Three Crosses’s story
4 listed buildings
Cadw lists them inside Three Crosses’ built-up area.
21% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Three CrossesWest Glamorgan
In West Glamorgan, Wales, this village has 1,476 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Martin Bodman · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,476
Census 2021 · Swansea council
Median home
£375K
46 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.1
27% are 65+ · West Glamorgan 21%
Degree level
47%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · Wales 16%
Is Three Crosses a good place to live?
Three Crosses’s standout strength is safety — police record 15.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 5.2 home and vehicle crimes. Add health to its strengths — 4.3% in bad or very bad health, 16.5% disabled. It is hard to get around without a car: on the way to work, 5% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Homes sell for a median £375,000, about 8.3 years of what households in the Swansea council area earn.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · health, Census 2021 (the grade adjusts for age) · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Three Crosses 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.
How Three Crosses grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within Wales), ordered by how far Three Crosses is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
With fewer than 2,500 residents, Three Crosses has subject grades but no overall one.
WalkabilityAmong the hardest places to get around without a carD−Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Cost of livingRent £852 a monthDOpen →SafetyIn the top fifth of the towns comparedA−Open →Health4.3% in bad or very bad health, 17% disabled (adjusted for age in the grade)B+Open →Jobs & incomeAbout average among the towns comparedB−Open →
SchoolsNot published in Wales–
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryLess recorded history than most townsC+Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 39% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeAOpen →Civic life2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryCOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Three Crosses stand out
The 3 things Three Crosses does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (Wales’s towns 16%)
Claimant rate, against UK towns
Work
of 16 to 64s in 2026: fewer than in 98% of UK towns
DWP claimant count, January to August 2026.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (Wales’s towns 31%)
West Glamorgan 30%.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Three Crosses.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Under 5 km to work: 17% in Three Crosses, fewer than in West Glamorgan’s towns or Wales’s towns
5%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 39% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
1% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, below both West Glamorgan’s towns (2.9%) and Wales’s towns (3%). Driving is how 93% of commuters got to work at the census. Before tax, the average household brings in £51K a year.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving93%
On foot3%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
17%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
39%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D−
Walkability: more walkable than 2% 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 Three Crosses
It is shown below. 137 pupils attend Three Crosses’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crwys Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 137 | – |
Welsh Government · schools list · Wales publishes no school-level results, so its schools have no letters.The Schools page →
Who lives here
Degrees are more common in Three Crosses than in West Glamorgan’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 47% of adults
50.1median age
The age that splits Three Crosses in two is 50.1. People aged 15 to 24 make up nearly a tenth of the town, below West Glamorgan’s towns (13%) and Wales’s towns (12%) alike. Retirement age and beyond: 27% of residents are 65 or older.
Three CrossesWest GlamorganWales
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level47%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Three Crosses | West Glamorgan | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 9.2% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 24% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 27% | 21% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 21% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 47% | 30% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Glamorgan and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
HousingCost of living grade D
Three Crosses is a town of owners: 82% of households own their home, above West Glamorgan’s towns and Wales’s towns
£375Kmedian sale
Private tenants account for 6% of households. 12% live in social housing, below West Glamorgan’s towns (19%) and Wales’s towns (18%) alike. The £375,000 median rests on 46 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Three Crosses£375K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £471,250 | 24 |
| Semi-detached | £280,000 | 17 |
82%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
6%
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
Fewer crimes per resident in Three Crosses than in 82% of UK towns
15.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Police figures for Three Crosses’s built-up area: 33 crimes and 5 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 3.8 reports per 1,000, below both West Glamorgan’s towns (8.5) and Wales’s towns (10.4). 55% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 67% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual18
Public order8
Vehicle crime3
Shoplifting1
Damage & arson1
Burglary1
Other crime1
Other theft0
Anti-social5
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.
15.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.8
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
Fewer people in Three Crosses live with a disability than in West Glamorgan’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 17%
84%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
84% of Three Crosses’ residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above both West Glamorgan’s towns (78%) and Wales’s towns (78%). Three Crosses’ share in bad or very bad health, 4.3%, is the second lowest of the 32 towns in West Glamorgan. There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 1.8 miles off.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Three Crosses | West Glamorgan | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 78% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.3% | 7.9% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 23% | 22% |
82.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.2
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 · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy among them, do allow for age.
History
Three Crosses’s listed buildings: 4, all Grade II
4listed buildingsC+History Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
The pre-1919 share of homes is 21%. For its size, Three Crosses has 27 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above both West Glamorgan’s towns (10) and Wales’s towns (18).
Listed buildings by grade · Cadw
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II4
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
21%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
27
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Cadw list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Three Crosses
14pages on Three Crosses
The big questions
SafetyA−15.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £375K · rent £852 a monthHousing11 sold in 12 months · busiest street Gowerton RoadSchools1 state school (no results published in Wales)HealthB+Work & commuteB−49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Loughor Castle and 2 more in and around Three Crosses
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Three Crosses. Best known first.
Castle · CadwLoughor Castle3.4 km outside town, to the northZooZooAnimal Park5 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric siteHistoric siteGorseinon Gorsedd Circle4 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Loughor Castle: Nigel Davies, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Three Crosses
Village in West Glamorgan, Wales
Three Crosses is a built-up area of 1,476 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
- 1,476 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Swansea
- County
- West Glamorgan
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000507
Three Crosses’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
DunvantGowertonPen-clawddLoughorGorseinonBishopstonSouthgateThree Crosses
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three Crosses | 1,476 | — | — | D | A− | B+ |
| Dunvant | 1,732 | 1.2 | — | B− | A+ | B |
| Gowerton | 7,447 | 1.9 | C− | B | C | C− |
| Pen-clawdd | 1,655 | 1.9 | — | B | A− | B |
| Loughor | 4,632 | 2.5 | B− | B+ | B− | C |
| Gorseinon | 14,114 | 3 | C | B+ | B− | C− |
| Bishopston | 3,533 | 3.4 | A | C− | A+ | A+ |
| Southgate | 1,938 | 3.9 | — | D | A+ | A− |
Dunvant, Pen-clawdd and Southgate have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Three Crosses
Is Three Crosses expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £375,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £280,000 and detached houses £471,250.
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.