Living in Torfaen
Homes sell for a median of about £2,089 per m², well below the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 23.8% of households rent from the council or a housing association, above the UK average of 17.5%. About 3.1% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 48% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
Torfaen at a glance
| Measure | Torfaen | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 23.8% | UK 17.5% | 43rd highest of 374 |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 3.1% | GB 6.9% | 49th quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 48% | GB 56% | 211th of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 61% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £2,089 | E&W council median £3,342 | 283rd highest of 314 |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in Torfaen?
There is no reliable annual figure for Torfaen. Gwent Police published only some of the last 12 months to data.police.uk. Rather than show a misleadingly low number, this page leaves crime out.
How much social housing is there in Torfaen?
Torfaen ranks 43rd of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 40,253 households, 9,583 are social homes (23.8%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does Torfaen compare with the UK average?
At +6.3 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Torfaen sits above the national level.
How noisy is Torfaen?
In Torfaen, about 3.1% 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 Torfaen is the 49th 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 Torfaen?
48% of homes in Torfaen are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 61% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Torfaen 211th 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 Torfaen
What the map's other datasets say about Torfaen.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, Torfaen has 33 schools — 33 state-funded.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in Torfaen sits in decile 4 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 32% of its 60 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £2,089 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 Torfaen on the map
Areas with a similar share of social housing
Sources: 2021–22 Census (social housing); strategic noise maps, Round 4 (noise); OS Open Greenspace (parks) · Page updated 27 September 2026 · Download the data (CSV, all 374 councils).