Wales is divided into 22 principal areas (unitary authorities). Within these principal areas the smallest tier of local government is the community, analogous to civil parishes in England. As of the most recent governmental data, Wales comprises 878 communities, of which 22 are designated as towns and have town councils; the remainder are rural or suburban communities typically governed by community councils.
Overview by Principal Area
| Principal Area (Unitary Authority) | Approx. Number of Communities* |
|---|---|
| Blaenau Gwent | 8 |
| Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) | 20 |
| Caerphilly | 22 |
| Cardiff (Caerdydd) | 26 |
| Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyrddin) | 55 |
| Ceredigion (Sir Ceredigion) | 36 |
| Conwy | 38 |
| Denbighshire (Sir Ddinbych) | 61 |
| Flintshire (Sir y Fflint) | 44 |
| Gwynedd | 71 |
| Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn) | 40 |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 6 |
| Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy) | 51 |
| Neath Port Talbot (Castell-nedd Port Talbot) | 23 |
| Newport (Casnewydd) | 12 |
| Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro) | 66 |
| Powys | 98 |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | 20 |
| Swansea (Abertawe) | 24 |
| Torfaen | 8 |
| Vale of Glamorgan (Bro Morgannwg) | 38 |
| Wrexham (Wrecsam) | 46 |
| Total | ≈ 878 |
*Numbers are rounded estimates based on the latest publicly available listings from the Welsh Government and local authority websites. Exact counts may vary slightly due to recent boundary reviews or community status changes.
Characteristics
- Governance: Most communities have elected community councils (or town councils where designated). These bodies manage local amenities, such as parks, community centres, and street lighting.
- Naming: Community names often correspond to historic villages, towns, or geographic areas. Some larger urban areas are split into multiple communities (e.g., Cardiff has 26 distinct communities).
- Population Range: Communities vary widely, from very small rural parishes with populations under 100 to larger towns exceeding 30,000 residents (e.g., the town of Llandudno).
- Legal Basis: Communities are established under the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent Welsh legislation, which allows for the creation, abolition, or alteration of community boundaries through orders made by the Welsh Ministers.
Sources for a Complete List
- Welsh Government – “Community and Town Council Data” (official datasets providing the full register of communities).
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) – Geographic datasets that include community identifiers.
- Wikipedia – “List of communities in Wales” (maintained with references to the above official sources).
These sources present the detailed enumeration of each community, often sortable by principal area, population, and council status.
Note: The exact number of communities may change over time due to administrative reviews; the figure provided reflects the most recent comprehensive count available as of 2023.
