Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A village of 389 in Somerset, South West.
Dunster has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
The 3 things Dunster does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 106 buildings inside Dunster’s built-up area, 3 of them Grade I, and 7 scheduled monuments.
38% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
The archive holds 1 old photo or postcard going back to 1700.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Dunster.
For Dunster, that is above both Somerset’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%). 9.1% of residents are children under 15. Half the people of Dunster are older than 58.9.
54% women, 46% men
About 85 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.
| Dunster | Somerset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.1% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 4.4% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 14% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 38% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 35% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.7% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Somerset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dunster First SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 86 | – |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 39% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Dunster sits below both Somerset’s towns (£54K) and England’s towns (£55K) on this measure. At the census, 30% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
That puts Dunster above both Somerset’s towns (67%) and England’s towns (61%). 9% of households live in social housing.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £525,000 | 6 |
| Terraced | £329,000 | 6 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
On this, Dunster is above both Somerset’s towns (8.5) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 32 crimes inside Dunster’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 5 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence comes to 29.2 per 1,000 residents a year.
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
In the comparison, Dunster comes above both Somerset’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). The nearest A&E to Dunster is Musgrove Park Hospital, 18.5 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.
| Census 2021 | Dunster | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 74% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.9% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 25% | 18% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Dunster’s listed buildings include Dunster Castle and Gatehouse, Grade I. Dunster has 106 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 3 Grade I, 6 Grade II*. Of Dunster’s land, 83% lies in conservation areas, above both Somerset’s towns (8%) and England’s towns (7%).
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Dunster. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustDunster Castlein townMuseumMuseumDunster Doll Museumin townGardenGarden · National TrustDream Garden (NT)in townAttractionAttractionDovecotein townAttractionAttractionGallox Bridgein townAttractionAttractionYarn Marketin townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
3 notable people were born in Dunster.
Philip Kelland: No conegut, Public domain · Margaret Fownes-Luttrell: Richard Phelps, Public domain
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunster | 389 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Minehead | 11,752 | 1.8 | D− | C+ | D | C |
| Watchet | 3,643 | 5.2 | D | C+ | C | C |
| Williton | 2,433 | 5.7 | — | C+ | D− | C+ |
| Porlock | 1,178 | 6.6 | — | C− | B | C+ |
| Wiveliscombe | 2,316 | 11 | — | B− | C+ | B |
Williton, Porlock and Wiveliscombe have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 111.8 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Dunster Castle and Gatehouse. It also has 7 scheduled monuments. 38% of Dunster’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £345,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £329,000 and detached houses £525,000. Private rents in the Somerset council area averaged £1,016 a month in August 2026.
Village in Somerset, England
Dunster is a built-up area of 389 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
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.