What it's like to live in Glastonbury

Glastonbury's housing stock is mixed, from older stone terraces near the centre to post-war estates on the edges. Across the Somerset council area, 13.7% of homes are socially rented, below the England figure of 17.1%, split between 5% council and 8.7% housing association. Owner occupation is high at 67.4%, with 17.7% privately rented, so social homes are a smaller slice of the market than in many places.

Average weekly social rents in Somerset in 2024/25 were about £94 for a one bed, £109 for two beds and £120 for three. The biggest social landlords in the area are Somerset Council with 9,682 homes, Abri Group with 9,637, LiveWest with 5,264, Aster Communities with 4,407 and Magna Housing with 2,565.

The age profile for Somerset skews older than England's: 27.6% are aged 45 to 64 and 24.8% are 65 or over, with 22% aged 25 to 44. Somerset's housing register held 12,473 households at 31 March 2025, which is not a straight queue but gives a sense of demand. In 2024-25, 150 council homes changed hands through mutual exchange.

For a town this size, Glastonbury is well served for schools. St John's Church of England Infants and St Benedict's Church of England Junior are both about a tenth of a mile from the centre, with Mendip Partnership School and Chindit House also close by. Elmhurst Junior School is around a mile and a half away, towards Street.

Secondary choice is local too. St Dunstan's School is under half a mile, Tor School is a little further, and Crispin School Academy at Street is about a mile and a half. Millfield Preparatory School and Millfield School are also nearby, though these are independent. Check catchment and admissions with the council, as nearest does not always mean guaranteed.

For family life outside school, Abbey Park and Manor House Green give you open space within a short walk, with Merriman Park and Wraxhill Park around two miles off. The Library Hub is close to the centre, and community venues include Chorale21 in town plus Crispin Community Centre and Crispin Hall at Street. Across Somerset, 16.8% of residents are under 16, slightly below the England figure.

Glastonbury is a walking town. The centre is compact, with schools, the Library Hub, a pharmacy and two supermarkets all within about a quarter of a mile of each other. If you live centrally, you can do most of a normal week on foot, though the ground rises towards the Tor and some streets are steep.

There is no railway station in Glastonbury, so trains mean travelling out to a station elsewhere. That is the main thing to weigh up if you commute by rail or rely on train travel for family visits. Buses are the usual way to reach Street, Wells and the larger towns, and Street in particular is close enough that many people hop between the two regularly.

For drivers, the town sits on main roads crossing the Levels, with Bridgwater and the motorway network to the west and Wells to the north-east. A car makes the surrounding villages and countryside far easier to reach. Parking in the centre can be tight, as it is in most old Somerset towns, so check what comes with any home you are considering.

The Tor is the centrepiece. It is a proper walk up, under a mile from the town centre, and it is the kind of place locals use all year rather than just on sunny days. Abbey Park is closer in and good for an easy hour, with Manor House Green nearby. Merriman Park and Wraxhill Park, around two miles out, give you more space again.

The town's pubs are a big part of its social life. The George & Pilgrims Inn, The Crown, King William, Queen of Cups and Who'd A Thought It are all in or beside the centre, so a night out is walkable. The High Street's independent shops are an attraction in themselves, and The Gauntlet covers everyday needs.

For other things, there is a PureGym about half a mile out and the Library Hub right in town. Clarks Village at Street, a mile and a half away, is the main shopping draw locally and pulls visitors from a wide area, with The Bayliss Centre and Street Library close to it.

Employment figures here cover the wider Somerset council area rather than Glastonbury alone. Across Somerset, 56.6% of adults are in work, just below the England average of 57.4%, and unemployment is lower at 2.3% against 3.5% nationally. Benefit claims tied to unemployment stood at 2.6% of working-age people in August 2026, compared with 4% across England.

Those numbers suggest a steady rather than booming labour market. Somerset's age profile tilts older, with 24.8% aged 65 and over against 18.4% in England, which shapes the kind of work available, particularly in care and services.

In Glastonbury itself, jobs tend to come from the town centre's shops, pubs and visitor trade, from schools and health services, and from the retail and employment sites around Street. Many people commute, most often by car, to Street, Wells, Bridgwater or Taunton. If your work is specialised, it is worth checking travel times honestly before you commit, since there is no station in the town.