South Marston’s story
5 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside South Marston’s built-up area.
17% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
South MarstonWiltshire
It is a village of 863 residents in Wiltshire, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Peter Wood · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
863
Census 2021 · Swindon council
Median home
£438K
31 sales in 3 years
Median age
49
23% are 65+ · Wiltshire 19%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is South Marston a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, South Marston is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. One in ten commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 5 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. Homes sell for a median £438,000.
What makes South Marston stand out
The 3 things South Marston does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
44% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Mary Magdalen; 2.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.6 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in South Marston.
Work & commute
The car carries 88% of commuters in South Marston, more than in Wiltshire’s towns or across England’s towns
10%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 40% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Home was the main workplace for 40% of workers at the census. Households had £73K a year before tax, higher than both Wiltshire’s towns (£62K) and England’s towns (£55K). For every resident in work, South Marston has 14 jobs.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot4%
Bicycle4%
Bus1%
Train1%
40%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£73K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
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 South Marston
At the 9 primary schools within 3 km, 54% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its only school is listed below. Attainment 8 at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km averages 42.5, and two in five pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Marston Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 101 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
South Marston is a town of owners: 79% of households own their home, above Wiltshire’s towns and England’s towns
£438Kmedian sale
Renting privately is how 8% of households live. 11% live in social housing, lower than both Wiltshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). From September 2023 to August 2026, 31 homes sold inside South Marston’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £438,000.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
South Marston£438K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £547,000 | 23 |
| Terraced | £299,000 | 5 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,096
average private rent a month, Swindon council area
£2,439
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
Homes in South Marston see more burglary and damage than in Wiltshire’s towns or England’s towns: 12.4 per 1,000 a year
10.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 2.7 reports per 1,000, below both Wiltshire’s towns (8) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence accounts for 10.8 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year. 22 crimes and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside South Marston’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Of all the crimes, 27% were violence and sexual offences.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual6
Burglary4
Damage & arson3
Public order3
Other theft3
Drugs1
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
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.
10.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
22
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
Just 2.4% of people in South Marston say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Wiltshire’s towns and England’s towns
87%good or very good health
87% of South Marston’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, higher than both Wiltshire’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%). A disability affects 14% of people in the town. Seeing a GP means leaving South Marston: the nearest practice is 1.1 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | South Marston | Wiltshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.4% | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
83
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
South Marston has 58 listed buildings per 10,000 residents (Wiltshire towns 121, England’s towns 39)
5listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
South Marston’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary Magdalen, Grade I. 17% of its homes were built before 1919, below Wiltshire’s towns (21%) and close to England’s towns (16%).
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II4
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Magdalen Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
17%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
58
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
Children make up only 15% of South Marston, fewer than in Wiltshire’s towns and England’s towns
49median age
People aged 15 to 24 are 9.4% of the population. 23% of residents are 65 or over, above Wiltshire’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. The middle age in South Marston is 49.
South MarstonWiltshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| South Marston | Wiltshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.4% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.3% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Wiltshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Marston
13pages on South Marston
The big questions
Safety10.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £438K · rent £1,096 a monthHousing11 sold in 12 months · busiest street Magdalene CloseSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 83 (men), 84.6 (women)Work & commute58% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Museum & Art Swindon and 4 more in and around South Marston
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near South Marston. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumMuseum & Art Swindon4.3 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumMuseum of Computing4.5 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumRichard Jefferies Museum4.4 km outside town, to the southAttractionAttractionRoves Farm Visitor Centre1.5 km outside town, to the northeastFortFortNidum2.2 km outside town, to the south
MuseumMuseum of Computing4.5 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumRichard Jefferies Museum4.4 km outside town, to the southAttractionAttractionRoves Farm Visitor Centre1.5 km outside town, to the northeastFortFortNidum2.2 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Museum of Computing: Neil Thompson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Jefferies Museum: Brian Robert Marshall, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
About South Marston
Village in Wiltshire, England
South Marston is a built-up area of 863 people, in the Swindon 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
- 863 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Swindon
- County
- Wiltshire
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004813
South Marston’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Stratton St MargaretWanboroughHighworthSwindonBroad BlunsdonShrivenham and WatchfieldChiseldonSouth Marston
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Marston | 863 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Stratton St Margaret | 20,689 | 1.2 | C+ | B− | C | C+ |
| Wanborough | 1,737 | 3.1 | — | D | A+ | A− |
| Highworth | 7,932 | 3.2 | B+ | B− | B+ | B |
| Swindon | 183,687 | 3.2 | C+ | B | C− | C |
| Broad Blunsdon | 6,507 | 3.3 | B+ | C− | B | A− |
| Shrivenham and Watchfield | 5,353 | 3.4 | B | B | C+ | A |
| Chiseldon | 2,033 | 4.9 | — | C− | B− | B− |
Wanborough and Chiseldon have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about South Marston
How many listed buildings are there in South Marston?
That is 2.4 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary Magdalen.
Is South Marston expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £299,000 and detached houses £547,000. Private rents in the Swindon council area averaged £1,096 a month in August 2026.
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.