Cardiff grades low on several counts. Crime is the sore point (D): 40 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 22.4 home and vehicle crimes. Set beside UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more, its crime per resident is higher than in 57%. With a C− overall, Cardiff is better than 18% of UK towns. The median home sold for £265,000, 5.2 times what households in the Cardiff council area earn in a year. Its strongest is walkability (A+) — 29% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.

Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS.

This town's Health Grade uses ONS's small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for 2019 to 2023, and two Census 2021 measures, bad health and disability, adjusted for age. English towns' grades also use OHID's small-area early deaths, hospital admissions and child obesity, which OHID publishes for England only.

StrongestA⁺WalkabilityWeakestDSafety C⁻Health

What makes Cardiff stand out

The 3 things Cardiff does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or public transport

Getting around

29% walk, cycle or ride

of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (Wales’s towns 16%)

56% of commuters travel under 5 km.

Homes built before 1919

History

Against 15% in the typical UK town

Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.

Residents aged 15 to 24

Who lives here

1 in 6 is 15 to 24

18% of residents, against 12% across Wales’s towns

How Cardiff grades

Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Cardiff is from typical. American towns are graded separately.

How grading works

WalkabilityAmong the best of the towns comparedA⁺Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentDOpen →Health6% in bad or very bad health, 19% disabled (adjusted for age in the grade)C⁻Open →Hazard risk0.9% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaCOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work trail most townsCOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesC⁺Open →

SchoolsNot published in Wales–

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

HistoryGraded on historic places and the town’s ageA⁻Open →Outdoors88% live within 400 m of a park; 2.2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsA⁻Open →Civic life1.2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 60% live within 1 km of a libraryC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

From the east, Cardiff Castle, Wales, c. 1890 · Photo: Photochrom Print Collection · Public domain

Cardiff’s story

Cardiff in pictures

Cadw lists 699 buildings inside Cardiff’s built-up area, 14 of them Grade I, and 10 scheduled monuments.

25% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.

The archive holds 8 old photos and postcards going back to 1890 and a map from 1946.

c. 1890From the southeast, Cardiff Castle, Wales
1905Llandaff Fields looking to Cardiff
1905Lower Cowbridge Road, Cardiff

Explore the history →

Nearby attractions

National Museum Cardiff and 75 more in and around Cardiff

Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Cardiff. Best known first.

All attractions →

MuseumNational Museum Cardiffin town · 373K visitors a year

CastleCardiff Castlein town

CathedralLlandaff Cathedralin town

CathedralCardiff Metropolitan Cathedralin town

Art galleryFfotogalleryin town

MuseumTechniquestin town

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (6)

National Museum Cardiff: Ham II, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Cardiff Castle: Tevfik Teker, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Llandaff Cathedral: Bill Boaden, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral: Ham II, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Ffotogallery: Ruth Sharville, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Techniquest: Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cardiff.

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C

Benefit claims run higher in Cardiff, 4.1% of 16 to 64s, than in South Glamorgan’s towns or across Wales’s towns

The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 36% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.

Households take home £51K a year before tax, on average. About 70% of its commuters stay in Cardiff for work. There are 1.4 jobs in Cardiff for each resident in work. Just over two thirds of commuters drove, below both South Glamorgan’s towns (71%) and Wales’s towns (81%).

29%walk, cycle or ride

How commuters got to work · March 2021

Driving68%

On foot15%

Bus8%

Bicycle5%

Train2%

56%

of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%

36%

worked mainly from home in March 2021

£51K

mean household income, before tax

4.1%

of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)

A⁺

Walkability: more walkable than 95% of UK towns

Full pageCardiff’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Jobs based here219,000 jobs based here · Health and social care is the biggest, 15%Commute map29% walk, cycle or ride Household income£51K a year · Mean household income Getting to work56% go under 5 km · Short trips to work

ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL

Schools

138 state schools in Cardiff

Between them, 95 primaries and 20 secondaries teach 53,571 pupils in Cardiff. Below are three of them, each with why it was picked. Three of them are below, each with the reason it’s listed.

School	Level	Pupils	Letter
Rhiwbeina Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary	Primary	687	–
Whitchurch High SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary	Secondary	2,459	–
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg GlantafLargest Welsh-medium schoolSecondary	Secondary	1,498	–

Welsh Government · schools list · Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.See all 138 schools →

Who lives here

Cardiff skews young, with 18% of residents aged 15 to 24, more than in both South Glamorgan’s towns and Wales’s towns

People 65 and over make up 14% of the town. Typical age in Cardiff: 34.5, the median. Nearly two in five adults hold a degree, about level with South Glamorgan’s towns (39%) and above Wales’s towns (31%).

