Lightwater’s story
5 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Lightwater’s built-up area.
6% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
LightwaterSurrey
A town of 6,539 in Surrey, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: SuzanneKn at en.wikipedia · Public domain
Population
6,539
Census 2021 · Surrey Heath council
Median home
£545K
313 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.3
25% are 65+ · Surrey 19%
Degree level
39%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
A
#13 of 65 in Surrey
Is Lightwater a good place to live?
Lightwater grades A overall against UK towns: better than 93% of UK towns, and #13 of 65 in Surrey. Its strongest subject is jobs & income (A+): mean household income £76,084; 1.4% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Its weakest is walkability (C−): 9% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £545,000 in the last three years, 7.3 times what households in the Surrey Heath council area earn in a year.
What makes Lightwater stand out
The 3 things Lightwater 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%)
92%of UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people
Safety
of UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Lightwater grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Lightwater is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Jobs & incomeA+Open →HealthLife expectancy 83.4 for men, 85.5 for womenA+Open →SafetyAOpen →WalkabilityC−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 49% of towns in England; secondary results beat 89% of towns in EnglandB+Open →Cost of livingrent £1,503 a monthC+Open →Hazard risk0.4% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryDOpen →Outdoors72% live within 400 m of a park; 9.2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB+Open →Civic life1.4 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryDOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lightwater.
Health
Life expectancy in Lightwater is longer than in 87% of UK towns
Lightwater sits close to Surrey’s towns (87%) and above England’s towns (82%) on this measure. Women here live to 85.5 on average and men to 83.4 (2019–23). One GP practice serves the town; 95% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
87%good or very good healthA+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Lightwater | Surrey | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 87% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.4% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
83.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
SchoolsB+
Results at Lightwater’s schools beat 73% of towns in England
One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
B+School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightwater Village Infant School and NurseryLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 199 | – |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
History
5 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Lightwater has 5 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 6% of its homes were built before 1919.
5listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II5
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
6%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
8
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
For a town of its size, Lightwater is quiet: less crime per resident than 92% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people
Violent crime ran at 11.3 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Surrey’s towns (19.4) and England’s towns (22). Homes see 7 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 299 crimes inside Lightwater’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 35 reports of anti-social behaviour.
11.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 92% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Shoplifting79
Violence & sexual78
Other theft62
Vehicle crime24
Damage & arson14
Burglary14
Public order11
Drugs10
Anti-social35
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.
11.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
299
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
Commuters in Lightwater travel far: only 21% go under 5 km, fewer than in Surrey’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 45% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
That puts Lightwater below both Surrey’s towns (40%) and England’s towns (45%). 88% of commuters drove to work at the census.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot5%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
21%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
45%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£76K
mean household income, before tax
1.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 18% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C+
More households own their home in Lightwater than in Surrey’s towns or across England’s towns: 84%
On this, Lightwater is above both Surrey’s towns (70%) and England’s towns (61%). Social housing holds 4% of households.
£545Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Lightwater£545K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £650,000 | 153 |
| Semi-detached | £450,000 | 57 |
| Terraced | £392,000 | 50 |
| Flat or maisonette | £215,000 | 53 |
84%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,503
average private rent a month, Surrey Heath council area
£2,628
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Lightwater than in Surrey’s towns or England’s towns: 14% are under 15
In the comparison, Lightwater comes below both Surrey’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). Over-65s are 25% of the population. The median resident of Lightwater is 49.3 years old.
49.3median age
LightwaterSurreyEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level39%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Lightwater | Surrey | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 13% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 4.2% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 39% | 42% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Surrey and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Bagshot Park Mansion and 4 more in and around Lightwater
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Lightwater. Best known first.
Historic houseBagshot Park Mansion2 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumNRA Museum3.6 km outside town, to the southAttractionAttractionChobham Adventure Farm3.1 km outside town, to the eastTheme parkTheme parkMizen's Railway3.7 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumChobham Museum3.3 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Bagshot Park Mansion: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- NRA Museum: Hemmers, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lightwater
14pages on Lightwater
The big questions
SafetyA11.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £545K · rent £1,503 a monthHousing77 sold in 12 months · busiest street Guildford RoadSchoolsB+2 state schoolsHealthA+Life expectancy 83.4 (men), 85.5 (women)Work & commuteA+59% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC+0.4% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Lightwater’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BagshotWindleshamWest End and ChobhamBisleyCamberleyDeepcutPirbrightLightwater
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightwater | 6,539 | — | A | C+ | A | A+ |
| Bagshot | 5,930 | 1.2 | B+ | B | C | B+ |
| Windlesham | 3,706 | 1.6 | A | C | A | A+ |
| West End and Chobham | 8,877 | 1.6 | A | C | A− | A− |
| Bisley | 4,045 | 2.2 | A− | C+ | C+ | B+ |
| Camberley | 36,787 | 2.7 | A− | B | C+ | B+ |
| Deepcut | 2,163 | 3 | — | B+ | C | A− |
| Pirbright | 3,920 | 3 | A | D | A+ | A |
Deepcut has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Lightwater
Is Lightwater safe?
Police recorded 299 crimes inside Lightwater’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 26% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
Is Lightwater expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £545,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £215,000, terraced houses £392,000, semi-detached houses £450,000 and detached houses £650,000.
How much is council tax in Lightwater?
Band D council tax in Lightwater is £2,628 for 2026–27, more than in 90% 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.
About Lightwater
Town in Surrey, England
Lightwater is a built-up area of 6,539 people, in the Surrey Heath 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
- 6,539 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Surrey Heath
- County
- Surrey
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi (2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005296
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.