# Mid and Upper Nithsdale

North east Dumfries and Galloway. About 10,182 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 862 square kilometres.

Mid and Upper Nithsdale had 10,346 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022).

Ward. Code S13002886. In: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland) › [Dumfries and Galloway](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway)

## Key figures

- **Population: 10,346** (2021). Mid and Upper Nithsdale had 10,346 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022). Joint 2,317th most populated of 8,397. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/ward/mid-and-upper-nithsdale#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 37%** (2022). About 37% of people in Mid and Upper Nithsdale live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/ward/mid-and-upper-nithsdale#f-radon-affected-share
- **Gigabit broadband coverage: 59.0%** (January 2026). In Mid and Upper Nithsdale, 59.0% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026 (Ofcom). UK 87.8%. Source: Connected Nations (Ofcom), January 2026. Published 13 May 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/ward/mid-and-upper-nithsdale#f-gigabit-coverage
- **Claimant rate: 3.1%** (August 2026). In Mid and Upper Nithsdale, 3.1% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026 (ONS via Nomis). UK 3.9%. Source: Claimant count (Nomis), August 2026. Published 15 September 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/ward/mid-and-upper-nithsdale#f-claimant-rate

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by ward](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=S13002886) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 37% of people in Mid and Upper Nithsdale live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=S13002886) (UK House Price Index · August 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Dumfries and Galloway. The outline is Mid and Upper Nithsdale.
- [Crimes by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-crime-count?place=S13002886) (Recorded crimes and offences in Scotland · 2025/26): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Dumfries and Galloway. The outline is Mid and Upper Nithsdale.
- [Population by ward](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=S13002886) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Mid and Upper Nithsdale had 10,346 usual residents at the census.

## How Mid and Upper Nithsdale compares

Each ward against every other ward the measure covers.

| Measure | Mid and Upper Nithsdale | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 10,346 | 4th least populated | 12 wards, Dumfries and Galloway · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 37% | 6th fewest people in radon Affected Areas | 12 wards, Dumfries and Galloway · 2022 |
| Gigabit broadband coverage | 59.0% | 4th lowest | 12 wards, Dumfries and Galloway · Jan 2026 |
| Claimant rate | 3.1% | 4th highest | 12 wards, Dumfries and Galloway · Aug 2026 |

## What is the population of Mid and Upper Nithsdale?

Mid and Upper Nithsdale had 10,346 usual residents at the census.
Mid and Upper Nithsdale is the joint 2,317th most populated of 8,397 in the UK.

## Figures for the whole of Dumfries and Galloway

These figures are published for the whole of Dumfries and Galloway, not for each ward, so they describe all of Dumfries and Galloway and not Mid and Upper Nithsdale alone. [See Dumfries and Galloway](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway)

- **Average house price: £171,854** (August 2026). Dumfries and Galloway’s average house price was £171,854 in August 2026 (HM Land Registry). Up 3.9% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, August 2026. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Median full-time pay: £34,895** (2025). Full-time workers living in Dumfries and Galloway earned a median of £34,895 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 59th lowest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025.
- **House price to pay: 4.9×** (2025). A home in Dumfries and Galloway costs 4.9 times local full-time pay. Joint 39th most affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Population estimate: 145,490** (2025). Dumfries and Galloway’s population was an estimated 145,490 in mid-2025 (ONS population estimates). Down 0.3% in a year. Source: Mid-year population estimates, 2025. Published 1 October 2026.

## Mid and Upper Nithsdale in brief

Mid and Upper Nithsdale had 10,346 usual residents at the census.
About 37% of people in Mid and Upper Nithsdale live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
In Mid and Upper Nithsdale, 59.0% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.
In Mid and Upper Nithsdale, 3.1% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.

## About

- Type: Ward
- Code: S13002886
- Constituency: [Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/dumfriesshire-clydesdale-and-tweeddale)
- Council: [Dumfries and Galloway](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway)
- Nation: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland)
- Area: 862 km²
- People, mid-2024: 10,182*
- Neighbourhoods: 14
- Output areas: 97

* People: worked out by Open Index from neighbourhood estimates, shared out by where people lived at the census (by area in Northern Ireland). This area's edges do not follow neighbourhood edges, so the figure is close but not exact.
† Best fit: the constituency this ward mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow it.

## Next door

[Clydesdale East](https://openindex.co.uk/south-lanarkshire/ward/clydesdale-east), [Dee and Glenkens](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/ward/dee-and-glenkens), [Lochar](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/ward/lochar), [Castle Douglas and Crocketford](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/ward/castle-douglas-and-crocketford), [Cumnock and New Cumnock](https://openindex.co.uk/east-ayrshire/ward/cumnock-and-new-cumnock), [Annandale North](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/ward/annandale-north)

## Latest updates for Mid and Upper Nithsdale

- August 2026 house prices published: HM Land Registry and partners · Oct 2026.
- September 2026 rent published: ONS private rents · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.
- GP practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/S13002886

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/ward/mid-and-upper-nithsdale, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/ward/mid-and-upper-nithsdale#f-population.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.9. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/ward/mid-and-upper-nithsdale