Puddletown
Puddletown is a village in Dorset, England, with a population of around 1,158. There are around 1 restaurants and cafés, 8 bus stops, and the nearest railway station is Moreton, 5.6 km away. There were around 4 recorded street crimes in June 2026, most commonly other theft. This page gathers weather, crime, food hygiene, transport, flood risk, house prices, population, deprivation and your local MP for the Puddletown area — all from official UK open data.
On deprivation, the Dorset area is around the average in England (IoD2025). The wider council area has around 379,579 residents at roughly 152 people per km².
My Area Score
Good
Ranked 123rd of 294 English council areas — better than 58% of them.
A percentile blend of eight open measures (100 = best in England); bars show this area’s England-wide percentile on each. See the rankings · methodology
Weather
8°CPatchy rain nearby
- Today: 10° / 6° · 22% rain
- Tomorrow: 9° / 6° · Overcast
Source: WeatherAPI
Daylight
Sunrise 07:06Sunset 16:39
9h 34m of daylight today
Next bank holiday: Christmas Day, Fri 25 Dec
Source: sunrise-sunset.org · gov.uk
Air quality
53US AQI · Moderate
Main pollutant: fine particles (PM2.5)
Source: WAQI · Bournemouth, United Kingdom
Air pollution (PM2.5)
- 5.5 µg/m³ average fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration
- 4.1% of adult (30+) deaths estimated attributable to fine-particle pollution
Lower is better for both figures.
Source: OHID Fingertips · 2024
Crime
8 reported · August 2026▲ 300% YoY
- Violence & sexual offences3
- Anti-social behaviour2
- Other theft2
- Burglary1
Neighbourhood team: Dorchester · Dorset
Local policing priorities
- Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) - youth related nuisance Location: South Walks and Trinity Street Issue: Young people are gathering in groups…
- Criminal damage and nuisance Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Location: River Walks Issue: Criminal damage to the boardwalk and reports of ASB…
Source: data.police.uk (within ~1 mile)
Road safety
675 reported road collisions (2025)
215 killed or seriously injured · 893 casualties · 17.8 collisions per 10,000 residents
Source: DfT reported road collisions (STATS19)
Food hygiene
17 food businesses within 2 miles
- 14 rated 4–5 ★ (14 top)
- 0 rated 0–2 (poor)
Source: Food Standards Agency
Flood risk
Buses & trains
- Nearest station: Moreton (6.0 km)
- 8 bus stops within ~½ mile
Live trains from Moreton (Dorset) (6.0 km):
Loading live departures…
Source: OpenStreetMap, National Rail
House prices
£328,589 average▼ 0.4% YoY
Across Dorset · to 2026-08
Source: UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry)
Private rents
£1,056 average monthly rent▲ 4.9% YoY
- 1 bed £732
- 2 bed £967
- 3 bed £1,191
Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents · to 2026-08
Affordability
9.9× house price to earnings
A typical home costs 9.9 times median annual pay (9.5× for cheaper homes vs lower pay).
Source: ONS house price to workplace earnings ratio · 2025
Property sales
5,771 property sales in the last 12 months
12 months to May 2026
A busier or quieter market is not by itself good or bad. Monthly counts are small and volatile, so only the annual total is shown.
Source: HM Land Registry UK HPI, 12 months to 2026-05
EV charging
11 charging locations within ~8 km
- 3 with rapid charging (50 kW+)
- Fastest nearby: 75 kW
- Nearest: EVC The Frampton Arms (6.1 km)
Source: Open Charge Map
Sport & leisure
- Swimming pools2
- Sports pitches6
- Playgrounds1
Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)
Population
379,579 residents in Dorset · 152/km²
- Under 16: 15%
- 16–64: 55%
- 65+: 30%
Source: ONS Census 2021 (local authority)
Internal migration
- Moves in from elsewhere in the UK20,787
- Moves out to elsewhere in the UK16,709
- Net moves+4,078
Residential moves between local authorities (counts of moves, not people) · ONS Internal migration, YE Jun 2025
Deprivation
Around the average in England
Ranked 174 of 296 English local authorities (1 = most deprived)
2% of neighbourhoods are in England’s most deprived 10%
Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025
Council tax
£2,765 a year · Band D, 2026-27
Most homes here are Band C (23% of 187,680)
Source: VOA council-tax stock · MHCLG band levels 2026-27
Schools
184 schools · 49,648 pupils
119 primary · 18 secondary · 47 other
Ofsted: 67 of 85 graded schools rated Good or Outstanding (79%)
157 inspected under Ofsted’s 2024+ framework (graded by area, no single overall grade)
Secondary schools:
- Beaminster SchoolGood
- Dorset Studio SchoolGood
- Shaftesbury SchoolGood
- The Blandford SchoolGood
- The Swanage SchoolGood
- The Woodroffe SchoolGood
- Wey Valley AcademyGood
- All Saints' Church of England AcademyRequires improvement
- Budmouth Academy WeymouthRequires improvement
- Queen Elizabeth's SchoolRequires improvement
- Ferndown Upper School
- Gillingham School
- Lytchett Minster School
- Sturminster Newton High School
- The Gryphon School
- The Purbeck School
- The Sir John Colfox Academy
- The Thomas Hardye School
