Denstone’s story
13 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Denstone’s built-up area.
26% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DenstoneStaffordshire
With 829 residents, it is a village in Staffordshire, West Midlands.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Linda Bailey · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
829
Census 2021 · East Staffordshire council
Median home
£314K
20 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.8
31% are 65+ · Staffordshire 21%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Denstone a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Denstone is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. Nearly one in ten commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Its listed buildings number 13, with 0 at Grade I. 58% of households own their home with no mortgage.
What makes Denstone stand out
The 3 things Denstone does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% 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 All Saints Vicarage; 6.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Own outright
Housing
58% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Alton Towers Resort and 16 more in and around Denstone
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Denstone. Best known first.
Big drawTheme parkAlton Towers Resort2.8 km outside town, to the northwest · 2.5M visitors a year (2024)
AttractionThe Smiler3 km outside town, to the northwest
AttractionGalactica2.3 km outside town, to the northwest
Abbey or priory · English HeritageCroxden Abbey2 km outside town, to the west
CastleAlton Castle2.2 km outside town, to the northwest
AttractionOblivion3 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 (6)
- Alton Towers Resort: Dunderklumpen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Smiler: TowersStreet, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Galactica: Andyfishburne, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Croxden Abbey: Linda Bailey, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alton Castle: Dennis Thorley, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Oblivion: DAllardyce, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Denstone.
Work & commute
Work tends to be further away for Denstone: 24% commute under 5 km, below Staffordshire’s towns and England’s towns
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.
Unemployment benefit claims reached 0.9% of 16 to 64s in 2026. 88% of commuters drove, higher than both Staffordshire’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (70%). Also worth knowing: about 6% of its commuters stay in Denstone for work. The town counts 1.9 jobs per working resident.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot6%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
24%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
42%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
0.9%
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
Denstone is a town of owners: 87% of households own their home, above Staffordshire’s towns and England’s towns
Social renters account for 2% of households. 10% rent privately, below both Staffordshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (21%). Private rents average £858 a month across the East Staffordshire council area.
£314Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Denstone£314K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £451,500 | 10 |
| Semi-detached | £268,750 | 10 |
87%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£858
average private rent a month, East Staffordshire council area
£2,361
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
Homes in Denstone see less burglary and damage than in Staffordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 2.8 per 1,000 a year
Violent crime runs at 12.1 per 1,000 residents a year. 14 crimes and 3 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Denstone’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Of all the crimes, 57% were violence and sexual offences.
12.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual8
Public order3
Damage & arson1
Burglary1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Other theft0
Drugs0
Anti-social3
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.
12.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
14
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
More people in Denstone live with a disability than in Staffordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 25%
Asked at the census, 78% of residents of Denstone said they were in good or very good health. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.3 miles away. The nearest A&E to Denstone is Queens Hospital, 13.2 miles away.
78%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 17%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Denstone | Staffordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.3% | 6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 25% | 19% | 17% |
81
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 answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More buildings in Denstone are listed than in Staffordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 157 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up just over a quarter of the total, above Staffordshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. Grade II* covers 2 of them.
13listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*2
Grade II11
Among them · Grade II*
- All Saints Vicarage Grade II*
- Church of All Saints Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
26%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
157
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
An older town: 31% of people in Denstone are 65 or over, more than in Staffordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Just over a third of adults hold a degree, above Staffordshire’s towns (27%) and close to England’s towns (34%). Children under 15 count for 13% of the people here. The median resident of Denstone is 50.8 years old. People aged 15 to 24 are 17% of the population.
50.8median age
DenstoneStaffordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications23%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar12%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Denstone | Staffordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 17% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 23% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 12% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Staffordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Denstone
13pages on Denstone
The big questions
Safety12.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £314K · rent £858 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81 (men), 82.4 (women)Work & commute55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Denstone’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
RocesterDoveridgeUttoxeterMayfieldUpper TeanCheadleAshbourneDenstone
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denstone | 829 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rocester | 1,679 | 1.3 | — | A | C | B− |
| Doveridge | 1,760 | 4.4 | — | B | A+ | A |
| Uttoxeter | 14,024 | 4.5 | B− | B+ | C | C |
| Mayfield | 1,099 | 4.6 | — | A− | B | B− |
| Upper Tean | 3,244 | 5.4 | A | A | B+ | B− |
| Cheadle | 11,403 | 5.5 | B− | A | C− | C |
| Ashbourne | 8,854 | 6.3 | B+ | A | C+ | B− |
Rocester, Doveridge and Mayfield have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Denstone
How many listed buildings are there in Denstone?
That is 6.4 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Denstone?
Band D council tax in Denstone is £2,361 for 2026–27, less than in 65% 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.
Is Denstone expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £313,975, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £268,750 and detached houses £451,500.
About Denstone
Village in Staffordshire, England
Denstone is a built-up area of 829 people, in the East Staffordshire 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
- 829 (Census 2021)
- Council
- East Staffordshire
- County
- Staffordshire
- Region
- West Midlands
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002002
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.