Living in Powys
Police recorded 63 crimes per 1,000 residents in Powys in the year to April 2026, well below the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Homes sell for a median of about £2,447 per m², well below the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 14.1% of households rent from the council or a housing association, below the UK average of 17.5%. About 2.3% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 18% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
Powys at a glance
| Measure | Powys | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 14.1% | UK 17.5% | 204th highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 63 | E, W & NI 82 | 202nd highest of 327 |
| Anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents | 10 | E, W & NI 16 | |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 2.3% | GB 6.9% | 15th quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 18% | GB 56% | 354th of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 30% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £2,447 | E&W council median £3,342 | 245th highest of 314 |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in Powys?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 8,437 crimes in Powys — 63 per 1,000 residents, well below the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 202nd highest of 327 councils. That is 3% fewer than in the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (53%), criminal damage and arson (11%) and public order (9%). Police also logged 1,376 incidents of anti-social behaviour (10 per 1,000 residents).
Rates are per resident, so council areas with busy city centres, shopping or nightlife districts show higher rates than residents alone would suggest. See where crime is recorded on the map →
How much social housing is there in Powys?
Powys ranks 204th of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 60,223 households, 8,492 are social homes (14.1%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does Powys compare with the UK average?
At -3.4 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Powys sits below the national level.
How noisy is Powys?
In Powys, about 2.3% of homes are in areas where modelled road or rail noise reaches 65 dB Lden or more — the level Defra and the WHO treat as high. The Great Britain average is 6.9%, and Powys is the 15th quietest of 363 councils mapped.
Estimated from the official strategic noise maps: the share of each census area at 65 dB or more, weighted by its households. See noisy roads and railways on the map →
How close are parks in Powys?
18% of homes in Powys are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 30% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Powys 354th of 363 councils for access to a park.
Straight-line distance from the centre of each census area to the edge of the nearest site in OS Open Greenspace, weighted by households. See parks and play spaces on the map →
Schools, prices and more in Powys
What the map's other datasets say about Powys.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, Powys has 95 schools — 95 state-funded.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in Powys sits in decile 7 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 6% of its 79 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £2,447 per m², from Land Registry sold prices matched to EPC floor areas.
Broadband
Median available download speed is about 1,000 Mbit/s — what can be ordered, not what residents have bought (Ofcom Connected Nations).
Explore Powys on the map
Areas with a similar share of social housing
Sources: 2021–22 Census (social housing); data.police.uk, May 2025 to April 2026 (crime); strategic noise maps, Round 4 (noise); OS Open Greenspace (parks) · Page updated 27 September 2026 · Download the data (CSV, all 374 councils).