Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
801 people live in this village in Somerset, South West.
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Wookey is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. Its listed buildings number 17, with 1 at Grade I. Just over one in ten commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Homes sell for a median £501,500.
The 3 things Wookey does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 17 buildings inside Wookey’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade I, and 1 scheduled monument.
33% 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 Wookey. Best known first.
CathedralWells Cathedral2.5 km outside town, to the east
AttractionWookey Hole Caves And Mill2.1 km outside town, to the northeast
PalaceThe Bishop's Palace2.6 km outside town, to the east
MuseumWells Museum2.5 km outside town, to the east
Historic houseMilton Lodge2.4 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumPaper Making Museum2 km outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Wookey.
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.
85% of commuters took the car to work at the census. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 32%, lower than both Somerset’s towns (46%) and England’s towns (45%). Before tax, the average household brings in £58K a year. About 1% of its commuters stay in Wookey for work.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Key Stage 2 results at the 5 primary schools within 3 km: 48% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its only school is listed below. GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: 41% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 47.7.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wookey Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 93 | D− |
14% of households are private tenants. Private rents average £1,016 a month across the Somerset council area. Home ownership stands at 61% of households.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £595,000 | 12 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Over the year to August 2026, 37 offences were reported in Wookey, along with 1 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 2.5 reports per 1,000, lower than both Somerset’s towns (7.2) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences were just over two thirds of the crimes.
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.
The nearest A&E to Wookey is Weston General Hospital, 14.2 miles away. There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 1.8 miles off. At the census, 5.7% of people here described their health as bad or very bad.
| Census 2021 | Wookey | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.7% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · 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.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Wookey’s listed buildings include the Church of St Matthew, Grade I. Per 10,000 residents, Wookey counts 212 listed buildings, above Somerset’s towns (91) and England’s towns (39) alike. The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
People aged 15 to 24 make up 10% of the town, below Somerset’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Typical age in Wookey: 49.4, the median. A third of residents 16 and over have a degree-level qualification (Somerset 32%, England 34%).
53% women, 47% men
About 90 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.
| Wookey | Somerset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.6% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 33% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Somerset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
4 notable people were born in Wookey.
Sir Arthur Pearson, 1st Baronet: Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain · A. J. Cook: Reagancook, CC BY-SA 3.0
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wookey | 801 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wells | 12,097 | 2 | D | C− | C− | B− |
| Draycott | 1,069 | 4 | — | D | B− | A |
| Glastonbury | 8,304 | 4.2 | D | B− | D | C |
| Wedmore | 1,424 | 5.2 | — | D− | A | A+ |
| Pilton | 1,104 | 5.6 | — | D | C+ | A+ |
| Cheddar | 5,841 | 5.9 | C | D | C | B+ |
| Street | 12,707 | 6.3 | B− | B | C+ | C+ |
Draycott, Wedmore and Pilton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 8.7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Matthew. It also has 1 scheduled monument. 33% of Wookey’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Band D council tax in Wookey is £2,483 for 2026–27, more than in 60% 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
Wookey is a built-up area of 801 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.