Harlington’s story
15 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Harlington’s built-up area.
9% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HarlingtonBedfordshire
A village in Bedfordshire, East of England, home to 2,287 people. 16% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Eva · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,287
Census 2021 · Central Bedfordshire council
Median home
£450K
119 sales in 3 years
Median age
49
24% are 65+ · Bedfordshire 15%
Degree level
39%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
16%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Harlington a good place to live?
People here tend to be in good health: men here can expect to live to 82.1, women to 88. It is strong on jobs & income as well — mean household income £72,993; 2.5% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Its weakest is schools: primary results beat 3% of towns in England; secondary results beat 53% of towns in England. At a median £450,000, a home costs 6.9 times the yearly income of households in the Central Bedfordshire council area. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B for safety, B for walkability and B− for hazard risk.
Figures: life expectancy and income, ONS · claimants, DWP · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021 · flood risk, Environment Agency. Harlington is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
How Harlington grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Harlington is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Harlington is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesAOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 3% of towns in England; secondary results beat 53% of towns in EnglandC−Open →WalkabilityBetter than most of the towns comparedBOpen →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentBOpen →Cost of livingClose to the middle of the towns comparedB−Open →Hazard risk0.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBased on listed places, the town’s age and notable peopleC+Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 16% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA−Open →Civic life3.5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Harlington stand out
The 3 things Harlington does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of Saint Mary the Virgin; 2.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
16% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results trail 97%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 53%. Department for Education.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Harlington.
Health
People in Harlington live longer lives than in 88% of UK towns
86%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
At the census, 3.8% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (4.3%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Harlington has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.1 miles away. 86% of people in Harlington rate their own health good or very good.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Harlington | Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.8% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
82.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
88
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.
SchoolsC−
On exam results, Harlington’s schools trail 76% of towns in England
C−School Grade
46% of pupils at the one primary school within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Below are its two schools. GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: 46% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 46.1.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harlington Lower SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 130 | – |
| Harlington Upper SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 1,156 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Work tends to be further away for Harlington: 18% commute under 5 km, below Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
16%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 42% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Of the commuters living in Harlington, 6% work in the town itself. The car carried 83% of commuters at the census, and just over two in five workers worked mainly from home, above Bedfordshire’s towns (30%) and England’s towns (31%) alike. For every resident in work, Harlington has 0.3 jobs.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving83%
Train8%
On foot7%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
18%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
42%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£73K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B
Walkability: more walkable than 62% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Harlington’s heritage list runs to 15 buildings, 1 of them Grade I
15listed buildingsC+History Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Harlington’s listed buildings include the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Grade I. Nearly a tenth of its homes were built before 1919, lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (16%). Scaled to its population, that is 66 listed buildings for every 10,000 people locally.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II13
Among them · Grade I
- Church of Saint Mary the Virgin Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
9%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
66
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Homes in Harlington see more burglary and damage than in Bedfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 12.5 per 1,000 a year
17.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
47% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 97 crimes and 32 reports of anti-social behaviour inside Harlington’s built-up area. Each year, 17.9 violent crimes are recorded per 1,000 residents.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 34% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual46
Vehicle crime16
Other theft9
Burglary7
Damage & arson6
Other crime5
Public order4
Bicycle theft1
Anti-social32
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.
17.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
97
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.
HousingCost of living grade B−
Harlington is a town of owners: 82% of households own their home, above Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
£450Kmedian sale
8% live in social housing, below both Bedfordshire’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). 119 standard sales inside Harlington’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £450,000. Private rents average £1,250 a month across the Central Bedfordshire council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Harlington£450K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £648,500 | 50 |
| Semi-detached | £400,000 | 53 |
| Terraced | £330,000 | 15 |
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,250
average private rent a month, Central Bedfordshire council area
£2,484
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Harlington skews older, with 24% of residents 65 or over, more than in Bedfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
49median age
Those aged 15 to 24 account for nearly one in ten residents. Children under 15 make up 16%, lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). Half the people of Harlington are older than 49. 39% of adults hold a degree.
HarlingtonBedfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level39%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Harlington | Bedfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 20% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 29% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 15% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.3% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 39% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Bedfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Harlington
13pages on Harlington
The big questions
SafetyB17.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £450K · rent £1,250 a monthHousing32 sold in 12 months · busiest street Beauchamp RoadSchoolsC−2 state schoolsHealthALife expectancy 82.1 (men), 88 (women)Work & commuteA59% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
About Harlington
Village in Bedfordshire, England
Harlington is a built-up area of 2,287 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
- 2,287 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Central Bedfordshire
- County
- Bedfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004013
Harlington’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WestoningToddingtonFlitwickBarton-le-ClayFlittonSilsoeHoughton RegisHarlington
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlington | 2,287 | — | — | B− | B | A |
| Westoning | 2,097 | 1.3 | — | B | A | A |
| Toddington | 4,509 | 2.3 | B+ | B | B+ | B− |
| Flitwick | 13,668 | 2.8 | A− | B+ | B | B− |
| Barton-le-Clay | 4,941 | 2.8 | A− | B | A | A− |
| Flitton | 1,531 | 3.4 | — | C+ | A+ | A+ |
| Silsoe | 3,419 | 4 | A+ | B | A | A |
| Houghton Regis | 18,814 | 4 | C− | B+ | D | C− |
Westoning and Flitton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Harlington
How many listed buildings are there in Harlington?
That is 2.7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of Saint Mary the Virgin.
Is Harlington expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £450,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £330,000, semi-detached houses £400,000 and detached houses £648,500. Household incomes are higher than in 93% of UK towns, so cost of living still grades B−.
Are schools in Harlington good?
Harlington has 2 state schools; places are handled by Central Bedfordshire council.
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.