Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
It is a city of 103,099 residents in West Midlands.
The data are hard on it. Crime runs high (D−): 54.4 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 24.7 home and vehicle crimes. Among UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more, it has less crime per resident than 14%. Overall, West Bromwich earns a D−, better than 2% of UK towns. It ranks #30 of 35 in West Midlands. Buying the median home, at £229,750, takes 5.4 years of household income in the Sandwell council area. Walkability is its strong suit: 24% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Residents’ health trails most towns (D): life expectancy is 76 for men and 81.1 for women.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes and life expectancy, ONS.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far West Bromwich is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The 3 things West Bromwich does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 61 buildings inside West Bromwich’s built-up area, 2 of them Grade I, and 1 scheduled monument.
7% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →61 listed buildings in West Bromwich, 2 of them Grade I.
Chances Glassworks, Smethwick: Photo: Row17 · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Dartmouth Park: Photo: Elliott Brown from Birmingham, United Kingdom · CC BY-SA 2.0 · The Hawthorns Public House Junction of Birmingham Road and Halfords Lane: Photo: A J Paxton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Steward Aqueduct (Approximately 400 Metres West of Spon Lane South) Birmingham Canal Wolverhampton Level: Photo: Oosoom · CC BY-SA 3.0
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in West Bromwich.
Town centres with shops, stations and nightlife record more crime per resident: police.uk counts crimes where they happen, not where victims live.
West Bromwich logged 11,261 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 378 complaints of anti-social conduct. For its size, West Bromwich records more crime per resident than 86% of the 207 UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more. 47% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
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.
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.
Of its 37 schools, three are shown below, each with the reason. St John Bosco Catholic Primary School’s results beat 96% of schools in England like it. Attainment 8 at the town’s 4 secondary schools averages 42.1, and 37% of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennyhill Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 647 | C |
| The Phoenix CollegiateLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 1,770 | D |
| St John Bosco Catholic Primary SchoolTop results in townPrimary | Primary | 244 | A+ |
Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 6.7% of the town. Nearly four fifths of West Bromwich’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, below West Midlands’ towns (80%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. 17 GP practices serve the town; 63% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
| Census 2021 | West Bromwich | West Midlands | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.7% | 6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, 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 and early deaths.
Under 15: 20% of residents. The median resident of West Bromwich is 37.9 years old. Those 65 and older account for 15% of residents.
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| West Bromwich | West Midlands | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 20% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 13% | 14% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 27% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 24% | 25% |
| 65+ | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 29% | 24% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.8% | 4.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 23% | 28% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Midlands and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 18% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households had £42K a year before tax, below both West Midlands’ towns (£48K) and England’s towns (£55K). There are 1 jobs in West Bromwich for each resident in work. Working from home was the norm for 18% of workers at the census.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
53% of households own their home, below West Midlands’ towns (57%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. Renting privately is how 17% of households live. Private rents average £953 a month across the Sandwell council area.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £346,000 | 279 |
| Semi-detached | £240,000 | 995 |
| Terraced | £202,000 | 551 |
| Flat or maisonette | £115,000 | 223 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
West Bromwich’s listed buildings include Oak House, West Bromwich, Grade I. Homes from before 1919 make up 7% of the total, about level with West Midlands’ towns (7%) and below England’s towns (16%). Also worth knowing: the national list protects one ancient monument in the town.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near West Bromwich. Best known first.
MuseumThe Oak House Museumin town
CastleDudley Castle3.3 km outside town, to the west
MuseumSoho House Museum3.1 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumAston Hall4.2 km outside town, to the southeast
Art galleryThe New Art Gallery2.8 km outside town, to the north
MuseumWednesbury Museum & Art Gallery600 m outside town, to the northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
9 notable people were born in West Bromwich.
Aaron Ramsey: Timmy96, CC0 · Steve Adey: Philippe Monthoux, CC BY-SA 3.0
City in West Midlands, England
West Bromwich is a built-up area of 103,099 people, in the Sandwell 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
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Bromwich | 103,099 | — | D− | D | D− | D |
| Wednesbury | 20,321 | 1.9 | D− | C− | D− | D− |
| Walsall | 70,777 | 3 | D | C− | D− | D |
| Tipton | 47,202 | 3 | D− | C− | D | D− |
| Darlaston | 21,541 | 3 | D− | C | D− | D− |
| Smethwick | 56,343 | 3.3 | D | C− | D | D |
| Pheasey | 9,498 | 3.5 | B− | D | B | B− |
| Rowley Regis | 39,052 | 3.6 | D | C− | C− | D |
People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
GCSE results trail 78% of towns in England, and primary results trail 60% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2).
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.