Colton’s story
4 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Colton’s built-up area.
23% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ColtonStaffordshire
Population 711: a village in Staffordshire, West Midlands.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Clive Woolliscroft · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
711
Census 2021 · Lichfield council
Median home
£255K
22 sales in 3 years
Median age
53.8
32% are 65+ · Staffordshire 21%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Colton a good place to live?
Colton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 10% of commuters. 4 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. It skews older: nearly a third of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Colton stand out
The 3 things Colton does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
2 Grade II*, including Church of St Mary; 2.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
32% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Colton.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Colton than in Staffordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 11% are under 15
53.8median age
The median resident of Colton is 53.8 years old. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 7.6% of residents, lower than both Staffordshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Graduates make up 35% of adults.
ColtonStaffordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
32%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Colton | Staffordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.6% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 32% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.6% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Staffordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Colton
Its only school is listed below. The St. Mary's CofE Primary School’s results beat 90% of schools in England like it. Secondary results at the one secondary school within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 43.9, with 38% at grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| The St. Mary's CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 88 | A |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Commuters in Colton travel far: only 21% go under 5 km, fewer than in both Staffordshire’s towns and England’s towns
10%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 42% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 88% of commuters, above both Staffordshire’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (70%). The census counted 42% of workers working mainly from home. About 7% of its commuters stay in Colton for work. 1% of people aged 16 to 64 were on unemployment benefits in 2026.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot6%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
21%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
42%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Colton is a town of owners: 79% of households own their home, above Staffordshire’s towns and England’s towns
£255Kmedian sale
Renting privately is how 13% of households live. Social housing holds 8% of households, lower than both Staffordshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,103 a month across the Lichfield council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Colton£255K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £420,000 | 5 |
| Semi-detached | £242,500 | 12 |
| Terraced | £159,000 | 5 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,103
average private rent a month, Lichfield council area
£2,345
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Violence is recorded less often in Colton than in Staffordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 6.1 per 1,000 residents a year
6.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Violence and sexual offences were four fifths of the crimes. Burglary and damage came to 2.3 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Staffordshire’s towns (8.9) and England’s towns (9.4). Over the year to August 2026, 10 offences were reported in Colton, along with 1 incidents of anti-social behaviour.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual8
Public order1
Drugs1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social1
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.
6.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
10
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.
Health
Most people in Colton (81%) report good or very good health
81%good or very good health
The nearest A&E to Colton is County Hospital, 7.6 miles away. This Staffordshire town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.7 miles away. At the census, nearly a fifth of people here had a disability, about level with Staffordshire’s towns (19%) and above England’s towns (17%).
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Colton | Staffordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6% | 6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 19% | 17% |
79.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, 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 and early deaths.
History
Much of Colton is a conservation area: 33% of its land, more than in both Staffordshire’s towns and England’s towns
4listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Nearly a quarter of its homes were built before 1919, above both Staffordshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (16%). Listed buildings per head: 56 for every 10,000 residents of Colton.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*2
Grade II2
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Mary Grade II*
- Colton House Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
23%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
56
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Colton
13pages on Colton
The big questions
Safety6.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £255K · rent £1,103 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street High StreetSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 79.8 (men), 82.4 (women)Work & commute57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards1.7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Hawkesyard Priory and 3 more in and around Colton
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Colton. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryHawkesyard Priory4.2 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumWolseley Centre2 km outside town, to the westAttractionAttractionGo Ape!4.3 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionBirches Valley Forest Centre4.4 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Hawkesyard Priory: Rev Steve Walters, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Colton
Village in Staffordshire, England
Colton is a built-up area of 711 people, in the Lichfield 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
- 711 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Lichfield
- County
- Staffordshire
- Region
- West Midlands
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002289
Colton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
RugeleyHill RidwareLittle HaywoodAbbots BromleyGreat HaywoodHandsacre and ArmitageHixonColton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colton | 711 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rugeley | 26,149 | 2.1 | C | B | C− | C− |
| Hill Ridware | 1,012 | 2.6 | — | B | B+ | C+ |
| Little Haywood | 1,968 | 2.8 | — | B+ | A+ | A− |
| Abbots Bromley | 1,331 | 2.8 | — | C+ | A | B+ |
| Great Haywood | 2,029 | 3.5 | — | A− | C | B+ |
| Handsacre and Armitage | 4,837 | 3.8 | B− | A− | B− | C |
| Hixon | 2,081 | 4.5 | — | A | B | B+ |
Hill Ridware, Little Haywood, Abbots Bromley, Great Haywood and Hixon have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Colton
How many listed buildings are there in Colton?
That is 2.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Colton?
Band D council tax in Colton is £2,345 for 2026–27, less than in 67% 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.
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.