Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A village of 882 in Somerset, South West.
With fewer than 1,000 residents, West Coker is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. One in ten commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 77 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. 30% of residents are 65 or over.
The 3 things West Coker does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 77 buildings inside West Coker’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade I.
37% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in West Coker.
People 65 and over make up 30% of the town, above both Somerset’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%). Nearly one in ten residents are aged 15 to 24. Typical age in West Coker: 51.8, the median.
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| West Coker | Somerset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.1% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.1% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Somerset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
The town has one school, shown below. Key Stage 2 results at the 4 primary schools within 3 km: just over two thirds of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). 27 pupils attend West Coker’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Coker CofE VC Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 27 | D− |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 30% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
1.8% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, lower than both Somerset’s towns (2.1%) and England’s towns (2.3%). About 4% of its commuters stay in West Coker for work. For every resident in work, West Coker has 0.4 jobs.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
21% live in social housing, higher than both Somerset’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,016 a month across the Somerset council area. 37 standard sales inside West Coker’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £265,000.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £495,000 | 15 |
| Semi-detached | £235,000 | 5 |
| Terraced | £237,500 | 14 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Of all the crimes, 57% were violence and sexual offences. A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 35 offences in West Coker and 11 cases of nuisance behaviour. There were 9.1 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), higher than both Somerset’s towns (7.2) and England’s towns (7.8).
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.
A disability affects 21% of people in West Coker. 80% of the town’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, below Somerset’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. One GP practice serves the town; 69% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
| Census 2021 | West Coker | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
West Coker’s listed buildings include the Manor House, Grade I. Relative to its size, West Coker keeps 873 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. Conservation areas cover 48% of the town’s land, higher than both Somerset’s towns (8%) and England’s towns (7%). At the top of the list, 1 are Grade I and 3 Grade II*.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near West Coker. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustMontacute House3.7 km outside town, to the northwest · 120K visitors a year (2011)
Historic houseNewton Surmaville4.6 km outside town, to the east
MuseumYeovil Railway Centre4.6 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumSouth Somerset Heritage Collection3 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumMontacute TV Radio & Toy Museum3.4 km outside town, to the northwestCastleCastleBrympton House1.5 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Coker | 882 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Yeovil | 50,170 | 2.8 | C+ | B | D | C |
| Barwick and Stoford | 1,095 | 3 | — | A− | C | B− |
| Stoke sub Hamdon | 1,360 | 3.7 | — | C+ | C | B |
| Merriott | 2,068 | 4.6 | — | B− | A | B |
| Misterton | 1,037 | 4.9 | — | B | B− | B− |
| Martock | 4,079 | 5.1 | C | B− | C | C+ |
| Crewkerne | 7,067 | 5.3 | C | B− | C | C+ |
Barwick and Stoford, Stoke sub Hamdon, Merriott and Misterton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 35.8 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Manor House.
Close to the typical UK town: the median sale over three years was £265,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £237,500, semi-detached houses £235,000 and detached houses £495,000.
Village in Somerset, England
West Coker is a built-up area of 882 people, in the South 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
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.