Cotswold: population and statistics
Cotswold has a population of 91,563 (2025) across 1,164.5 km², or 78.6 people per km². It ranks 320 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +7.4% between 2015 and 2025.
- 91,563 residents
- 1,164.5 km²
- 79 people/km²
Cotswold in numbers
Population of Cotswold over time
Cotswold had 85,293 residents in 2015 and 91,563 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 89,824 |
| 2021 | 91,076 |
| 2022 | 91,403 |
| 2023 | 91,686 |
| 2024 | 91,728 |
| 2025 | 91,563 |
All indicators for Cotswold
Value for the area, then the regional average and the UK median (for counts: regional and UK totals). The gauge places the area between the lowest and highest value in the UK.
Population
| Indicator | Cotswold | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 28.3% | 23.2% | 20.4% | ranked 22 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 15.4% | 16.2% | 17.4% | ranked 301 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Cotswold | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 46,340 dwellings | 2,721,250 | 27,429,300 | ranked 257 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 30.6% | 31.7% | 31.6% | ranked 172 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 23.6% | 20.6% | 18.1% | ranked 59 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 40,597 households | 143,797 | 61,440 | ranked 267 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 88.1% | 80.6% | 84.7% | ranked 101 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 11.1% | 18.6% | 14.8% | ranked 224 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 67.3% | 66.9% | 67.3% | ranked 157 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 17.4% | 19.7% | 17.6% | ranked 165 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 15.4% | 13.3% | 14.3% | ranked 128 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £421,125 | £307,411 | £272,474 | ranked 65 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 0.4% | 1.1% | 2.2% | ranked 251 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Cotswold | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.0% | 1.7% | 1.2% | ranked 204 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 55.3% | 67.1% | 76.7% | ranked 294 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 9.8% | 10.3% | 7.8% | ranked 86 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 15.9% | 7.0% | 0.9% | ranked 22 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Cotswold | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 6,870 sites | 278,765 | 3,232,440 | ranked 179 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 75.0 per 1,000 | 47.2 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 12 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 6,155 businesses | 237,935 | 2,786,975 | ranked 169 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £41,267 | £37,598 | £38,490 | ranked 115 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Cotswold | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 82.5% | 79.1% | 76.3% | ranked 38 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 2.1% | 2.7% | 3.2% | ranked 316 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Cotswold | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 11.0% | 16.8% | 18.5% | ranked 305 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 27 local authorities in South West, Cotswold ranks 22 by population.
Business sites per 1,000 residents: 75.0 per 1,000 in Cotswold, compared with an average of 47.2 per 1,000 in South West and 46.5 per 1,000 across the UK.
Households without a car or van: 11.0% in Cotswold, compared with an average of 16.8% in South West and 23.5% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 16.6% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in South West for “Average house price”.
- “Business sites per 1,000 residents”: higher than in 97% of local authorities.
- “Households without a car or van”: lower than in 96% of local authorities.
- “Share of residents aged 65 and over”: higher than in 94% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 163,094 football pitches.
- 3.6 times less dense than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is Stroud, 17.4 km away.
Business sectors: Cotswold
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Professional, scientific and technical16.6% ×1.2
- Wholesale and retail trade15.1% ×0.9
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing10.0% ×2.3
- Construction9.2% ×0.7
- Accommodation and food services7.6% ×1.1
- Administrative and support services7.6% ×0.9
- Manufacturing5.1% ×1.2
- Information and communication5.1% ×0.8
Where is Cotswold?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Cotswold?
Cotswold has 91,563 residents (2025), ranking 320 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Cotswold?
Cotswold covers 1,164.5 km², with a density of 79 people per km².
Is the population of Cotswold growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Cotswold went from 85,293 to 91,563, a change of +7.4%.
Where is Cotswold?
Cotswold is in South West (region). Latitude 51.719, longitude −1.968.
Business sites per 1,000 residents: what is the figure for Cotswold?
In Cotswold, “Business sites per 1,000 residents” stands at 75.0 per 1,000 (2026), ranking 12 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 44.4 per 1,000.
Households without a car or van: what is the figure for Cotswold?
In Cotswold, “Households without a car or van” stands at 11.0% (2021), ranking 305 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 18.5%.
Which local authorities border Cotswold?
The nearest to Cotswold are Stroud (17 km), Cheltenham (21 km), Swindon (23 km), Gloucester (23 km), Tewkesbury (34 km).