Northill’s story
21 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Northill’s built-up area.
20% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
NorthillBedfordshire
This village in Bedfordshire, East of England has a population of 357.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Philip Jeffrey · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
357
Census 2021 · Central Bedfordshire council
Median home
£535K
20 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.6
25% are 65+ · Bedfordshire 15%
Degree level
39%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Northill a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Northill has no grades; its figures are still real. 8% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 21 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. Homes change hands at a median £535,000.
What makes Northill stand out
The 3 things Northill does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin; 24.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.9 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Northill.
Work & commute
Commuters in Northill travel far: only 20% go under 5 km, fewer than in Bedfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 40% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Household income came to £68K a year before tax, close to Bedfordshire’s towns (£67K) and above England’s towns (£55K). 91% of commuters drove to work at the census. Of the commuters living in Northill, 1% work in the town itself. Home was the main workplace for two in five workers at the census.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot5%
Bus1%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
20%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
40%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£68K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
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
Schools
The schools around Northill
There is one school here; it is shown below. Key Stage 2 results at the 2 primary schools within 3 km: 54% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town’s primary school has 66 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northill CofE AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 66 | – |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Few households rent privately in Northill: 7%, fewer than in Bedfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Owners make up 75% of households, above Bedfordshire’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. Private rents average £1,250 a month across the Central Bedfordshire council area. 15% of households live in social housing.
£535Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Northill£535K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £607,500 | 14 |
| Semi-detached | £439,750 | 6 |
75%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,250
average private rent a month, Central Bedfordshire council area
£2,416
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
Crime recorded by police in Northill
Police recorded 14 crimes inside Northill’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences made up 71% of the total. Violent crime ran at 23.3 per 1,000 residents a year, above Bedfordshire’s towns (18.6) and England’s towns (22) alike.
23.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual10
Public order1
Other theft1
Burglary1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Drugs0
Anti-social0
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.
23.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
14
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
Just 3.1% of people in Northill say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Bedfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
There is no GP practice in Northill: the nearest is 2.3 miles off. At the census, 84% of people in Northill called their health good or very good, close to Bedfordshire’s towns (84%) and above England’s towns (82%). The nearest A&E to Northill is Bedford Hospital, 6.6 miles away.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Northill | Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.1% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 15% | 17% |
82.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More buildings in Northill are listed than in Bedfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 588 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Northill’s land, 27% lies in conservation areas, higher than both Bedfordshire’s towns (4%) and England’s towns (7%). Its listed buildings include the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Grade I. Before 1919: that is when 20% of homes were built. The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
21listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II20
Among them · Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
20%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
588
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Northill than in Bedfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 12% are under 15
Those 65 and older account for a quarter of residents. Nearly a tenth of the population is aged 15 to 24, below both Bedfordshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Ages in Northill split evenly at 51.6: half are older, half younger. Among adults, 39% have a degree.
51.6median age
NorthillBedfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level39%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Northill | Bedfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 20% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.5% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 29% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 36% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 15% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.2% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 39% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Bedfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →The Shuttleworth Collection and 4 more in and around Northill
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Northill. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumThe Shuttleworth Collection1.3 km outside town, to the south
Historic houseThe Mansion House1.9 km outside town, to the south
Historic houseMoggerhanger House2.1 km outside town, to the northwest
Historic houseShortmead House3.7 km outside town, to the eastGardenGardenThe Swiss Garden1.4 km outside town, to the south
Historic houseThe Mansion House1.9 km outside town, to the southHistoric houseMoggerhanger House2.1 km outside town, to the northwestHistoric houseShortmead House3.7 km outside town, to the eastGardenGardenThe Swiss Garden1.4 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- The Mansion House: Giles Keen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Moggerhanger House: John Brightley, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Shortmead House: Richard a slade, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Northill
13pages on Northill
The big questions
Safety23.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £535K · rent £1,250 a monthHousing3 sold in 12 months · busiest street Lychfield CloseSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82.2 (men), 84.6 (women)Work & commute56% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards3.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Northill’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Upper CaldecoteSandyBlunhamBiggleswadeGreat BarfordLangfordSheffordNorthill
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northill | 357 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Upper Caldecote | 1,333 | 1.2 | — | B− | B | B |
| Sandy | 11,375 | 2.4 | C+ | A− | C | C |
| Blunham | 1,391 | 2.9 | — | B− | D− | B |
| Biggleswade | 21,945 | 3.1 | B− | B+ | B− | C+ |
| Great Barford | 2,254 | 3.9 | — | C+ | B+ | B |
| Langford | 3,712 | 4 | B | B− | B | B |
| Shefford | 7,317 | 4.6 | B | B+ | C | A− |
Upper Caldecote, Blunham and Great Barford have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Northill
How many listed buildings are there in Northill?
That is 24.1 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin.
Is Northill expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £439,750 and detached houses £607,500.
About Northill
Village in Bedfordshire, England
Northill is a built-up area of 357 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
- 357 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Central Bedfordshire
- County
- Bedfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003679
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.