK town£277K
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
18%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,209
average private rent a month, North Somerset council area
£2,490
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
Violence is recorded more often in Downside than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns: 544.3 per 1,000 residents a year
That puts Downside above both Somerset’s towns (27.2) and England’s towns (22). Burglary and damage come to 349.3 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 277 crimes inside Downside’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 18 reports of anti-social behaviour.
544.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Other theft85
Violence & sexual73
Public order33
Vehicle crime26
Damage & arson16
Shoplifting15
Other crime9
Weapons6
Anti-social18
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.
544.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
349.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
97.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
277
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Bad health is less common in Downside than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.4% of residents
On this, Downside is below both Somerset’s towns (5.1%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Downside has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.9 miles away. 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.
82%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | Downside | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.4% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
85.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Old homes shape Downside: 36% were built before 1919, more than in Somerset’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Downside’s land, 0% lies in conservation areas, below Somerset’s towns (8%) and close to England’s towns (7%).
0listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
36%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →North Somerset Showground and 2 more in and around Downside
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Downside. Best known first.
AttractionAttractionNorth Somerset Showground3.9 km outside town, to the northZooZooNorth Somerset Bird of Prey Centre5 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumBlagdon Pumping Station & Visitor Centre4.4 km outside town, to the south
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Downside
12pages on Downside
The big questions
Downside’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BackwellWringtonLong AshtonNailseaChew MagnaBlagdonCongresburyDownside
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downside | 127 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Backwell | 4,347 | 2.4 | A | D | A− | A+ |
| Wrington | 1,997 | 3.2 | — | C− | B | A+ |
| Long Ashton | 5,184 | 3.3 | A− | D | B− | A+ |
| Nailsea | 15,919 | 3.8 | A | C− | B | A− |
| Chew Magna | 1,249 | 4.2 | — | D | A+ | A+ |
| Blagdon | 1,056 | 4.3 | — | D | A− | A |
| Congresbury | 2,795 | 4.6 | B− | D | C | B+ |
Wrington, Chew Magna and Blagdon have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Downside
Who lives in Downside?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 28% of residents were 65 or over and 38% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 7.7% were under 15.
How much is council tax in Downside?
Band D council tax in Downside is £2,490 for 2026–27, more than in 62% 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.
Is Downside safe?
Police recorded 277 crimes inside Downside’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 26% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
About Downside
Village in Somerset, England
Downside is a built-up area of 127 people, in the North Somerset 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
- 127 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North Somerset
- County
- Somerset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi (2.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005219
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.