Billington’s story
8 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Billington’s built-up area.
25% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BillingtonBedfordshire
Home to 359 people, this village lies in Bedfordshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Mr Biz · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
359
Census 2021 · Central Bedfordshire council
Median age
51.5
30% are 65+ · Bedfordshire 15%
Degree level
34%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Billington a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Billington has no grades; its figures are still real. One in ten commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Its listed buildings number 8, with 0 at Grade I. Over-65s are 30% of the population.
What makes Billington stand out
The 3 things Billington does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of Saint Michael and All Angels; 9.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
30% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Billington.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Billington: 30% are 65 or over, above Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
Billington has a median age of 51.5 years. Under 15: 15% of residents. In addition, the 15-to-24 age group: 9%, below both Bedfordshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%).
51.5median age
BillingtonBedfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
30%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level34%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About 105 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Billington | Bedfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 20% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 29% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 15% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.8% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Bedfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
The car carries 90% of commuters in Billington, more than in Bedfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 36% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Short trips to work, under 5 km: 30%, lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%). 3.8% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. Household income averages £69K a year before tax.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot7%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
30%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
36%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£69K
mean household income, before tax
3.8%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Most households in Billington own their home: 82%, more than in Bedfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns
5% live in social housing, lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Renting privately is how 13% of households live. Private rents average £1,250 a month across the Central Bedfordshire council area.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Billington£0K
Typical UK town£277K
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,250
average private rent a month, Central Bedfordshire council area
£2,418
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Billington records more violent crime per resident than Bedfordshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 51.1 per 1,000 a year
Just over a quarter of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Per 1,000 residents, 38.1 burglaries and acts of damage are recorded a year. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 27 recorded crimes inside Billington’s built-up area, and 3 reports of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 13.9 reports per 1,000, above both Bedfordshire’s towns (10.2) and England’s towns (7.8).
51.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Damage & arson5
Shoplifting3
Other theft3
Drugs2
Vehicle crime2
Robbery2
Public order1
Anti-social3
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
51.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
38.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
13.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
27
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Health
81% of people in Billington rate their health good or very good
The nearest A&E to Billington is Luton and Dunstable Hospital, 6.9 miles away. Seeing a GP means leaving Billington: the nearest practice is 1.8 miles away. A disability affects 15% of people locally.
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Billington | Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.4% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
81.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More buildings in Billington are listed than in Bedfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 223 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 25% of the total, above both Bedfordshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (16%). Of Billington’s land, 30% lies in conservation areas, above both Bedfordshire’s towns (4%) and England’s towns (7%).
8listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II7
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of Saint Michael and All Angels Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
25%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
223
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Mead Open Farm and 4 more in and around Billington
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Billington. Best known first.
AttractionAttractionMead Open Farmin town
Historic houseMentmore Towers4.7 km outside town, to the southwest
Heritage railwayLeighton Buzzard Light Railway1.4 km outside town, to the northwest
Historic house · National TrustAscott House4.3 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumLeighton Buzzard Railway Museum1.5 km outside town, to the northwest
Historic houseMentmore Towers4.7 km outside town, to the southwestHeritage railwayLeighton Buzzard Light Railway1.4 km outside town, to the northwestHistoric house · National TrustAscott House4.3 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumLeighton Buzzard Railway Museum1.5 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Mentmore Towers: The original uploader was Swanker at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leighton Buzzard Light Railway: G-Man at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ascott House: Paul Shreeve, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Billington
12pages on Billington
The big questions
Billington’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Leighton BuzzardEaton Bray and EdlesboroughTotternhoeHockliffeWingCheddingtonHeath and ReachBillington
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billington | 359 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Leighton Buzzard | 42,736 | 1.9 | B+ | B+ | C+ | B− |
| Eaton Bray and Edlesborough | 4,201 | 2.7 | B | C | B+ | A− |
| Totternhoe | 1,017 | 3.1 | — | B− | B− | B |
| Hockliffe | 1,068 | 3.2 | — | A− | C+ | B− |
| Wing | 2,979 | 3.6 | A | B | B+ | A− |
| Cheddington | 1,770 | 3.6 | — | C+ | A | A |
| Heath and Reach | 1,451 | 3.6 | — | B | A | B− |
Totternhoe, Hockliffe, Cheddington and Heath and Reach have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Billington
How many listed buildings are there in Billington?
That is 9.1 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Billington?
Band D council tax in Billington is £2,418 for 2026–27, less than in 55% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Billington
Village in Bedfordshire, England
Billington is a built-up area of 359 people, in the Central Bedfordshire council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
- Population
- 359 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Central Bedfordshire
- County
- Bedfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004151
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.