Lea’s story
6 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Lea’s built-up area.
42% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
LeaWiltshire
A village of 577 in Wiltshire, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Ray Bird · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
577
Census 2021 · Wiltshire council
Median home
£615K
13 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.5
30% are 65+ · Wiltshire 19%
Degree level
52%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Lea a good place to live?
Lea has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Lea stand out
The 3 things Lea does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 4.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.2 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
14% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lea.
Work & commute
Only 26% of Lea’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in Wiltshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 56% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Of the commuters living in Lea, 1% work in the town itself. At the census, 14% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, lower than both Wiltshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (27%). The census counted 56% of workers working mainly from home.
14%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot12%
Train1%
Underground, tram1%
26%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
56%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£72K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
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
The schools around Lea
Below is its only school. Two thirds of pupils at the 3 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one primary school teaches 174 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 174 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
A home in Lea sells for £615K, more than in Wiltshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Nine in ten households own their home, above both Wiltshire’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%). The private rented sector houses 4% of households. Private rents average £1,082 a month across the Wiltshire council area.
£615Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Lea£615K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £824,500 | 9 |
90%
of households own their home · England 61%
4%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,082
average private rent a month, Wiltshire council area
£2,417
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
Violent crime runs low in Lea: 2.3 per 1,000 residents a year, under Wiltshire’s towns and England’s towns
Violence and sexual offences made up two thirds of the total. Over the year to August 2026, 3 offences were reported in Lea, along with 3 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 2.9 reports per 1,000, below both Wiltshire’s towns (8) and England’s towns (7.8).
2.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual2
Public order1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social3
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.
2.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
3
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 Lea live with a disability than in Wiltshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 12%
Self-reported good health: 87% of Lea’s residents. 3.5% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, lower than both Wiltshire’s towns (4.4%) and England’s towns (5.2%). This Wiltshire town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.4 miles away.
87%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Lea | Wiltshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.5% | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
85.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Old homes shape Lea: 42% were built before 1919, more than in Wiltshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II covers all 6 listed buildings that Historic England records here. Conservation areas cover 39% of Lea’s land, higher than both Wiltshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (7%). Listed buildings per head: 104 for every 10,000 residents of the town.
6listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II6
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
42%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
104
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
More people in Lea hold a degree than in Wiltshire’s towns or England’s towns: 52%
30% of residents are 65 or over, above both Wiltshire’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%). People aged 15 to 24 are a tenth of the population. Under-15s account for 17% of the population.
52.5median age
LeaWiltshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
30%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications8%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar13%
Degree level52%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Lea | Wiltshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 12% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 8% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 52% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Wiltshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Marlmesbury Abbey and Grounds and 2 more in and around Lea
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Lea. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryMarlmesbury Abbey and Grounds2.2 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumAthelstan Museum2.1 km outside town, to the westGardenGardenAbbey House Gardens2.2 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Marlmesbury Abbey and Grounds: Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lea
13pages on Lea
The big questions
Safety2.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £615K · rent £1,082 a monthHousing1 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 85.4 (men), 86.9 (women)Work & commute68% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Lea’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MalmesburySutton BengerTetburyLynehamSherstonAshton KeynesRoyal Wootton BassettLea
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lea | 577 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Malmesbury | 7,184 | 1.8 | A+ | B | B+ | A− |
| Sutton Benger | 1,270 | 5 | — | B− | A− | A+ |
| Tetbury | 6,454 | 6.1 | B− | C− | B− | A− |
| Lyneham | 4,645 | 6.3 | A+ | A | A+ | B+ |
| Sherston | 1,394 | 6.4 | — | C | A | A |
| Ashton Keynes | 1,425 | 7.2 | — | C+ | A+ | A |
| Royal Wootton Bassett | 13,002 | 7.5 | A− | B+ | B− | C+ |
Sutton Benger, Sherston and Ashton Keynes have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Lea
How many listed buildings are there in Lea?
That is 4.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
About Lea
Village in Wiltshire, England
Lea is a built-up area of 577 people, in the Wiltshire 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
- 577 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Wiltshire
- County
- Wiltshire
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004837
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.