Brownhills’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Brownhills’ built-up area.
6% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BrownhillsWest Midlands
The large town, home to 21,238 people, lies in West Midlands.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Jpb1301 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
21,238
Census 2021 · Walsall council
Median home
£218K
642 sales in 3 years
Median age
42.4
20% are 65+ · West Midlands 16%
Degree level
21%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
D−
#27 of 35 in West Midlands
Is Brownhills a good place to live?
A tough set of grades. Crime runs high: 44.3 violent and sexual offences and 24.7 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Against UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people, it has more crime per resident than 87%. Brownhills’s overall D− puts it #27 of 35 in West Midlands. Set against the rest, it does better than 3% of UK towns. It lags on health as well — life expectancy 78 for men, 81.6 for women. Where it does best is hazard risk (A). At a median £218,250, a home costs 4.7 times the yearly income of households in the Walsall council area.
Figures: flood risk, Environment Agency · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · life expectancy and incomes, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years.
What makes Brownhills stand out
The 3 things Brownhills does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
14% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
West Midlands 28%.
Secondary results, towns in England
Schools
Secondary results trail 91%
of towns in England, on GCSE results (Attainment 8, English and maths)
Primary results beat 50%. Department for Education.
How Brownhills grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Brownhills is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyCrime runs among the highest comparedDOpen →HealthNear the bottom of the towns comparedDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Cost of livingRent £924 a monthC−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £46,876; 3.9% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 50% of towns in England; secondary results beat 9% of towns in EnglandCOpen →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History1 listed buildingD−Open →Outdoors80% live within 400 m of a park; 2% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeBOpen →Civic life0.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 66% live within 1 km of a libraryCOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Brownhills.
Who lives here
Fewer people in Brownhills hold a degree than in West Midlands’ towns or England’s towns: 21%
Retirement age and beyond: 20% of residents are 65 or older. The age that splits Brownhills in two is 42.4. Young adults of 15 to 24 are just over a tenth of the population. Children under 15 make up 18%, below West Midlands’ towns (20%) and close to England’s towns (18%).
42.4median age
BrownhillsWest MidlandsEngland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications26%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level21%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Brownhills | West Midlands | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 20% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 14% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 24% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 16% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 26% | 24% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.9% | 4.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 21% | 28% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Midlands and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC
On exam results, Brownhills’s schools trail 74% of towns in England
Three of its 12 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. Walsall Wood School’s results beat nine in ten schools in England like it. Brownhills’s eight primaries and two secondaries have 3,689 pupils between them.
CSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St John's Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 340 | B− |
| Shire Oak AcademyLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 1,149 | D |
| Walsall Wood SchoolTop results in townPrimary | Primary | 231 | A |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 12 schools →
History
Brownhills’s one listed building is Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
For its size, Brownhills has the second fewest listed buildings of the towns in West Midlands. Homes built before 1919 account for 6% of the housing.
1listed buildingsD−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
6%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Per resident, Brownhills sees more crime than 93% of UK towns
Town centres with shops, stations and nightlife record more crime per resident: police.uk counts crimes where they happen, not where victims live.
Violence and sexual offences were 43% of the crimes. A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 2,261 offences in Brownhills and 108 cases of nuisance behaviour. There were 10.3 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), above West Midlands’ towns (6) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
44.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 13% of the 645 UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual966
Shoplifting279
Damage & arson246
Vehicle crime214
Public order133
Other theft121
Burglary109
Other crime57
Anti-social108
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.
44.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
24.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
2,261
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
More people in Brownhills live with a disability than in West Midlands’ towns or across England’s towns: 22%
Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 7% of the town. At the census, 77% of people in Brownhills called their health good or very good, below West Midlands’ towns (80%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. 6 GP practices serve the town; 73% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey. The nearest A&E to Brownhills is Manor Hospital, 5.1 miles away.
77%good or very good healthDHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 77%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Brownhills | West Midlands | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7% | 6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 18% | 17% |
78
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · 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 and early deaths.
HousingCost of living grade C−
Few households rent privately in Brownhills: 12%, fewer than in both West Midlands’ towns and England’s towns
24% live in social housing, higher than both West Midlands’ towns (22%) and England’s towns (18%). Home ownership stands at 63% of households. Half of the 642 standard sales inside Brownhills’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £218,250.
£218Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Brownhills£218K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £320,000 | 164 |
| Semi-detached | £210,000 | 296 |
| Terraced | £199,000 | 119 |
| Flat or maisonette | £125,000 | 63 |
63%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£924
average private rent a month, Walsall council area
£2,627
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Fewer commuters in Brownhills walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in West Midlands’ towns or England’s towns: 14%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 17% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Work in town: 15% of resident commuters. The car took 84% of commuters, above both West Midlands’ towns (73%) and England’s towns (70%). 32% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work.
14%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot7%
Bus5%
Bicycle2%
32%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
17%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£47K
mean household income, before tax
3.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 50% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Aston Manor Transport Museum and 8 more in and around Brownhills
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Brownhills. Best known first.
MuseumAston Manor Transport Museum1.1 km outside town, to the south
MuseumThe Leather Museum4.7 km outside town, to the southwest
Heritage railwayChasewater Railway1.6 km outside town, to the northGardenGardenWalsall Arboretum4.2 km outside town, to the southwestRuinsRuins · English HeritageLetocetum Roman Baths and Museum3.6 km outside town, to the eastZooZooOak Tree Children's Farm1.6 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 (3)
- Aston Manor Transport Museum: Martin Fisher, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Leather Museum: Brianboru100, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chasewater Railway: Chris Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brownhills
15pages on Brownhills
The big questions
SafetyD44.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £218K · rent £924 a monthHousing211 sold in 12 months · busiest street Lichfield RoadSchoolsC12 state schoolsHealthDLife expectancy 78 (men), 81.6 (women)Work & commuteC−44% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Famous people from Brownhills
12 notable people were born in Brownhills.
H
Harry BeckEnglish footballer (1901-1979)D
Dicky DorsettEnglish footballer (1919-1999)J
Joe DorsettEnglish footballer (1888-1951)F
Francis Joseph BigginsEnglish footballer (1884-1962)C
Cecil PoyntonEnglish footballer (1901-1983)Photo credits
Erin O'Connor: The original uploader was ChrisTheDude at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
Brownhills’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ClayhangerStonnallPelsallRushall and ShelfieldAldridgeBurntwoodNorton CanesBrownhills
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownhills | 21,238 | — | D− | C− | D | D |
| Clayhanger | 1,698 | 0.7 | — | D | B− | C |
| Stonnall | 1,340 | 1.5 | — | C+ | B+ | B+ |
| Pelsall | 10,455 | 2 | D | D | C | C |
| Rushall and Shelfield | 12,844 | 2.3 | D− | C− | C− | D |
| Aldridge | 15,827 | 2.5 | C | D | C | C+ |
| Burntwood | 27,891 | 2.5 | B− | A− | C+ | C |
| Norton Canes | 8,155 | 2.8 | C | B− | C− | C− |
Clayhanger and Stonnall have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Brownhills
Is Brownhills expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £218,250, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £125,000, terraced houses £199,000, semi-detached houses £210,000 and detached houses £320,000. Household incomes are lower than in 73% of UK towns, so cost of living grades C−.
About Brownhills
Large town in West Midlands, England
Brownhills is a built-up area of 21,238 people, in the Walsall 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
- 21,238 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Walsall
- County
- West Midlands
- Region
- West Midlands
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi (5.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002598
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) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), 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.