Shropshire has a population of around 293,400 people. Shropshire's population is spread over a large area with a density of 0.91 people per hectare and it is the fourth most sparsely populated county in England.

57% of Shropshire’s population live in the main towns and villages. Shropshire has 534 settlements, but only 4 towns have populations of more than 10,000 people.

Shropshire has a rich and varied natural and historic environment. About one third of the county is upland. The River Severn runs from Mid Wales through Shropshire. Almost 81,000 hectares of the South Shropshire hills are designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, approximately 2% of Shropshire is covered by Sites of Special Scientific Interest and woodland covers 7.7% of the land area.

Between 2008 and 2033, Shropshire’s population is projected to rise by 34,200 residents. Notably, this increase will be entirely based on the significant rise in the numbers of people aged over 65. The population in all age groups up to 65 years old is projected to fall.

The total number of dwellings as at March 2010 was 132,160. The private sector (including home ownership and private renting) represents 86.8% of the housing market. Shropshire Council owns and manages 4,251 dwellings in the former districts of Oswestry and Bridgnorth and a further 13,067 dwellings are managed by other social landlords in the County.

Data from the 2001 census tells us that the types of housing available in Shropshire are as follows:

• Detached 40.7%
• Semi-detached 33.6%
• Terraced 16.6%
• Flats 6.4%
• Other 2.7%

The information sheets and links at the bottom of this page give more information in relation to housing and the environment in Shropshire.

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