34.5median age

CardiffSouth GlamorganWales

South GlamorganWales

Ages · share of residents

18%

Qualifications · residents 16 and older

No qualifications17%

Apprenticeship4%

A levels or similar19%

Degree level39%

Women and men · all residents

51% women, 49% men

About 95 men for every 100 women. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.

Ages and qualifications in Cardiff
	Cardiff	South Glamorgan	Wales
Under 15	17%	17%	17%
15–24	18%	16%	12%
25–44	29%	27%	25%
45–64	22%	23%	26%
65+	14%	16%	21%
No qualifications	17%	16%	20%
Apprenticeship	3.9%	4.3%	5.6%
A levels or similar	19%	19%	17%
Degree level	39%	39%	31%

Full pageCardiff’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages34.5 median age · 14% are 65 or over Households141,193 households · 58% own their home Where people were born17% born outside the UK Questions“What is the population of Cardiff?”

ONS Census 2021 · South Glamorgan and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL

Safety

Crime per resident in Cardiff is higher than in 89% of UK towns

Town centres with shops, stations and nightlife record more crime per resident: police.uk counts crimes where they happen, not where victims live.

Over the year to August 2026, 36,858 offences were reported in Cardiff, along with 4,963 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 16.2 reports per 1,000, above South Glamorgan’s towns (7.1) and Wales’s towns (10.4) alike. Violence and sexual offences made up 36% of the total.

40violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade

Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 43% of the 207 UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.

More crimeLess crime

Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026

Violence & sexual13,120

Shoplifting5,171

Public order4,480

Vehicle crime3,280

Damage & arson3,075

Other theft2,231

Burglary1,239

Drugs1,225

Anti-social4,963

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.

violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026

22.4

burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026

16.2

anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)

36,858

crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026

Full pageCardiff’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety Grade40 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 · Cardiff has more crime per resident than 89% of UK towns Crime by typeViolence & sexual leads Vs. the neighboursBehind its 7 graded neighbours Questions“Is Cardiff safe?”

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.

Health

Lifespans in Cardiff run shorter than in 83% of UK towns

82% of Cardiff’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, about level with South Glamorgan’s towns (81%) and above Wales’s towns (78%). A disability affects 19% of people in the town. 43 GP practices serve the town.

82%good or very good healthC⁻Health Grade

General health, self-reported

Good or very good 82%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 6%

Census 2021	Cardiff	South Glamorgan	Wales
Good or very good health	82%	81%	78%
Bad or very bad health	6%	6%	7.1%
Disabled (Equality Act)	19%	19%	22%

77.4

life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)

81.7

life expectancy at birth, women

Welsh towns’ Health Grades use ONS’s small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for 2019 to 2023, and two Census 2021 measures, bad health and disability, adjusted for age. English towns’ also use OHID’s small-area early deaths, hospital admissions and child obesity, which OHID publishes for England only.

Full pageCardiff’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health GradeLife expectancy: women 81.7, men 77.4 Getting care0.5 miles to A&E · University Hospital of Wales GP practices43 GP practices · 8,105 residents per practice Census health82% in good health

ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · ONS, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy.

History

699 listed buildings, 14 of them Grade I

The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.

Cardiff’s listed buildings include Cardiff Castle, Grade I. Homes from before 1919 make up a quarter of the total, higher than South Glamorgan’s towns (12%) yet lower than Wales’s towns (27%). It has 10 scheduled monuments.

699listed buildingsA⁻History Grade

Listed buildings by grade · Cadw

Grade I14

Grade II*30

Grade II655

Among them · Grade I

Cardiff Castle Grade I
Cardiff City Hall Grade I
Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul Grade I
Chapel of St Michael’s College (St Padarn’s Institute) Grade I

scheduled monuments

registered parks and gardens

25%

of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%

listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24

Full pageCardiff’s history pageOpen the full History page

Listed buildings699 listed buildings Homes by age25% built before 1919 · Older homes Vs. the neighboursAhead of all 7 graded neighbours Questions“How many listed buildings are there in Cardiff?”

Cadw list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL

HousingCost of living grade C⁺

Homes in Cardiff sell for £265K at the median, against £305K in South Glamorgan’s towns and £195K in Wales’s towns

24% of households rent privately. Owners make up 58% of households, below South Glamorgan’s towns (61%) and Wales’s towns (65%) alike. Private rents average £1,176 a month across the Cardiff council area.

