Riseley’s story
58 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Riseley’s built-up area.
25% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
RiseleyBedfordshire
In Bedfordshire, East of England, this village has 1,320 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,320
Census 2021 · Bedford council
Median home
£425K
68 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.6
25% are 65+ · Bedfordshire 15%
Degree level
36%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Riseley a good place to live?
Health outcomes beat most towns: life expectancy is 82 for men and 85.9 for women. Crime is low: 18.4 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 7.6 home and vehicle crimes. Its weakest is schools (D−) — primary results beat 7% of towns in England. A median £425,000 buys a home here, 7.1 times what households in the Bedford council area earn in a year.
Figures: life expectancy and incomes, ONS · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Riseley has subject grades but no overall one.
What makes Riseley stand out
The 3 things Riseley does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% 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 Church of All Saints; 18 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Household income, against UK towns
Work
£76K household income
Mean, before tax: higher than in 96% of UK towns
ONS small-area income estimates.
How Riseley grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Riseley is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
With fewer than 2,500 residents, Riseley has subject grades but no overall one.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 7% of towns in EnglandD−Open →HealthIn the top fifth of the towns comparedAOpen →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesC−Open →Cost of livingRent £1,173 a monthCOpen →SafetyLess crime than in most townsB+Open →Hazard risk0.6% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC+Open →Jobs & income2.3% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 2.4 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB+Open →Civic life3.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryBOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Riseley.
SchoolsD−
On exam results, Riseley’s schools trail 96% of towns in England
The one school in town appears below. Nearly half of pupils at the one primary school within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one primary school teaches 121 pupils.
D−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riseley CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 121 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
History
More buildings in Riseley are listed than in Bedfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 439 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
25% of homes were built before 1919. Riseley’s listed buildings include the Church of All Saints, Grade I. Historic England’s list names 58 listed buildings here: 1 Grade I. Conservation areas cover just over a third of the town’s land, above both Bedfordshire’s towns (4%) and England’s towns (7%).
58listed buildingsAHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II57
Among them · Grade I
- Church of All Saints Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
25%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
439
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
People in Riseley live longer lives than in 81% of UK towns
At the census, 3.5% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. Seeing a GP means leaving Riseley: the nearest practice is 2.9 miles away. 85% of the town’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above both Bedfordshire’s towns (84%) and England’s towns (82%). The nearest A&E to Riseley is Bedford Hospital, 8.6 miles away.
85%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Riseley | Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.5% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 15% | 17% |
82
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Long commutes are the norm in Riseley: just 18% travel under 5 km, below Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 38% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Nearly one in ten commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train at the census, lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (27%). Driving is how 87% of commuters got to work at the census. Of the commuters living in Riseley, 10% work in the town itself. Working from home was the norm for 38% of workers at the census.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot6%
Train2%
Bicycle2%
18%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
38%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£76K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 19% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C
Few households rent privately in Riseley: 8%, fewer than in Bedfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Nearly four in five households own their home, above both Bedfordshire’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). The social rented sector houses just over one in ten households. 68 standard sales inside Riseley’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £425,000.
£425Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Riseley£425K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £495,000 | 39 |
| Semi-detached | £366,389 | 18 |
| Terraced | £315,000 | 11 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,173
average private rent a month, Bedford council area
£2,505
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
Riseley has less crime per resident than 67% of UK towns
39 crimes and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Riseley’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. There were 3 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (10.3) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences accounted for 56% of recorded crime.
18.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 46% 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 & sexual22
Public order6
Other theft3
Other crime3
Damage & arson2
Vehicle crime2
Burglary1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social1
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.
18.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
39
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.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Riseley: 25% are 65 or over, above Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
Young adults of 15 to 24 account for a tenth of the town. 17% are under 15, below Bedfordshire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Half of Riseley is older than 48.6, half younger. Degrees are held by 36% of adults.
48.6median age
RiseleyBedfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level36%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Riseley | Bedfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 29% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 15% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.8% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 36% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Bedfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Riseley
13pages on Riseley
The big questions
SafetyB+18.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £425K · rent £1,173 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street High StreetSchoolsD−1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 82 (men), 85.9 (women)Work & commuteB58% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC+0.6% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Riseley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SharnbrookKimboltonWymingtonRushdenOakleyClaphamHigham FerrersRiseley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riseley | 1,320 | — | — | C | B+ | A |
| Sharnbrook | 1,744 | 3.6 | — | C+ | B+ | A |
| Kimbolton | 1,056 | 4.8 | — | B+ | B+ | A |
| Wymington | 1,000 | 5.4 | — | B+ | D− | A− |
| Rushden | 31,689 | 5.6 | C− | B− | C− | C |
| Oakley | 2,507 | 5.9 | A | C+ | A | B+ |
| Clapham | 4,502 | 6.1 | B | B+ | B | B |
| Higham Ferrers | 8,825 | 6.4 | C+ | C+ | C+ | B− |
Sharnbrook, Kimbolton and Wymington have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Riseley
Are schools in Riseley good?
Primary results trail 93% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Bedford council.
How many listed buildings are there in Riseley?
That is 18 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of All Saints.
Is Riseley expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £425,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £315,000, semi-detached houses £366,389 and detached houses £495,000.
About Riseley
Village in Bedfordshire, England
Riseley is a built-up area of 1,320 people, in the Bedford 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
- 1,320 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Bedford
- County
- Bedfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003352
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.