Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A village of 990 in Somerset, South West.
Meare has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
The 3 things Meare does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Meare’s built-up area.
31% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Meare. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryGlastonbury Abbey4.6 km outside town, to the southeast
Museum · English HeritageGlastonbury Tribunal4.5 km outside town, to the southeastHistoric siteHistoric site · English HeritageMeare Fish House100 m outside town, to the eastHistoric shipHistoric shipViking Trading Ship1.6 km outside town, to the westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Meare.
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 census found 6% of commuters going to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Unemployment benefit claims came to 2.5% of 16 to 64s in 2026, higher than both Somerset’s towns (2.1%) and England’s towns (2.3%). The car carried 91% of commuters at the census.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Its one school is below. 63% of pupils at the one primary school within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meare Village Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 100 | B− |
Households that own their home make up 74%. Social housing holds just over one in ten households, below both Somerset’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). Half of the 34 standard sales inside Meare’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £340,000.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £395,000 | 23 |
| Terraced | £250,000 | 7 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
There were 2.7 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Somerset’s towns (7.2) and England’s towns (7.8). Each year, 6.4 burglaries and acts of damage are recorded per 1,000 residents. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 31 recorded crimes inside Meare’s built-up area, and 5 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences made up 55% 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.
Seeing a GP means leaving Meare: the nearest practice is 3.3 miles away. The nearest A&E to Meare is Weston General Hospital, 13.2 miles away. 17% of residents have a disability, below Somerset’s towns (18%) and close to England’s towns (17%).
| Census 2021 | Meare | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.9% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
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.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Meare’s 9 listed buildings on Historic England’s list, Grade I counts 2 and Grade II* 1. The town’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary, Grade I. Relative to its size, Meare keeps 91 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, about level with Somerset’s towns (91) and above England’s towns (39).
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Residents of Meare have a median age of 45.8. 19% are under 15, higher than both Somerset’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). Retirement age and beyond: just over a fifth of residents are 65 or older.
52% women, 48% men
About 91 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Meare | Somerset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 21% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Somerset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meare | 990 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Walton | 1,149 | 3.3 | — | C | A | B+ |
| Glastonbury | 8,304 | 3.5 | D | B− | D | C |
| Street | 12,707 | 3.9 | B− | B | C+ | C+ |
| Wedmore | 1,424 | 3.9 | — | D− | A | A+ |
| Draycott | 1,069 | 6.1 | — | D | B− | A |
| Woolavington | 2,324 | 6.5 | — | C | C− | B− |
| Wells | 12,097 | 6.6 | D | C− | C− | B− |
Walton, Wedmore, Draycott and Woolavington have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 3.7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Church of St Mary.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £340,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £250,000 and detached houses £395,000. Private rents in the Somerset council area averaged £1,016 a month in August 2026.
Band D council tax in Meare is £2,476 for 2026–27, more 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.
Village in Somerset, England
Meare is a built-up area of 990 people, in the Mendip 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.