Cwmgwrach’s story
Old homes in Cwmgwrach: 38% built before 1919
38% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
CwmgwrachWest Glamorgan
Population 1,071: a village in West Glamorgan, Wales.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Jaggery · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,071
Census 2021 · Neath Port Talbot council
Median home
£158K
32 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.7
23% are 65+ · West Glamorgan 21%
Degree level
25%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · Wales 16%
Is Cwmgwrach a good place to live?
Prices are modest for what you get (B+): the median home sold for £158,000, 3.8 years of area income. The weak point is jobs & income (D−): the mean household earns £40,342 a year. Health outcomes fall short of most towns: 7.9% in bad or very bad health, 23.4% disabled. Pre-1919 homes make up 38% of the housing.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · income, ONS · claimants, DWP · health, Census 2021 (the grade adjusts for age). With fewer than 2,500 residents, Cwmgwrach has subject grades but no overall one.
This town's Health Grade uses ONS's small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for 2019 to 2023, and two Census 2021 measures, bad health and disability, adjusted for age. English towns' grades also use OHID's small-area early deaths, hospital admissions and child obesity, which OHID publishes for England only.
What makes Cwmgwrach stand out
The 3 things Cwmgwrach does most differently from other towns.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (Wales’s towns 16%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
43% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Cwmgwrach grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Cwmgwrach is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
With fewer than 2,500 residents, Cwmgwrach has subject grades but no overall one.
Jobs & income3.7% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsD−Open →Hazard risk12% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaD−Open →WalkabilityAmong the weakest of the towns comparedDOpen →Health7.9% in bad or very bad health, 23% disabled (adjusted for age in the grade)C−Open →Cost of livingRent £690 a monthB+Open →SafetyClose to the middle of the towns comparedB−Open →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsC+Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 6% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeB+Open →Civic life0.9 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 Cwmgwrach.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Only 18% of Cwmgwrach’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in West Glamorgan’s towns and across Wales’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 14% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 3.7%. At the census, 8% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, below both West Glamorgan’s towns (14%) and Wales’s towns (16%). Cwmgwrach counts 0.6 jobs per working resident. 6% of commuters who live in Cwmgwrach also work there.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot5%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
18%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
14%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£40K
mean household income, before tax
3.7%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 9% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Schools
1 state school in Cwmgwrach
It is shown below. The town’s primary school has 147 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaengwrach Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 147 | – |
Welsh Government · schools list · Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.The Schools page →
Health
Only 75% of people in Cwmgwrach say their health is good or very good, fewer than in West Glamorgan’s towns and across Wales’s towns
The nearest A&E to Cwmgwrach is Prince Charles Hospital, 11.2 miles away. Men in Cwmgwrach can expect to live to 78.5, women to 82 (2019–23). Seeing a GP means leaving Cwmgwrach: the nearest practice is 0.3 miles away.
75%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 75%Fair 17%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Cwmgwrach | West Glamorgan | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 75% | 78% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.9% | 7.9% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 23% | 22% |
78.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82
life expectancy at birth, women
Welsh towns’ Health Grades use ONS’s small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for 2019 to 2023, and two Census 2021 measures, bad health and disability, adjusted for age. English towns’ also use OHID’s small-area early deaths, hospital admissions and child obesity, which OHID publishes for England only.
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · ONS, 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.
HousingCost of living grade B+
More households own their home in Cwmgwrach than in West Glamorgan’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 80%
Social housing holds 7% of households, lower than both West Glamorgan’s towns (19%) and Wales’s towns (18%). Private tenants account for 13% of households. Behind the median of £158,000: 32 standard sales inside Cwmgwrach’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£158Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Cwmgwrach£158K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £238,500 | 6 |
| Semi-detached | £158,000 | 18 |
| Terraced | £129,000 | 8 |
80%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
13%
rent privately · Wales 17%
£690
average private rent a month, Neath Port Talbot council area
£2,541
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
No listed buildings in Cwmgwrach
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
One scheduled monument lies in Cwmgwrach. Cadw’s list has no building inside the town’s built-up area.
0listed buildingsC+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
1
scheduled monument
0
registered parks and gardens
38%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Cadw list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Cwmgwrach has fewer young adults than West Glamorgan’s towns or Wales’s towns: 9.8% are 15 to 24
14% of residents are children under 15. People 65 and over make up 23% of the town, above West Glamorgan’s towns (21%) and Wales’s towns (21%) alike. Ages in Cwmgwrach split evenly at 48.7: half are older, half younger. Among adults, 25% have a degree.
48.7median age
CwmgwrachWest GlamorganWales
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications25%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level25%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Cwmgwrach | West Glamorgan | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 9.8% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 23% | 21% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 25% | 21% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.5% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 25% | 30% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Glamorgan and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Safety
Cwmgwrach records less violent crime per resident than West Glamorgan’s towns or Wales’s towns, at 22.4 per 1,000 a year
46% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. 56 crimes and 10 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Cwmgwrach’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Per 1,000 residents, 10.3 burglaries and acts of damage are recorded a year.
22.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 29% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual26
Vehicle crime7
Shoplifting6
Public order4
Other theft3
Burglary3
Drugs3
Damage & arson2
Anti-social10
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.
22.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
56
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.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Spring Valley Watersports centre and 2 more in and around Cwmgwrach
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Cwmgwrach. Best known first.
Water parkWater parkSpring Valley Watersports centre1.1 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionZip World Tower Colliery5 km outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionDinas Rock4.3 km outside town, to the northeast
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cwmgwrach
15pages on Cwmgwrach
The big questions
SafetyB−22.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB+Median home £158K · rent £690 a monthHousing10 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state school (no results published in Wales)HealthC−Work & commuteD−35% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD−11.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Cwmgwrach’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Glyn-neathResolvenSeven SistersCreunantYstradgynlaisTreherbertCroeserwCwmgwrach
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cwmgwrach | 1,071 | — | — | B+ | B− | C− |
| Glyn-neath | 3,927 | 1.1 | D | B+ | C+ | C− |
| Resolven | 2,162 | 2.9 | — | B+ | B− | D− |
| Seven Sisters | 1,343 | 3.7 | — | B+ | D | D |
| Creunant | 1,664 | 4.7 | — | B | B− | D |
| Ystradgynlais | 4,032 | 5.7 | D− | B+ | D | D |
| Treherbert | 5,427 | 6 | D | B+ | C− | D− |
| Croeserw | 1,294 | 6.3 | — | B+ | D− | D− |
Resolven, Seven Sisters, Creunant and Croeserw have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Cwmgwrach
Does Cwmgwrach flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on Natural Resources Wales’s flood risk service.
Is Cwmgwrach expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £158,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £129,000, semi-detached houses £158,000 and detached houses £238,500.
Is Cwmgwrach safe?
Against all UK towns, it grades B−.
About Cwmgwrach
Village in West Glamorgan, Wales
Cwmgwrach is a built-up area of 1,071 people, in the Neath Port Talbot 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
- 1,071 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Neath Port Talbot
- County
- West Glamorgan
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000405
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) · Cadw listed buildings, scheduled monuments and registered historic parks and gardens via DataMapWales, 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.