Polesworth and Dordon’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Polesworth and Dordon’s built-up area.
17% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Polesworth and DordonWarwickshire
TownGrade
C−
#29 of 34 in Warwickshire
The town has 7,552 residents and lies in Warwickshire, West Midlands.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Rogers · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
7,552
Census 2021 · North Warwickshire council
Median home
£240K
328 sales in 3 years
Median age
41.9
20% are 65+ · Warwickshire 20%
Degree level
22%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Polesworth and Dordon a good place to live?
School results trail most towns: primary results beat 28% of towns in England; secondary results beat 14% of towns in England. Residents’ health trails most towns: life expectancy 79.3 for men, 81.5 for women. Homes sell for a median £240,000, about 4.8 years of what households in the North Warwickshire council area earn. The overall grade lands at C−, #29 of 34 in Warwickshire. It comes out better than 24% of UK towns. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for jobs & income, C+ for walkability and B− for hazard risk.
Figures: life expectancy and incomes, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · claimants, DWP · commuting, Census 2021 · flood risk, Environment Agency.
WeakestC−Schools
How Polesworth and Dordon grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Polesworth and Dordon is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 28% of towns in England; secondary results beat 14% of towns in EnglandC−Open →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areCOpen →SafetyMore crime than in most townsC+Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesC+Open →Cost of livingRent £982 a monthC+Open →Hazard risk0.3% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £49,857; 2.2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsDOpen →Outdoors68% live within 400 m of a park; 1.6 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsDOpen →Civic life1.3 local charities per 1,000 residents; 100% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Polesworth and Dordon stand out
The 3 things Polesworth and Dordon does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
12% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Warwickshire 35%.
Secondary results, towns in England
Schools
Secondary results trail 86%
of towns in England, on GCSE results (Attainment 8, English and maths)
Primary results beat 28%. Department for Education.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Polesworth and Dordon.
Who lives here
Fewer people in Polesworth and Dordon hold a degree than in Warwickshire’s towns or England’s towns: 22%
41.9median age
Polesworth and Dordon has a median age of 41.9 years. The 15-to-24 age group: 9.8%, below Warwickshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. 20% of residents are 65 or over.
Polesworth and DordonWarwickshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications25%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level22%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Polesworth and Dordon | Warwickshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 27% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 25% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.9% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 22% | 35% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Warwickshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC−
Results at Polesworth and Dordon’s schools trail 85% of towns in England
C−School Grade
Of its 4 schools, two are shown below, each with the reason. 57% of pupils at the town’s 3 primary schools met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Secondary results at the 4 secondary schools within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 40.4, with 34% at grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birchwood Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 451 | B+ |
| The Polesworth SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 1,459 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 4 schools →
History
Polesworth and Dordon’s listed buildings: 2, all Grade II
2listed buildingsDHistory Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Relative to its size, Polesworth and Dordon keeps 3 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. 17% of homes date from before 1919.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
17%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
3
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Fewer people in Polesworth and Dordon say their health is good than in Warwickshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 79%
79%good or very good healthCHealth Grade
One GP practice serves the town; just over two thirds of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey. At the census, 5.9% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, above Warwickshire’s towns (4.7%) and England’s towns (5.2%) alike. Disability touches 19% of Polesworth and Dordon’s population. The nearest A&E to Polesworth and Dordon is Good Hope Hospital, 8.7 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Polesworth and Dordon | Warwickshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.9% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
79.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
Safety
Burglary and damage hit Polesworth and Dordon harder than Warwickshire’s towns or England’s towns: 13 per 1,000 residents a year
24.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC+Safety Grade
Of all the crimes, 51% were violence and sexual offences. Police figures for Polesworth and Dordon’s built-up area: 388 crimes and 111 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. There were 13.2 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), higher than both Warwickshire’s towns (10.3) and England’s towns (7.8).
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 38% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual198
Other theft39
Vehicle crime33
Damage & arson28
Burglary25
Public order22
Other crime12
Shoplifting11
Anti-social111
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.
24.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
13
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
13.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
388
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
The car carries 86% of commuters in Polesworth and Dordon, more than in both Warwickshire’s towns and England’s towns
12%walk, cycle or ride
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.
Working mainly from home: 23% of workers, below both Warwickshire’s towns (33%) and England’s towns (31%), and 12% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census. Work in town: 17% of resident commuters. For 38% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot9%
Bus2%
Bicycle2%
38%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
23%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 42% 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+
Polesworth and Dordon gets a C+ for cost of living grade
£240Kmedian sale
Private renters make up 16% of households. Behind the median of £240,000: 328 standard sales inside Polesworth and Dordon’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026. Owners make up two thirds of households.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Polesworth and Dordon£240K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £345,000 | 107 |
| Semi-detached | £229,000 | 142 |
| Terraced | £186,250 | 74 |
| Flat or maisonette | £138,000 | 5 |
67%
of households own their home · England 61%
16%
rent privately · England 21%
£982
average private rent a month, North Warwickshire council area
£2,510
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Polesworth and Dordon
15pages on Polesworth and Dordon
The big questions
SafetyC+24.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £240K · rent £982 a monthHousing104 sold in 12 months · busiest street Hill DriveSchoolsC−4 state schoolsHealthCLife expectancy 79.3 (men), 81.5 (women)Work & commuteB−48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Polesworth Abbey and 3 more in and around Polesworth and Dordon
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Polesworth and Dordon. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryPolesworth Abbey200 m outside town, to the north
MuseumStatfold Barn Railway and Museum4 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumNational Fairground Museum4.2 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumNorth Warwickshire Museum and Community Hub4.4 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Polesworth Abbey: JohnArmagh, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Statfold Barn Railway and Museum: A M Hurrell, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Polesworth and Dordon
Town in Warwickshire, England
Polesworth and Dordon is a built-up area of 7,552 people, in the North Warwickshire 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
- 7,552 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North Warwickshire
- County
- Warwickshire
- Region
- West Midlands
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi (3.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002688
Polesworth and Dordon’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
PolesworthGrendonWartonWood End (North Warwickshire)Baddesley EnsorTamworthHurleyPolesworth and Dordon
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polesworth and Dordon | 7,552 | — | C− | C+ | C+ | C |
| Polesworth | 1,955 | 1 | — | C+ | B | C+ |
| Grendon | 2,427 | 1.5 | — | C | B− | C |
| Warton | 1,472 | 1.9 | — | C− | B− | C+ |
| Wood End (North Warwickshire) | 1,562 | 2.1 | — | C | B− | C− |
| Baddesley Ensor | 1,285 | 2.2 | — | B− | B+ | C− |
| Tamworth | 76,074 | 2.7 | C− | B | C− | C− |
| Hurley | 1,420 | 3.5 | — | C+ | C+ | C− |
Polesworth, Grendon, Warton, Wood End (North Warwickshire), Baddesley Ensor and Hurley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Polesworth and Dordon
Is Polesworth and Dordon safe?
About the middle for its size: 62% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people report less crime per resident. Against all UK towns, it grades C+.
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.