Powys

Local Authority District

Wales, the UK

§ This page gives an overview of the Powys local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. One of 361 district profiles on Baseview.

Overview ⁞ Powys is the largest principal area in Wales by land, covering much of the eastern borderlands and uplands. It is predominantly rural, with farming and tourism dominating its economy, and towns like Brecon, Newtown, and Llandrindod Wells serving as key centres.

The administrative boundary of Powys can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Powys.

Map of Powys — Administrative Boundary of Powys (Local Authority District)

Key Facts about Powys

What region is Powys in? Powys is in Wales, a statistical region and also a country in United Kingdom.

Is Powys a city? No, Powys is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)

Who governs Powys? The local government for this district is: Powys County Council (Wales County Council).

▶ Official website of Powys County Council 🔗 powys.gov.uk

Which police force covers Powys? Policing in Powys is provided by Dyfed-Powys Police 🔗 dyfed-powys.police.uk, which serves 4 local authority districts: Carmarthenshire ⁞ Ceredigion ⁞ Pembrokeshire ⁞ Powys.

This district page, Powys, is a sub-page of this region page: Wales. It zooms in to local authorities and parliamentary constituencies, and provides a list of wards in this district. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK local authority districts: List of Local Authority Districts.

Constituencies in Powys

A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 32 of them are in Wales. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.

Wards in Powys

Powys is divided into 60 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.

Aber-craf and Ystradgynlais
Banwy, Llanfihangel and Llanwddyn
Berriew and Castle Caereinion
Brecon East
Brecon West
Bronllys and Felin-fach
Builth
Caersws
Churchstoke
Crickhowell with Cwmdu and Tretower
Cwm-twrch
Disserth and Trecoed with Newbridge
Dolforwyn
Forden and Montgomery
Glantwymyn
Glasbury
Guilsfield
Gwernyfed
Hay
Ithon Valley
Kerry
Knighton with Beguildy
Llanafanfawr with Garth
Llanbrynmair
Llandinam with Dolfor
Llandrindod North
Llandrindod South
Llandrinio
Llandysilio
Llanelwedd
Llanfair Caereinion and Llanerfyl
Llanfyllin
Llangattock and Llangynidr
Llangors with Bwlch
Llangunllo with Norton
Llangyniew and Meifod
Llanidloes
Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and Llansilin
Llansantffraid
Llanwrtyd Wells
Llanyre with Nantmel
Machynlleth
Maescar and Llywel
Newtown Central and South
Newtown East
Newtown North
Newtown West
Old Radnor
Presteigne
Rhayader
Rhiwcynon
Talgarth
Talybont-on-Usk
Tawe Uchaf
Trelystan and Trewern
Welshpool Castle
Welshpool Gungrog
Welshpool Llanerchyddol
Ynyscedwyn
Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew

In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data.

Communities in Powys

Powys has 110 communities, listed below in alphabetical order.

Abbey Cwmhir
Aberedw
Aberhafesp
Abermule with Llandyssil
Banwy
Bausley with Criggion
Beguildy
Berriew
Betws Cedewain
Brecon
Bronllys
Builth
Cadfarch
Caersws
Carno
Carreghofa
Castle Caereinion
Churchstoke
Cilmery
Clyro
Cray
Crickhowell
Cwmdu and District
Disserth and Trecoed
Duhonw
Dwyriw
Erwood
Felin-fach
Forden with Leighton and Trelystan
Gladestry
Glantwymyn
Glasbury
Glascwm
Glyn Tarell
Guilsfield
Gwernyfed
Hay
Honddu Isaf
Kerry
Knighton
Llanafanfawr
Llanbadarn Fawr
Llanbadarn Fynydd
Llanbister
Llanbrynmair
Llanddew
Llanddewi Ystradenny
Llandinam
Llandrindod Wells
Llandrinio
Llandysilio
Llanelwedd
Llanerfyl
Llanfair Caereinion
Llanfechain
Llanfihangel
Llanfihangel Rhydithon
Llanfrynach
Llanfyllin
Llangamarch
Llangattock
Llangedwyn
Llangors
Llangunllo
Llangurig
Llangynidr
Llangyniew
Llangynog
Llanidloes
Llanidloes Without
Llanigon
Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant
Llansantffraid
Llansilin
Llanwddyn
Llanwrthwl
Llanwrtyd Wells
Llanyre
Llywel
Machynlleth
Maescar
Manafon
Meifod
Merthyr Cynog
Mochdre and Penstrowed
Montgomery
Nantmel
New Radnor
Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn
Old Radnor
Painscastle
Pen-y-Bont-Fawr
Penybont
Presteigne
Rhayader
St. Harmon
Talgarth
Talybont-on-Usk
Tawe-Uchaf
The Vale of Grwyney
Trallong
Trefeglwys
Treflys
Tregynon
Trewern
Welshpool
Whitton
Yscir
Ystradfellte
Ystradgynlais

In Wales, communities are the Welsh equivalent of civil parishes—the lowest tier of local government. Every part of Wales lies within a community, though only some have an elected community or town council. Where they exist, these councils handle very local matters and speak for residents to the county or county borough council. Like English civil parishes, communities are purely civil/administrative and are distinct from church parishes.

Built-up Areas in Powys

Powys covers 55 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.

Abercrave
Abermule
Arddleen
Berriew
Brecon
Bronllys
Builth Wells
Bwlch
Caersws
Churchstoke *
Clyro
Coelbren
Crickhowell
Crossgates (Powys)
Cwm-twrch Uchaf *
Cwmllynfell and Ystradowen *
Forden
Four Crosses (Powys)
Guilsfield
Gungrog
Hay-on-Wye *
Kerry
Knighton *
Llandinam
Llandrindod Wells
Llanelwedd
Llanfair Caereinion
Llanfechain
Llanfyllin
Llangattock
Llangors
Llangynidr
Llanidloes
Llanigon
Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant
Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain
Llanwrtyd Wells
Llanymynech *
Llanyre
Machynlleth
Meifod
Montgomery
Newbridge-on-Wye
Newtown (Powys)
Norton (Powys)
Pontneddfechan *
Presteigne *
Rhayader
Sennybridge
Talgarth
Three Cocks
Tregynon
Welshpool
Ystalyfera *
Ystradgynlais

In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of Powys.)

Powys compared with other districts in the UK

This section shows how Powys compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.

Powys has 60 electoral wards.

Powys compared with other districts — ▮ Smaller: 349 ▮ Similar: 3 ▮ Larger: 9 (compared with 361 districts)

Powys has a population of 135,059 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)

Population of Powys compared with other districts — Population of Powys, compared with other districts in England and Wales

More local statistics and data for Powys can be found on the ONS statistics for Powys.