Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
This village in Bedfordshire, East of England has a population of 371.
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Tilsworth has none; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 7% of commuters. 5 buildings are listed here, 1 at Grade I. The median sale price is £637,500.
The 3 things Tilsworth does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Tilsworth’s built-up area, along with 2 scheduled monuments.
25% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Tilsworth.
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.
3.3% of people aged 16 to 64 were on unemployment benefits in 2026. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 23%, lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%). Home was the main workplace for 38% of workers at the census. Work in town: 6% of resident commuters.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
10% live in social housing, lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Private tenants account for 9% of households. From September 2023 to August 2026, 12 homes sold inside Tilsworth’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £637,500.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £792,500 | 6 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Tilsworth logged 13 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 13 complaints of anti-social conduct. There were 26.1 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), above both Bedfordshire’s towns (10.2) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences accounted for 46% of recorded crime.
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.
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.
Disability touches 18% of Tilsworth’s population. Seeing a GP means leaving Tilsworth: the nearest practice is 2.6 miles away. The nearest A&E to Tilsworth is Luton and Dunstable Hospital, 4.6 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Tilsworth | Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.3% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 15% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Tilsworth’s listed buildings include the Church of All Saints, Grade I. It has 135 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, higher than both Bedfordshire’s towns (40) and England’s towns (39). The national list protects 2 ancient monuments in the town.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
7.3% of residents are 15 to 24, below Bedfordshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. The 65-and-over age group makes up 27% of residents. The median resident of Tilsworth is 55.5 years old. Graduates make up 30% of adults.
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Tilsworth | Bedfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 20% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 29% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 38% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 15% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Bedfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Tilsworth. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryDunstable Priory4.5 km outside town, to the southeast
Heritage railwayLeighton Buzzard Light Railway4.5 km outside town, to the westPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustDunstable Downs5 km outside town, to the southeastAttractionAttractionMead Open Farm2.4 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumLeighton Buzzard Railway Museum4.5 km outside town, to the westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tilsworth | 371 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hockliffe | 1,068 | 1.5 | — | A− | C+ | B− |
| Totternhoe | 1,017 | 1.9 | — | B− | B− | B |
| Eaton Bray and Edlesborough | 4,201 | 2.6 | B | C | B+ | A− |
| Houghton Regis | 18,814 | 2.7 | C− | B+ | D | C− |
| Dunstable | 34,498 | 2.9 | B− | A− | C | C+ |
| Toddington | 4,509 | 3.1 | B+ | B | B+ | B− |
| Leighton Buzzard | 42,736 | 3.4 | B+ | B+ | C+ | B− |
Hockliffe and Totternhoe have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Private rents in the Central Bedfordshire council area averaged £1,250 a month in August 2026.
That is 5.5 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of All Saints. It also has 2 scheduled monuments. 25% of Tilsworth’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Village in Bedfordshire, England
Tilsworth is a built-up area of 371 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
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.