Malvern Wells’s story
20 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Malvern Wells’ built-up area.
39% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Malvern WellsWorcestershire
1,757 people live in this village in Worcestershire, West Midlands.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Bob Embleton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,757
Census 2021 · Malvern Hills council
Median home
£403K
89 sales in 3 years
Median age
54.8
33% are 65+ · Worcestershire 22%
Degree level
48%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Malvern Wells a good place to live?
Recorded crime is low (A): 8.2 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 6.3 home and vehicle crimes. People here tend to be in good health: life expectancy is 82 for men and 84.2 for women. Its weakest is cost of living (C): homes sell for a median £403,000, about 7.5 times local household income. It lags on walkability as well (C) — 11% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · life expectancy, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Malvern Wells has subject grades but no overall one.
How Malvern Wells grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Malvern Wells is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyVery little crime by comparisonAOpen →HealthIn the top fifth of the towns comparedAOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 68% of towns in England; secondary results beat 83% of towns in EnglandA−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £56,728B+Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carCOpen →Cost of livingHomes are harder to afford than in most townsCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryNear the top of the towns comparedA−Open →Outdoors37% live within 400 m of a park; 57% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeAOpen →Civic life0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Malvern Wells stand out
The 3 things Malvern Wells does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 4.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
89%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Malvern Wells.
Safety
Crime per resident in Malvern Wells is lower than in 94% of UK towns
8.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Malvern Wells has less crime per resident than 89% of them. This Worcestershire town logged 31 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 10 complaints of anti-social conduct. 35% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 89% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual11
Burglary7
Damage & arson6
Drugs2
Other crime2
Public order1
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Anti-social10
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.
8.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
31
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.
SchoolsA−
Exam results at Malvern Wells’s schools top 80% of towns in England
A−School Grade
The town has one school, shown below. At the 5 primary schools within 3 km, nearly two thirds of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). 94 pupils attend Malvern Wells’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malvern Wells CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 94 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Health
Just 3.8% of people in Malvern Wells say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Worcestershire’s towns and across England’s towns
84%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
The nearest A&E to Malvern Wells is Worcestershire Royal Hospital, 10.3 miles away. 84% of Malvern Wells’ residents described their health as good or very good at the census, higher than both Worcestershire’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (82%). There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 1.2 miles off.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Malvern Wells | Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.8% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
82
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Much of Malvern Wells is a conservation area: 100% of its land, more than in Worcestershire’s towns and across England’s towns
20listed buildingsA−History Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes built before 1919 account for 39% of the housing. Relative to its size, Malvern Wells keeps 114 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, higher than both Worcestershire’s towns (48) and England’s towns (39). Every one of the town’s 20 listed buildings sits at Grade II, the most common listing.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II20
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
39%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
114
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Malvern Wells is a driving town: 86% of commuters go by car, above Worcestershire’s towns and England’s towns
11%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 45% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
About 5% of its commuters stay in Malvern Wells for work. For 33% of commuters, work was under 5 km away. 45% of workers worked mainly from home, above both Worcestershire’s towns (27%) and England’s towns (31%). In 2026, 1.3% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot7%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
33%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
45%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£57K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 34% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C
Most households in Malvern Wells own their home: 81%, more than in Worcestershire’s towns and across England’s towns
£403Kmedian sale
6% live in social housing, below both Worcestershire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). The private rented sector houses just over one in ten households. Private rents average £946 a month across the Malvern Hills council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Malvern Wells£403K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £517,500 | 56 |
| Semi-detached | £301,000 | 16 |
| Flat or maisonette | £180,000 | 15 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£946
average private rent a month, Malvern Hills council area
£2,485
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Children make up only 11% of Malvern Wells, fewer than in Worcestershire’s towns and across England’s towns
54.8median age
People 65 and over make up 33% of the town, above both Worcestershire’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (18%). Half the people of Malvern Wells are older than 54.8. Among adults, 48% have a degree.
Malvern WellsWorcestershireEngland
Ages · share of residents
33%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level48%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 90 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Malvern Wells | Worcestershire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.8% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 48% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Worcestershire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Malvern Wells
15pages on Malvern Wells
The big questions
SafetyA8.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £403K · rent £946 a monthHousing20 sold in 12 months · busiest street Wells RoadSchoolsA−1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 82 (men), 84.2 (women)Work & commuteB+59% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Little Malvern Priory and 5 more in and around Malvern Wells
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Malvern Wells. Best known first.
Historic houseLittle Malvern Priory800 m outside town, to the south
CastleBronsil Castle4.5 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumMalvern Museum2.9 km outside town, to the north
Fort · National TrustMidsummer Hill Camp3.7 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumBritish National Fencing Museum3.6 km outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionBerlin Wall Segment4.7 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Little Malvern Priory: Saffron Blaze, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bronsil Castle: Bob Embleton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Malvern Museum: D Johnston, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Midsummer Hill Camp: Sandy Gerrard, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Malvern Wells
Village in Worcestershire, England
Malvern Wells is a built-up area of 1,757 people, in the Malvern Hills 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
- 1,757 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Malvern Hills
- County
- Worcestershire
- Region
- West Midlands
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (0.9 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003802
Malvern Wells’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Colwall StoneWellandGreat MalvernLedburyUpton upon SevernCollett's GreenKempseyMalvern Wells
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malvern Wells | 1,757 | — | — | C | A | A |
| Colwall Stone | 1,857 | 1.2 | — | C− | A− | A− |
| Welland | 1,309 | 2 | — | B− | B+ | B− |
| Great Malvern | 33,194 | 3 | B− | B | C+ | C+ |
| Ledbury | 8,344 | 4.9 | B+ | C+ | C+ | B |
| Upton upon Severn | 2,403 | 4.9 | — | B+ | C+ | C+ |
| Collett's Green | 1,542 | 6.4 | — | B− | A− | A− |
| Kempsey | 3,753 | 6.7 | B− | B | B− | B |
Colwall Stone, Welland, Upton upon Severn and Collett's Green have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Malvern Wells
How many listed buildings are there in Malvern Wells?
That is 4.7 times the typical UK town for its size.
Are schools in Malvern Wells good?
Secondary schools stand out: GCSE results beat 83% of towns in England. Primary results beat 68%. One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Worcestershire council.
Is Malvern Wells expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £403,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £180,000, semi-detached houses £301,000 and detached houses £517,500.
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.