Dovecot, Strathleven · Category A listed · Photo: Lairich Rig · CC BY-SA 2.0
Bonhill’s story
Bonhill in pictures
Historic Environment Scotland lists 7 buildings inside Bonhill’s locality, 2 of them in the top category.
Explore the history →
BonhillWest Dunbartonshire
A Band D home pays £1,682 in council tax. 8,608 people call this town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: George Rankin · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
8,608
Census 2022 · West Dunbartonshire council
Median home
£127K
391 sales in 3 years
Median age
41.8
16% are 65+ · West Dunbartonshire 20%
Degree level
20%
of residents 16+ · Scotland 32%
Walk, cycle, bus
17%
of commuters · Scotland 27%
Is Bonhill a good place to live?
Cost of living is its strong suit — homes sell for a median £127,400, about 3.3 times local household income. Its weakest subject is health — life expectancy is 72.6 for men and 77.8 for women. It also trails on schools (C−): school leavers’ results beat nearly a quarter of Scottish towns. Natural hazards weigh more here: 3.8% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · life expectancy, ONS · flood risk, SEPA. Police Scotland doesn’t publish street-level crime, so Bonhill has no Safety Grade and, without it, no overall grade. The other subjects are graded below.
What makes Bonhill stand out
The 3 things Bonhill does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
54% below the typical town in England and Wales’s £277K
Data-zone medians, 2023 to 2025, at early-2025 prices.
Life expectancy, against UK towns
Health
77.8 and 72.6 years
Public Health Scotland, 2020–24.
Band D council tax
Council tax
£1,682 Band D
32% below the typical town in England and Wales’s £2,472, 2026–27
The council’s Band D; water and sewerage are billed on top. Scottish Government.
How Bonhill grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Scotland), ordered by how far Bonhill is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Police Scotland doesn’t publish street-level crime, so Bonhill has no Safety Grade and, without it, no overall grade. The other subjects are graded below.
HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedD−Open →Hazard riskIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →SchoolsSchool leavers’ results beat 23% of Scottish townsC−Open →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesA−Open →WalkabilityEasier than most to get around on footB+Open →
SafetyNo street-level crime data–
Jobs & incomeNo small-area income data in Scotland–
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Dumbarton Castle and 9 more in and around Bonhill
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Bonhill. Best known first.
Castle · Historic Environment ScotlandDumbarton Castle2.9 km outside town, to the southCastleCastleBalloch Castle1.9 km outside town, to the northCastleCastleKilmahew Castle3.8 km outside town, to the westWildlife parkWildlife parkLoch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre1.6 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumBalloch Steam Slipway1.6 km outside town, to the northwestCastleCastleDalmoak Castle900 m 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)
- Dumbarton Castle: Otter, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bonhill.
Health
Bonhill’s life expectancy trails 99% of UK towns
7.7% of residents report bad or very bad health. At the census, 25% of people here had a disability, lower than West Dunbartonshire’s towns (28%) and near Scotland’s towns (24%). Asked at the census, 78% of residents of Bonhill said they were in good or very good health.
78%good or very good healthD−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2022 | Bonhill | West Dunbartonshire | Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 75% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.7% | 9% | 7.2% |
| Activities limited (health or disability) | 25% | 28% | 24% |
72.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2020–24)
77.8
life expectancy at birth, women
Scotland’s Census 2022, general health and disability · Public Health Scotland life expectancy by intermediate zone, 2020–24 · 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.
SchoolsC−
Bonhill’s schools fall behind 77% of Scottish towns on results
Some 477 pupils attend Bonhill’s three primaries. Below is one of its 3 schools, and why it was picked.
C−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonhill Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 220 | – |
Scottish Government · school statistics and leavers’ results · The grade uses the secondaries its children go to; Scotland publishes no primary results by school.See all 3 schools →
HousingCost of living grade A−
Most households in Bonhill own their home: 66%, more than in both West Dunbartonshire’s towns and Scotland’s towns
The private rented sector houses 8% of households. Private rents average £790 a month across the West Dunbartonshire council area. The median, £127,400, rests on 391 sales in Bonhill’s data zones from 2023 to 2025.
£127Kmedian sale
Median sale price · 2023 to 2025, at early-2025 prices
Bonhill£127K
Typical UK town£277K
66%
of households own their home · Scotland 60%
8%
rent privately · Scotland 13%
£790
average private rent a month, West Dunbartonshire council area
£1,682
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
Registers of Scotland data-zone sale prices · Scottish Government council tax · Scotland’s Census 2022 tenure · OGL · The Scottish median is our estimate from data-zone sales, brought to early-2025 prices.
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Bonhill than in West Dunbartonshire’s towns or Scotland’s towns: 17%
Scotland’s Census was taken on 20 March 2022, a year after England and Wales’s lockdown census; 27% of workers were mainly at home, and shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims came to 3.5% of 16 to 64s in 2026, near West Dunbartonshire’s towns (3.5%) and higher than Scotland’s towns (2.8%). Four in five commuters drove to work at the census. Also worth knowing: there are 0.5 jobs in Bonhill for each resident in work.
17%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2022
Driving80%
Bus6%
On foot6%
Train4%
Bicycle1%
41%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Scotland 44%
27%
worked mainly from home in March 2022
3.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B+
Walkability: more walkable than 66% of UK towns
Scotland’s Census 2022 (NRS), method of travel and distance to work · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Dovecot, Strathleven (Category A) heads Bonhill’s short list of listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Bonhill’s listed buildings include Dovecot, Strathleven, Category A. For its size, Bonhill has 8 listed buildings per 10,000 residents.
7listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic Environment Scotland
Category A2
Category B4
Category C1
Among them · Category A
- Dovecot, Strathleven Category A
- Strathleven House Category A
0
scheduled monuments
0
gardens and designed landscapes
8
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical town in England and Wales 24
Historic Environment Scotland list, October 2026 · OGL
Who lives here
Children make up 18% of Bonhill, above West Dunbartonshire’s towns and Scotland’s towns
20% of adults hold a degree, below West Dunbartonshire’s towns (22%) and Scotland’s towns (32%) alike. The 65-and-over age group makes up 16% of residents. The middle age in Bonhill is 41.8. People aged 15 to 24 make up a tenth of the town.
41.8median age
BonhillWest DunbartonshireScotland
Ages · share of residents
16%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship9%
Highers or similar11%
Degree level20%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women. Across Scotland, 51% of residents are women.
| Bonhill | West Dunbartonshire | Scotland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 16% | 15% |
| 15–24 | 9.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 26% | 24% | 26% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 29% | 27% |
| 65+ | 16% | 20% | 19% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 21% | 17% |
| Apprenticeship | 9.4% | 9.8% | 7.5% |
| Highers or similar | 11% | 11% | 11% |
| Degree level | 20% | 22% | 32% |
Scotland’s Census 2022 · West Dunbartonshire and Scotland: all residents of their towns · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bonhill
14pages on Bonhill
The big questions
SafetyNot graded · 17% live in Scotland’s most crime-deprived fifthCost of livingA−Median home £127K · rent £790 a monthSchoolsC−3 state schoolsHealthD−Life expectancy 72.6 (men), 77.8 (women)Work & commute46% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD3.8% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Landmarks
7 listed buildings in Bonhill, 2 of them in the top category.
Bonhill Parish Church with Boundary Wall and GraveyardCategory B listed
Coach House Range and Stable Yard, StrathlevenCategory B listed
Photo credits
Bonhill Parish Church with Boundary Wall and Graveyard: Photo: Lairich Rig · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Coach House Range and Stable Yard, Strathleven: Photo: Lairich Rig · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Geograph
Famous people from Bonhill
25 notable people were born in Bonhill.
R
Robert PatonBritish association football player (1854-1905)D
Daniel PatonScottish footballer (1871-?)J
James McAulayBritish association football player (1860-1943)Photo credits
Andrew McIntyre: Unknown - dates from 1877, Public domain
Bonhill’s neighbours
The nearest towns and villages, from National Records of Scotland’s 2022 localities. See them on the map →
AlexandriaBalloch and HaldaneDumbartonPort GlasgowBishoptonBowling and Old KilpatrickHelensburghBonhill
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonhill | 8,608 | — | — | A− | — | D− |
| Alexandria | 6,260 | 1.1 | — | A− | — | D− |
| Balloch and Haldane | 6,000 | 1.5 | — | B | — | D |
| Dumbarton | 21,027 | 2.3 | — | B+ | — | D− |
| Port Glasgow | 14,260 | 5.5 | — | A | — | D− |
| Bishopton | 10,048 | 5.7 | — | B− | — | A− |
| Bowling and Old Kilpatrick | 4,761 | 5.7 | — | B+ | — | C |
| Helensburgh | 14,128 | 6.4 | — | B | — | C+ |
No Scottish town has a Safety Grade or an overall grade yet: Police Scotland doesn’t publish street-level crime. People: Census 2022. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bonhill
Is Bonhill expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £127,400, against £277,000 in the typical town in England and Wales. On cost of living it is the 240th most affordable of 296 Scottish towns.
Does Bonhill flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
How much is council tax in Bonhill?
Band D council tax in Bonhill is £1,682 for 2026–27, less than in 92% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Are schools in Bonhill good?
GCSE results trail 77% of towns in England (Department for Education, Attainment 8). Bonhill has 3 state schools; places are handled by the local council.
About Bonhill
Town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland
Bonhill is a locality of 8,608 people, in the West Dunbartonshire council area. TownRatings uses National Records of Scotland’s 2022 localities as Scotland’s towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council area, so its figures cover the town itself. Localities split the big settlements into their towns, as ONS’s 2022 boundaries split conurbations in England and Wales.
Built from NRS geography and Census 2022
- Population
- 8,608 (Census 2022)
- Council
- West Dunbartonshire
- Nation
- Scotland
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi (3.8 km²)
- NRS code
- S52000081
Sources: Scotland’s Census 2022 (National Records of Scotland), output areas summed to the NRS 2022 locality · Registers of Scotland house price statistics, medians and quartiles of residential sales by 2022 data zone, 2004 to 2025 (the 2023 to 2025 headline brought to early-2025 prices with each council’s medians) · Scottish Government, Council Tax by band 2026-27; Scottish Water charges 2026-27 · Scottish Government, Recorded Crime in Scotland (crimes, offences and clear-up rates by council area, 2016-17 to 2025-26); Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020v2 crime domain and SIMD crime indicators (2014/15, 2017/18), 2011 data zones with Census 2022 residents · ONS gross disposable household income by council (2022), scaled to household income on England and Wales’s councils, with Scotland’s Census 2022 households · DWP / ONS Claimant Count via Nomis (2022 data zones, January to August 2026), over residents aged 16 to 64 at Scotland’s Census 2022; council series since 2015 · Scottish Government school contact list (31 July 2026) and school summary statistics (pupil census, September 2025); School Information Dashboard leavers’ attainment by school, 2022-23 to 2024-25 (data.gov.scot) · 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.