Glais’s story
No listed buildings inside Glais’s built-up area
27% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
GlaisWest Glamorgan
831 residents make their home in this village in West Glamorgan, Wales.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Kevin Feathers · CC0
Population
831
Census 2021 · Swansea council
Median home
£230K
24 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.6
27% are 65+ · West Glamorgan 21%
Degree level
34%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
4%
of commuters · Wales 16%
Is Glais a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Glais has no grades; its figures are still real. 4% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. 27% of homes were built before 1919. 53% of households own their home with no mortgage.
What makes Glais stand out
The 3 things Glais does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
4% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (Wales’s towns 16%)
37% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Own outright
Housing
53% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (Wales’s towns 36%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Glais.
Work & commute
Fewer people aged 16 to 64 in Glais claim unemployment benefits than in West Glamorgan’s towns or Wales’s towns: 1.5%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 29% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Glais counts 0.3 jobs per working resident. Work in town: 1% of resident commuters. At the census, 95% of commuters went by car. Households had £50K a year before tax, higher than both West Glamorgan’s towns (£44K) and Wales’s towns (£44K).
4%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving95%
On foot3%
Bus1%
37%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
29%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
mean household income, before tax
1.5%
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
Schools
1 state school in Glais
It appears below. Its one primary school teaches 110 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glais Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 110 | – |
Welsh Government · schools list · Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.The Schools page →
Housing
More households own their home in Glais than in West Glamorgan’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 88%
Social housing holds 2% of households, below West Glamorgan’s towns (19%) and Wales’s towns (18%) alike. Private renters make up one in ten households. Also worth knowing: from September 2023 to August 2026, 24 homes sold inside Glais’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £230,000.
£230Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Glais£230K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £260,000 | 12 |
| Semi-detached | £189,995 | 9 |
88%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
10%
rent privately · Wales 17%
£852
average private rent a month, Swansea council area
£2,238
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 Glais see less burglary and damage than in West Glamorgan’s towns or Wales’s towns: 4.4 per 1,000 a year
Violent crime ran at 24.1 per 1,000 residents a year, below both West Glamorgan’s towns (25.6) and Wales’s towns (33.8). Glais logged 33 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 8 complaints of anti-social conduct. Of all the crimes, 61% were violence and sexual offences.
24.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual20
Public order8
Vehicle crime2
Damage & arson1
Other theft1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Anti-social8
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.
24.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
33
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
Just 3.9% of people in Glais say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in West Glamorgan’s towns and Wales’s towns
At the census, 19% of people here had a disability, below both West Glamorgan’s towns (23%) and Wales’s towns (22%). Asked at the census, 82% of residents of Glais said they were in good or very good health. Seeing a GP means leaving Glais: the nearest practice is 0.8 miles away.
82%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Glais | West Glamorgan | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 78% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.9% | 7.9% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 23% | 22% |
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 · OGL · Young towns look healthier on these answers, which aren’t adjusted for age; the Health Grade uses measures that are, such as life expectancy.
History
No listed buildings in Glais
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Cadw’s list has no building inside Glais’s built-up area.
0listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
27%
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
Glais has fewer young adults than West Glamorgan’s towns or Wales’s towns: 8.9% are 15 to 24
Just over a third of adults hold a degree, above West Glamorgan’s towns (30%) and Wales’s towns (31%) alike. Retirement age and beyond: 27% of residents are 65 or older. Typical age in Glais: 49.6, the median. The share of residents under 15 is 14%.
49.6median age
GlaisWest GlamorganWales
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level34%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Glais | West Glamorgan | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 8.9% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 27% | 21% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 21% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 30% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Glamorgan and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Neath Abbey and 2 more in and around Glais
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Glais. Best known first.
Abbey or priory · CadwNeath Abbey4.3 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumSwansea Bus Museum & Transport Heritage Centre3.6 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric shipHistoric shipLV72 "Juno"4.6 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 (1)
- Neath Abbey: Gareth Lovering Photography from Swansea, Wales UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Glais
14pages on Glais
The big questions
Safety24.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £230K · rent £852 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 months · busiest street Cefn RoadSchools1 state school (no results published in Wales)HealthWork & commute41% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Glais’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ClydachAlltwenRhosPontardaweNeathCilfrewTonnaGlais
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glais | 831 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clydach | 8,445 | 1.2 | C− | B+ | C | D |
| Alltwen | 2,721 | 2.4 | C+ | C+ | A− | C− |
| Rhos | 2,560 | 2.8 | C | C | A− | C− |
| Pontardawe | 5,539 | 2.9 | D | B | C− | D |
| Neath | 40,738 | 3.3 | D | B | C− | D |
| Cilfrew | 2,178 | 4.2 | — | B | C+ | D− |
| Tonna | 2,665 | 4.4 | C | B− | B | C− |
Cilfrew has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Glais
How much is council tax in Glais?
Band D council tax in Glais is £2,238 for 2026–27, less than in 81% of UK towns (the Swansea council average, with police and community councils). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Is Glais expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £230,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £189,995 and detached houses £260,000. Private rents in the Swansea council area averaged £852 a month in August 2026.
About Glais
Village in West Glamorgan, Wales
Glais is a built-up area of 831 people, in the Swansea 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
- 831 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Swansea
- County
- West Glamorgan
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000449
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.