St Athan’s story
Cadw lists 11 buildings inside St Athan’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade I.
7% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
St AthanSouth Glamorgan
The village has 1,594 residents and lies in South Glamorgan, Wales.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Jaggery · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,594
Census 2021 · Vale of Glamorgan council
Median home
£300K
131 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.5
22% are 65+ · South Glamorgan 16%
Degree level
29%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · Wales 16%
Is St Athan a good place to live?
Floods and other hazards weigh less here (A). Its weakest is jobs & income — mean household income £54,413; 4.2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. It takes 6 years of household income in the Vale of Glamorgan council area to buy the median home, at £299,995. Health lags: 6.4% of residents report bad or very bad health, and 21.2% are disabled.
Figures: flood risk, Natural Resources Wales · income, ONS · claimants, DWP · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · health, Census 2021 (the grade adjusts for age). With fewer than 2,500 residents, St Athan has subject grades but no overall one.
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.
What makes St Athan stand out
The 2 things St Athan does most differently from other towns.
How St Athan grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far St Athan is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Jobs & incomeIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnCOpen →WalkabilityMost errands need a carCOpen →Health6.4% in bad or very bad health, 21% disabled (adjusted for age in the grade)C+Open →Safety27.2 violent and sexual offences and 9.4 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026C+Open →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryWeaker than most of the towns comparedC+Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 2.2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsAOpen →Civic life1.3 local charities per 1,000 residents; 100% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in St Athan.
HousingCost of living grade C
Few households rent privately in St Athan: 15%, fewer than in South Glamorgan’s towns and Wales’s towns
Owners make up 69% of households, above South Glamorgan’s towns (61%) and Wales’s towns (65%) alike. Private rents average £982 a month across the Vale of Glamorgan council area. The £299,995 median rests on 131 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£300Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
St Athan£300K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £349,997 | 64 |
| Semi-detached | £275,000 | 55 |
| Terraced | £196,000 | 10 |
69%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
15%
rent privately · Wales 17%
£982
average private rent a month, Vale of Glamorgan council area
£2,232
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Schools
1 state school in St Athan
It appears below. 212 pupils attend St Athan’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Athan Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 212 | – |
Welsh Government · schools list · Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.The Schools page →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Fewer commuters in St Athan walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in South Glamorgan’s towns or Wales’s towns: 11%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 23% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
86% of commuters drove to work at the census. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 27%, below South Glamorgan’s towns (51%) and Wales’s towns (41%) alike. The census counted nearly a quarter of workers working mainly from home. About 8% of its commuters stay in St Athan for work.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot7%
Bus2%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
27%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
23%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£54K
mean household income, before tax
4.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 34% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
In St Athan, 79% say their health is good or very good
St Athan’s share in bad or very bad health, 6.4%, is the second highest of the 15 towns in South Glamorgan. It has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 0.5 miles away. The nearest A&E to St Athan is The Royal Glamorgan Hospital, 10 miles away.
79%good or very good healthC+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | St Athan | South Glamorgan | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 81% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.4% | 6% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 19% | 22% |
80.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.9
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.
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · ONS, 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.
History
11 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
7% of its homes were built before 1919, below South Glamorgan’s towns (13%) and Wales’s towns (27%) alike. St Athan’s listed buildings include the Church of St Athan, Grade I. Per 10,000 residents, St Athan counts 69 listed buildings.
11listed buildingsC+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II9
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Athan Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
7%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
69
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Cadw list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
St Athan records 27.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year, against 20.8 in South Glamorgan’s towns and 33.8 in Wales’s towns
Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, St Athan has more crime per resident than 77% of them. The town logged 83 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 10 complaints of anti-social conduct. 46% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
27.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 23% 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 & sexual38
Public order16
Damage & arson11
Other theft7
Other crime4
Vehicle crime3
Shoplifting2
Burglary1
Anti-social10
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.
27.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
83
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.
Who lives here
Few people in St Athan are 15 to 24: 9.2%, fewer than in South Glamorgan’s towns and Wales’s towns
Half the people of St Athan are older than 44.5. 22% of residents are 65 or over, higher than both South Glamorgan’s towns (16%) and Wales’s towns (21%). Children are nearly a fifth of the town.
44.5median age
St AthanSouth GlamorganWales
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level29%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| St Athan | South Glamorgan | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 9.2% | 16% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 27% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 23% | 26% |
| 65+ | 22% | 16% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 16% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.9% | 4.3% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 29% | 39% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · South Glamorgan and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Old Beaupre Castle and 6 more in and around St Athan
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near St Athan. Best known first.
Castle · CadwOld Beaupre Castle3.5 km outside town, to the north
CastleFonmon Castle2.3 km outside town, to the east
CastleEast Orchard Castle500 m outside town, to the east
CastleBoverton Castle2.7 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumSouth Wales Aviation Museum1.9 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumSouth Wales Aviation Musuem1.9 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 (4)
- Old Beaupre Castle: FruitMonkey, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fonmon Castle: Stewart Black from British Isles, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- East Orchard Castle: Ben Salter from Wales, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Boverton Castle: Jonathan Billinger, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about St Athan
15pages on St Athan
The big questions
SafetyC+27.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £300K · rent £982 a monthHousing35 sold in 12 months · busiest street Ffordd Y SpitfireSchools1 state school (no results published in Wales)HealthC+Work & commuteD40% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Famous people from St Athan
3 notable people were born in St Athan.
D
David W. SpencerCanadian businessman · 1837–1920E
Eliza HarrisAmerican Civil War nurse · 1831–1891Photo credits
Mark Mouland: Pvt pauline, CC BY-SA 3.0
St Athan’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Eglwys-BrewisBovertonLlantwit MajorRhooseCowbridgeBarryWenvoeSt Athan
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Athan | 1,594 | — | — | C | C+ | C+ |
| Eglwys-Brewis | 3,300 | 0.9 | B− | B+ | B− | C+ |
| Boverton | 2,740 | 2.3 | B− | C+ | B | B− |
| Llantwit Major | 5,348 | 2.8 | B− | C+ | B | B− |
| Rhoose | 6,776 | 3.1 | C+ | C | B | B− |
| Cowbridge | 3,649 | 4.2 | A− | D | A− | A |
| Barry | 56,589 | 6.5 | C− | B | C− | D |
| Wenvoe | 1,129 | 7.1 | — | C− | B | A+ |
Wenvoe has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about St Athan
How many listed buildings are there in St Athan?
11 on Cadw’s list, 1 of them Grade I and 1 Grade II*. That is 2.8 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Athan.
Is St Athan safe?
Burglary was rare, with 1 report in the year.
Does St Athan flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on Natural Resources Wales’s flood risk service.
About St Athan
Village in South Glamorgan, Wales
St Athan is a built-up area of 1,594 people, in the Vale of Glamorgan 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
- 1,594 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Vale of Glamorgan
- County
- South Glamorgan
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000619
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.