Whitchurch’s story
7 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Whitchurch’s built-up area.
12% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WhitchurchSomerset
1,992 people call this village in Somerset, South West home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Rodw · Public domain
Population
1,992
Census 2021 · Bath and North East Somerset council
Median home
£423K
51 sales in 3 years
Median age
39.1
18% are 65+ · Somerset 23%
Degree level
29%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Whitchurch a good place to live?
Households here earn well: mean household income £63,769; 2.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Its weakest subject is cost of living — a typical home costs £422,500 and rent runs £1,885 a month. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for health and B− for walkability. Hazard risk is lower than in most UK towns (A).
Figures: income and life expectancy, ONS · claimants, DWP · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021 · flood risk, Environment Agency. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Whitchurch has subject grades but no overall one.
What makes Whitchurch stand out
The 3 things Whitchurch does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
14% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Rent against income, UK towns
Renting
£1,885 a month
Average private rent, 38% of what households in the area earn: more than in 99% of UK towns
ONS private rents, Bath and North East Somerset council area.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.5 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Whitchurch grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Whitchurch is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingMedian sale £422,500, 7 years of area incomeDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentA−Open →SafetyMore crime than in most townsCOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 37% of towns in England; secondary results beat 24% of towns in EnglandCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 79.4 for men, 82.3 for womenB−Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBased on listed places, the town’s age and notable peopleCOpen →Outdoors47% live within 400 m of a park; 2.3 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC+Open →Civic life2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 29% live within 1 km of a libraryB−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →M Shed and 12 more in and around Whitchurch
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Whitchurch. Best known first.
Big drawMuseumM Shed4.9 km outside town, to the northwest · 596K visitors a year
Historic shipMatthew5 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttractionHorse World100 m outside town, to the eastCastleCastleBlack Castle3.6 km outside town, to the northAttractionAttractionWake The Tiger4 km outside town, to the northHistoric shipHistoric shipJohn Sebastian Lightship4.7 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- M Shed: Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Matthew: NotFromUtrecht, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Whitchurch.
HousingCost of living grade D
Private renting is less common in Whitchurch than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns: 9%
73% of households own their home, above both Somerset’s towns (67%) and England’s towns (61%). The median sale, £422,500, comes from 51 standard sales inside Whitchurch’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026. Council and housing-body homes hold 15% of households.
£423Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Whitchurch£423K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £480,000 | 23 |
| Semi-detached | £353,475 | 20 |
| Terraced | £400,000 | 7 |
73%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,885
average private rent a month, Bath and North East Somerset council area
£2,385
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
SchoolsC
On exam results, Whitchurch’s schools trail 73% of towns in England
Key Stage 2 results at the 20 primary schools within 3 km: nearly three in five pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below. Secondary results at the 5 secondary schools within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 41.8, with 38% at grade 5 or above in English and maths.
CSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitchurch Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 231 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Homes in Whitchurch see more burglary and damage than in Somerset’s towns or England’s towns: 14.4 per 1,000 a year
Violence and sexual offences made up 55% of the total. Violent crime ran at 32.1 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Somerset’s towns (27) and England’s towns (22). 94 crimes and 13 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Whitchurch’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. For its size, Whitchurch records more crime per resident than 89% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people.
32.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearCSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 11% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual52
Other theft11
Public order10
Damage & arson6
Vehicle crime5
Drugs4
Burglary2
Weapons2
Anti-social13
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.
32.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
14.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
94
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.
History
Among Whitchurch’s 7 listed buildings: the Church of St Nicholas, Grade II*
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
12% of its homes were built before 1919, below Somerset’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. Scaled to its population, that is 35 listed buildings for every 10,000 people in Whitchurch.
7listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II6
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Nicholas Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
12%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
35
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Bad health is less common in Whitchurch than in Somerset’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.8% of residents
Women here live to 82.3 on average and men to 79.4 (2019–23). Asked at the census, 85% of residents of Whitchurch said they were in good or very good health. There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 0.7 miles off.
85%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Whitchurch | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.8% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
79.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.3
life expectancy at birth, women
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Whitchurch than in Somerset’s towns or England’s towns: 14%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Jobs per working resident: 0.6. 83% of commuters drove, above both Somerset’s towns (76%) and England’s towns (70%). For 35% of commuters, work was under 5 km away. About 2% of its commuters stay in Whitchurch for work.
14%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving83%
On foot8%
Bus4%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
35%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£64K
mean household income, before tax
2.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 49% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
A town of families: 19% of people in Whitchurch are under 15, more than in Somerset’s towns and across England’s towns
The 65-and-over age group makes up 18% of residents. People aged 15 to 24 make up a tenth of the town, below both Somerset’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). The middle age in Whitchurch is 39.1. Graduates make up 29% of adults.
39.1median age
WhitchurchSomersetEngland
Ages · share of residents
18%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level29%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Whitchurch | Somerset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 29% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 24% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 18% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.7% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 29% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Somerset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Whitchurch
15pages on Whitchurch
The big questions
SafetyC32.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £423K · rent £1,885 a monthHousing16 sold in 12 months · busiest street Maes Knoll DriveSchoolsC1 state schoolHealthB−Life expectancy 79.4 (men), 82.3 (women)Work & commuteA−54% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Whitchurch’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
KeynshamChew MagnaBristolSaltfordKingswood and FishpondsLong AshtonBishop SuttonWhitchurch
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitchurch | 1,992 | — | — | D | C | B− |
| Keynsham | 19,257 | 2.4 | C+ | C− | C− | B− |
| Chew Magna | 1,249 | 3.7 | — | D | A+ | A+ |
| Bristol | 425,196 | 4.1 | D | D | D− | C− |
| Saltford | 4,133 | 4.1 | A | D | A− | A− |
| Kingswood and Fishponds | 160,280 | 4.9 | C+ | C | C− | C+ |
| Long Ashton | 5,184 | 5 | A− | D | B− | A+ |
| Bishop Sutton | 1,424 | 5.2 | — | D | A | A+ |
Chew Magna and Bishop Sutton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Whitchurch
Is Whitchurch safe?
Burglary was rare, with 2 reports in the year.
Is Whitchurch expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £422,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £400,000, semi-detached houses £353,475 and detached houses £480,000.
Are schools in Whitchurch good?
GCSE results trail 76% of towns in England, and primary results trail 63% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Bath and North East Somerset council.
About Whitchurch
Village in Somerset, England
Whitchurch is a built-up area of 1,992 people, in the Bath and North East 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
- 1,992 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Bath and North East Somerset
- County
- Somerset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005163
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.