Carlton’s story
3 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Carlton’s built-up area.
17% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
CarltonSouth Yorkshire
This village in South Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber has a population of 2,125.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Neil Theasby · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,125
Census 2021 · Barnsley council
Median home
£185K
103 sales in 3 years
Median age
47.1
22% are 65+ · South Yorkshire 18%
Degree level
23%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Carlton a good place to live?
Housing is within reach: a typical home costs £185,000 and rent runs £696 a month. Safety lags: police record 45.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 27.9 home and vehicle crimes. Only 3% of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people have more crime per resident. Health lags: life expectancy is 77.4 for men and 82.5 for women. The rest of its grades are middling: B− for schools and B− for walkability.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · life expectancy, ONS · commuting, Census 2021. An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so Carlton is graded subject by subject only.
How Carlton grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Carlton is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyGraded on crime per residentDOpen →HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedDOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £40,643; 2.8% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC−Open →Hazard risk1.5% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaCOpen →Cost of livingMedian sale £185,000, 4.4 years of area incomeB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 67% of towns in England; secondary results beat 26% of towns in EnglandB−Open →WalkabilityAbout average among the towns comparedB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History3 listed buildingsC−Open →Outdoors87% live within 400 m of a park; 23.1 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsAOpen →Civic life0.5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryD−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Carlton stand out
The 3 things Carlton 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%)
43% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
33% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
South Yorkshire 27%.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Carlton.
Safety
More crimes per resident in Carlton than in 94% of UK towns
45.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade
Carlton logged 292 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 51 complaints of anti-social conduct. For its size, Carlton records more crime per resident than 97% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 23.7 reports per 1,000, higher than both South Yorkshire’s towns (13.4) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences made up 31% of the total.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 3% 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 & sexual90
Shoplifting86
Public order24
Damage & arson21
Burglary19
Other theft18
Other crime10
Vehicle crime9
Anti-social51
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.
45.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
27.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
23.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
292
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.
SchoolsB−
School results in Carlton are weaker than in 54% of towns in England
B−School Grade
GCSE results at the 3 secondary schools within 3 km: 40% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 41.5. Below are its two schools. Between them, one primary and one secondary teach 1,426 pupils in Carlton.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton Primary AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 317 | B |
| Outwood Academy CarltonLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 1,109 | C+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
Health
Only 75% of people in Carlton say their health is good or very good, fewer than in South Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
75%good or very good healthDHealth Grade
8.3% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, above South Yorkshire’s towns (6.7%) and England’s towns (5.2%) alike. Disability touches 24% of Carlton’s population. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 0.8 miles away. Women here live to 82.5 on average and men to 77.4 (2019–23).
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 75%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Carlton | South Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 75% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.3% | 6.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 24% | 21% | 17% |
77.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Carlton than in South Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 23% of adults
47.1median age
Young adults of 15 to 24 are 10% of the population. 22% of residents are 65 or over, above both South Yorkshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). Carlton has a median age of 47.1.
CarltonSouth YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications25%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level23%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Carlton | South Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 18% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 25% | 22% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.1% | 6.2% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 23% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · South Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
History
All 3 of Carlton’s listed buildings are Grade II
3listed buildingsC−History Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list puts 3 listed buildings inside Carlton’s built-up area. Homes from before 1919 make up 17% of the total.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
17%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
14
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B+
Most households in Carlton own their home: 69%, more than in South Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
£185Kmedian sale
Social housing holds 15% of households, lower than both South Yorkshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (18%). Behind the median of £185,000: 103 standard sales inside Carlton’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Carlton£185K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £280,000 | 36 |
| Semi-detached | £172,750 | 40 |
| Terraced | £125,000 | 25 |
69%
of households own their home · England 61%
15%
rent privately · England 21%
£696
average private rent a month, Barnsley council area
£2,317
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Carlton is a driving town: 84% of commuters go by car, above South Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
14%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 18% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Work in town: 8% of resident commuters. At the census, 14% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, below both South Yorkshire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (27%). Home was the main workplace for 18% of workers at the census.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot8%
Bus5%
Bicycle1%
18%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£41K
mean household income, before tax
2.8%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 52% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Carlton
15pages on Carlton
The big questions
SafetyD45.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB+Median home £185K · rent £696 a monthHousing31 sold in 12 months · busiest street Spring Farm CourtSchoolsB−2 state schoolsHealthDLife expectancy 77.4 (men), 82.5 (women)Work & commuteC−41% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC1.5% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Monk Bretton Priory and 3 more in and around Carlton
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Carlton. Best known first.
Abbey or priory · English HeritageMonk Bretton Priory2.1 km outside town, to the south
MuseumCooper Art Gallery2.4 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumExperience Barnsley Museum and Discovery Centre2.5 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionWigfield Farm4.9 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Monk Bretton Priory: Tony Grist, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cooper Art Gallery: Alan Murray-Rust, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Carlton
Village in South Yorkshire, England
Carlton is a built-up area of 2,125 people, in the Barnsley 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
- 2,125 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Barnsley
- County
- South Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi (1.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001119
Carlton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
RoystonCudworth and ShaftonBarnsleyDartonSouth HiendleyBrierleyHavercroft and RyhillCarlton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton | 2,125 | — | — | B+ | D | D |
| Royston | 10,755 | 0.9 | C | B+ | C− | D |
| Cudworth and Shafton | 12,472 | 1.7 | C | B+ | D | D− |
| Barnsley | 71,394 | 2.2 | C | A− | D− | D− |
| Darton | 15,016 | 2.6 | C+ | B | C+ | C− |
| South Hiendley | 1,750 | 2.9 | — | B | C+ | D |
| Brierley | 2,714 | 2.9 | C− | B− | C+ | D− |
| Havercroft and Ryhill | 5,204 | 3.1 | C | B+ | D | D |
South Hiendley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Carlton
Does Carlton flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Is Carlton expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £185,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £125,000, semi-detached houses £172,750 and detached houses £280,000.
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.