Source: DfE Get Information about Schools · Ofsted · Dorset
Care & health services
388 CQC-registered services
- Care homes120
- GP practices61
- Dentists85
- Homecare agencies87
- Hospitals & hospices14
CQC ratings: 97% of rated services Good or Outstanding
Source: Care Quality Commission · Dorset
Heritage & planning
- Not in the Green Belt
- 47 listed buildings within ~1.5 km
Source: planning.data.gov.uk (England)
Planning decisions
683 applications decided
91.7% granted · 626 granted, 57 refused
Source: MHCLG planning statistics (PS2) · 2026 Q2
Your MP
Simon Hoare
Conservative
North Dorset
Recent votes:
- NoDraft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026
- NoDraft Code of Practice on Access and Unfair Practices During the Recognition and Derecognition Process
- NoNorthern Ireland Troubles Bill: Third Reading
- AyeNorthern Ireland Troubles Bill Committee: New Clause 12
Source: UK Parliament
Council control
Liberal Democrat majority
- Lab 2
- Con 30
- LD 42
- Grn 4
- Oth 4
Source: Open Council Data UK (CC BY-SA)
Amenities nearby
- Schools2
- GPs & clinics1
- Parks & greens6
Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)
Local businesses
20,570 active business enterprises in the area
Source: ONS UK Business Counts (2026)
Jobs
3 jobs advertised · £26,846 avg
e.g. SEMH Support Assistant, Midday Supervisor - St Mary's CE Middle School, Puddletown, Maths teacher Dorchester
Source: Adzuna
Local economy
£737 median full-time weekly pay
2.3% of residents aged 16–64 claim unemployment-related benefits
£27,403 disposable income per head (2024)
Source: ONS / Nomis (claimant count · ASHE) · ONS regional GDHI
Energy efficiency
43% of homes rated EPC C or above
Most common band: D · 186,790 certificates
9.9% of households were in fuel poverty (2023)
Source: MHCLG EPC statistics · DESNZ sub-regional fuel poverty
Grid electricity
31% low-carbon electricity
Gas 67% · Wind 16% · Biomass 8% · Nuclear 7%
273 gCO₂/kWh · very high intensity
Latest estimate for South England · National Grid ESO
Health
Life expectancy: 85.4 yrs women · 82.1 yrs men
Healthy life expectancy: 65.6 women · 65.3 men
66% of adults overweight or obese
Source: OHID Fingertips · 2025
Wellbeing
- Life satisfaction7.6
- Feeling worthwhile7.9
- Happiness yesterday7.6
- Anxiety yesterday (lower is better)2.9
Average rating out of 10 · ONS personal well-being 2022-23
Health services
3 GP surgeries · 1 pharmacy in DT2
- Cerne Abbas Surgery
- Puddletown Surgery
- Dorset Medicated Weight Management Serv
Source: NHS Organisation Data Service
Local petitions
Open UK Parliament petitions most signed in North Dorset:
- Permanent driving ban on intoxicated drivers guilty of causing death474 local signatures · 29,985 nationwide
- Hold a UK-wide briefing on climate and nature risks331 local signatures · 127,144 nationwide
- Remove sentence reductions for guilty pleas in controlling and coercive cases263 local signatures · 105,832 nationwide
- Support the Ceramics Industry and protect British manufacturing jobs and skills198 local signatures · 111,154 nationwide
- Change surrogacy law to recognise intended parents from birth176 local signatures · 113,305 nationwide
Source: petition.parliament.uk · as of 2026-10-05
Notable places nearby
- Puddletown Hundred · 0.4 km
Puddletown Hundred was a hundred in the county of Dorset, England, containing the following parishes:Athelhampton Burleston Milborne St Andrew (part) Puddletown Tincleton Tolpuddle
Puddletown · 0.5 kmPuddletown is a village in the civil parish of Athelhampton and Puddletown, in Dorset, England. It is situated by the River Piddle, from which it derives its name, about 4.5 miles (7 km) northeast of the county town D…
Athelhampton · 1.7 kmAthelhampton is a settlement in the civil parish of Athelhampton and Puddletown, in Dorset, England, situated approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of Dorchester. It consists of a manor house and a former Church of Englan…
Devils Brook (Dorset) · 2.0 kmThe Devils Brook is a Dorset chalk stream which rises near Higher Ansty, near to the source of the River Divelish. It flows past Dewlish and joins the River Piddle at Athelhampton, which in turn flows into Poole Harbour.
Waterston Manor · 2.0 kmWaterston Manor, Puddletown, Dorset is a manor house with 17th century origins, that was extensively rebuilt after a fire in 1863 and remodelled in 1911. The manor was the inspiration for Weatherbury Farm in Thomas Ha…
Burleston · 2.4 kmBurleston is a village in the civil parish of Burleston and Tolpuddle, in Dorset, England. In 2001 the parish had a population of 27. On 1 April 2024 the parish was abolished and merged with Tolpuddle to form "Burlest…
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA)
Nearby towns
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Puddletown?
- Puddletown is a town in Dorset, England, in the Dorset local authority.
- What is the population of Puddletown?
- Puddletown has an approximate settlement population of 1,158.
- How deprived is Puddletown?
- The Dorset local authority, which includes Puddletown, is around the average in England on the IoD2025.