£265Kmedian sale

Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026

Cardiff£265K

Typical UK town£277K

By type	Median	Sales
Detached	£440,000	1,622
Semi-detached	£300,000	3,129
Terraced	£255,000	4,467
Flat or maisonette	£165,000	2,548

58%

of households own their home · Wales 65%

24%

rent privately · Wales 17%

£1,176

average private rent a month, Cardiff council area

£2,014

council tax, Band D, 2026–27

Full pageCardiff’s housing & cost pageOpen the full Housing & cost page

House pricesMedian sale £265,000 Renting£1,176 a month · Average private rent Council tax£2,014 Band D · Council tax, 2026–27 Owners and renters58% own their home

HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Cardiff

15pages on Cardiff

The big questions

SafetyD40 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 Cost of livingC⁺Median home £265K · rent £1,176 a month Housing3,362 sold in 12 months · busiest street Church Road Schools138 state schools (no results published in Wales)HealthC⁻Work & commuteC84% of working residents work in the town Flood & hazardsC0.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk

Out and about

OutdoorsA⁻88% live within 400 m of a park AttractionsClimateJuly highs of 21°C (71°F), 1,183 mm of rain a year Weather

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 34.5 · 348,511 people HistoryA⁻699 listed buildings, 14 Grade I Town Hall & politicsCouncil area: Cardiff Famous people849 born here, among them Gareth Bale

Landmarks

699 listed buildings in Cardiff, 14 of them Grade I.

All landmarks →

Cardiff CastleGrade I listed

National Museum of WalesGrade I listed

Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. PaulGrade I listed

Marquess of Bute's WarehouseGrade II listed

Photo credits

Cardiff Castle: Photo: Tevfik Teker · CC BY 3.0 · National Museum of Wales: Photo: Ham II · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul: Photo: Bill Boaden · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Marquess of Bute's Warehouse: Photo: Dominic Nelson · CC BY-SA 4.0

Famous people from Cardiff

849 notable people were born in Cardiff.

See all 849 →

Gareth BaleWelsh association football player · born 1989

Ryan GiggsWelsh association football player and coach · born 1973

Brian David JosephsonWelsh physicist · born 1940

Henry MorganWelsh pirate (1635-1688) · 1631–1688

Ken FollettBritish novelist (born 1949)

Shirley BasseyWelsh singer · born 1937

Photo credits

Gareth Bale: حسین ظهروند, CC BY 4.0 · Ryan Giggs: James Adams, CC BY 2.0 · Brian David Josephson: Brian Josephson, CC BY 3.0 · Henry Morgan: Alexandre Exquemelin, Piratas de la America (1681), Public domain · Ken Follett: Ken Follett official website. Original uploader was JuergenL at de.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Shirley Bassey: Rob Mieremet, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl

Cardiff’s neighbours

The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →

All towns in South Glamorgan →

TongwynlaisPenarthDinas PowisTaff's WellWenvoePentyrchMarshfieldCardiff

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	Miles	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Cardiff	348,511	—	C⁻	C⁺	D	C⁻
Tongwynlais	1,846	3.5	—	C	C⁻	C⁺
Penarth	28,391	4.4	B⁻	C	C⁺	B⁻
Dinas Powis	7,891	4.7	B⁺	C	B⁺	B⁺
Taff's Well	3,553	4.8	C⁺	D	B	C
Wenvoe	1,129	5.2	—	C⁻	B	A⁺
Pentyrch	2,374	5.2	—	D	A⁻	A⁻
Marshfield	2,386	5.5	—	D	A	C⁺

Tongwynlais, Wenvoe, Pentyrch and Marshfield have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.

Questions about Cardiff

How many listed buildings are there in Cardiff?

699 on Cadw’s list, 14 of them Grade I and 30 Grade II*. Its Grade I buildings include Cardiff Castle.

Is Cardiff safe?

Against all UK towns, most of them far smaller, it grades D.

Does Cardiff flood?

Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on Natural Resources Wales’s flood risk service.

About Cardiff

City in South Glamorgan, Wales

Cardiff is a built-up area of 348,511 people, in the Cardiff 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: 348,511 (Census 2021)
Council: Cardiff (mostly)
County: South Glamorgan
Region: Wales
Area: 29 sq mi (75.1 km²)
ONS code: W45000596

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) · Cadw listed buildings, scheduled monuments and registered historic parks and gardens via DataMapWales, 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.