Upper Killay’s story
No listed buildings inside Upper Killay’s built-up area
16% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Upper KillayWest Glamorgan
This village in West Glamorgan, Wales has a population of 937.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Bill Boaden · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
937
Census 2021 · Swansea council
Median home
£278K
36 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.7
29% are 65+ · West Glamorgan 21%
Degree level
39%
of residents 16+ · Wales 31%
Walk, cycle, bus
6%
of commuters · Wales 16%
Is Upper Killay a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Upper Killay has no grades; its figures are still real. 6% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Over-65s are 29% of the population. Just over half of households own their home outright.
What makes Upper Killay stand out
The 3 things Upper Killay does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
6% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (Wales’s towns 16%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
29% are 65 or over
Against 21% across Wales’s towns
Own outright
Housing
51% 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 Upper Killay.
Who lives here
Upper Killay has fewer young adults than West Glamorgan’s towns or Wales’s towns: 8.1% are 15 to 24
Degrees are held by nearly two in five adults. People 65 and over make up 29% of the town, above both West Glamorgan’s towns (21%) and Wales’s towns (21%). Upper Killay has a median age of 49.7.
49.7median age
Upper KillayWest GlamorganWales
Ages · share of residents
29%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level39%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across Wales, 51% of residents are women.
| Upper Killay | West Glamorgan | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 16% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 8.1% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 24% | 25% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 29% | 21% | 21% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 21% | 20% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.6% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 39% | 30% | 31% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Glamorgan and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Households in Upper Killay earn more than in West Glamorgan’s towns or across Wales’s towns: £54K a year
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 41% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
2.5% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, below West Glamorgan’s towns (2.8%) and Wales’s towns (3%) alike. Driving is how 92% of commuters got to work at the census. For just over a third of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
6%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot3%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
34%
of commuters travel under 5 km · Wales 41%
41%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£54K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
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
Housing
Homes in Upper Killay cost more than in West Glamorgan’s towns or across Wales’s towns, with a median sale of £278K
8% of households rent privately. Social housing holds 11% of households, below both West Glamorgan’s towns (19%) and Wales’s towns (18%). Owners make up just over four in five households.
£278Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Upper Killay£278K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £330,000 | 18 |
| Semi-detached | £243,750 | 14 |
81%
of households own their home · Wales 65%
8%
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
Violence is recorded less often in Upper Killay than in West Glamorgan’s towns or across Wales’s towns: 11.4 per 1,000 residents a year
Each year, 4.6 burglaries and acts of damage are recorded per 1,000 residents. A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 28 offences in Upper Killay and 1 cases of nuisance behaviour. There were 1.4 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below both West Glamorgan’s towns (8.2) and Wales’s towns (10.4). 57% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
11.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual16
Damage & arson3
Other theft3
Public order2
Burglary1
Drugs1
Vehicle crime1
Other crime1
Anti-social1
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.
11.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
28
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
Good or very good health: 78% of Upper Killay’s residents
The nearest A&E to Upper Killay is Morriston Hospital, 6.7 miles away. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.4 miles away. Nearly a quarter of residents have a disability, close to both West Glamorgan’s towns (23%) and Wales’s towns (22%).
78%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Upper Killay | West Glamorgan | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 78% | 78% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.5% | 7.9% | 7.1% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 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 · 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.
History
Most of Upper Killay is newer: only 16% of homes were built before 1919, below West Glamorgan’s towns and Wales’s towns
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 Upper Killay’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
16%
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
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Oystermouth Castle and 8 more in and around Upper Killay
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Upper Killay. Best known first.
CastleOystermouth Castle4.3 km outside town, to the southeast
GardenClyne Gardens2.4 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumEgypt Centre3.3 km outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionDylan Thomas House4.3 km outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionMansion House4.7 km outside town, to the eastWater parkWater parkBlackpill Lido2.8 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)
- Oystermouth Castle: Jennifer Luther Thomas, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Clyne Gardens: Peter Glyn, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Upper Killay
13pages on Upper Killay
The big questions
Safety11.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £278K · rent £852 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street Summerland ParkSchoolsHealthWork & commute51% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Upper Killay’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
DunvantThree CrossesGowertonBishopstonSouthgatePen-clawddLoughorUpper Killay
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Killay | 937 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dunvant | 1,732 | 1 | — | B− | A+ | B |
| Three Crosses | 1,476 | 1.6 | — | D | A− | B+ |
| Gowerton | 7,447 | 2.1 | C− | B | C | C− |
| Bishopston | 3,533 | 2.2 | A | C− | A+ | A+ |
| Southgate | 1,938 | 3.5 | — | D | A+ | A− |
| Pen-clawdd | 1,655 | 3.5 | — | B | A− | B |
| Loughor | 4,632 | 3.7 | B− | B+ | B− | C |
Dunvant, Three Crosses, Southgate and Pen-clawdd have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Upper Killay
Who lives in Upper Killay?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 29% of residents were 65 or over and 27% were 45 to 64, against 21% and 26% across Wales’s towns; 17% were under 15.
How much is council tax in Upper Killay?
Band D council tax in Upper Killay 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 Upper Killay expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £243,750 and detached houses £330,000. Private rents in the Swansea council area averaged £852 a month in August 2026.
About Upper Killay
Village in West Glamorgan, Wales
Upper Killay is a built-up area of 937 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
- 937 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Swansea
- County
- West Glamorgan
- Region
- Wales
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- W45000519
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.