Far Forest’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Far Forest’s built-up area.
27% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Far ForestWorcestershire
This village in Worcestershire, West Midlands has a population of 709.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: O O'Brien · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
709
Census 2021 · Wyre Forest council
Median home
£384K
16 sales in 3 years
Median age
54.8
31% are 65+ · Worcestershire 22%
Degree level
25%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Far Forest a good place to live?
There are no grades for Far Forest: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 7% of commuters. Mortgage-free owners make up 59% of households.
What makes Far Forest stand out
The 3 things Far Forest does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Own outright
Housing
59% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
31% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Far Forest.
Who lives here
Far Forest skews older, with 31% of residents 65 or over, more than in Worcestershire’s towns and across England’s towns
25% of adults hold a degree. Children under 15 make up 12%, below both Worcestershire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). People aged 15 to 24 make up 7.9% of the town. Half of Far Forest is older than 54.8, half younger.
54.8median age
Far ForestWorcestershireEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications27%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level25%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Far Forest | Worcestershire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.9% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 27% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.8% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 25% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Worcestershire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Far Forest
The one school in town appears below. 58% of pupils at the one primary school within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town’s primary school has 86 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Forest Lea Memorial CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 86 | C+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Far Forest: just 11% travel under 5 km, below Worcestershire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 29% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
1.8% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. The car took 92% of commuters, above Worcestershire’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. The average household earns £48K a year before tax. Work in town: 3% of resident commuters.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot5%
Bicycle1%
11%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
29%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
1.8%
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
Most households in Far Forest own their home: 83%, more than in Worcestershire’s towns and across England’s towns
6% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up 10% of households, lower than both Worcestershire’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (21%). Behind the median of £384,000: 16 standard sales inside Far Forest’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£384Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Far Forest£384K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £416,000 | 11 |
83%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£825
average private rent a month, Wyre Forest council area
£2,478
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
Crime recorded by police in Far Forest
Violence and sexual offences were 40% of the crimes. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 10 recorded crimes inside Far Forest’s built-up area, and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Homes saw 8 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, below Worcestershire’s towns (9.2) and England’s towns (9.4) alike.
20.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual4
Burglary2
Public order1
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
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.
20.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
10
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
Disability is more common in Far Forest than in Worcestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 24% of residents
The nearest A&E to Far Forest is Russells Hall Hospital, 14.8 miles away. 6.6% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, above both Worcestershire’s towns (5.1%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Self-reported good health: 79% of the town’s residents. There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 3.5 miles off.
79%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Far Forest | Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.6% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 24% | 18% | 17% |
81.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
Old homes shape Far Forest: 27% were built before 1919, more than in Worcestershire’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.
None of the 1 listed building reaches Grade II* or Grade I; all are Grade II. For its size, Far Forest has 14 listed buildings per 10,000 residents.
1listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
27%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
14
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Far Forest
12pages on Far Forest
The big questions
Safety20.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £384K · rent £825 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 81.6 (men), 83.2 (women)Work & commute48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Far Forest’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BewdleyCleobury MortimerStourport-on-SevernHighleyWolverleyAlveleyKidderminsterFar Forest
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Far Forest | 709 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bewdley | 8,285 | 3.4 | C− | C | C+ | B− |
| Cleobury Mortimer | 2,963 | 3.6 | B− | B+ | B | B+ |
| Stourport-on-Severn | 20,302 | 5.3 | D | C+ | C | C |
| Highley | 3,305 | 5.5 | C+ | A | C+ | B− |
| Wolverley | 1,208 | 6.2 | — | C− | B− | B |
| Alveley | 1,505 | 6.4 | — | B | A− | B |
| Kidderminster | 57,567 | 6.4 | D | B− | D | C− |
Wolverley and Alveley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Far Forest
Is Far Forest expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £384,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the Wyre Forest council area averaged £825 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Far Forest?
Band D council tax in Far Forest is £2,478 for 2026–27, more than in 59% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Far Forest
Village in Worcestershire, England
Far Forest is a built-up area of 709 people, in the Wyre Forest 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
- 709 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Wyre Forest
- County
- Worcestershire
- Region
- West Midlands
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003091
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.