One weak subject stands out against an otherwise good record. Its best grade is for walkability — nearly a quarter of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. What holds it back is safety (C−): 37.1 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 14.1 home and vehicle crimes. Among UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people, it has less crime per resident than 37%. Hazard risk is higher than most: 4.6% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. The median home sold for £365,000, 5.4 times what households in the West Berkshire council area earn in a year. All told, that adds up to a B overall, better than nearly three fifths of UK towns. In the ranking it comes #23 of 30 in Berkshire.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · flood risk, Environment Agency · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Newbury is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Newbury.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Work is close at hand in Newbury: 57% of commuters travel under 5 km, more than in Berkshire’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 41% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
3.2% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, above both Berkshire’s towns (2.1%) and England’s towns (2.3%). Income per household averages £62K a year, before tax. Work in town: 46% of resident commuters. Newbury counts 1.4 jobs per working resident.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsB−
Exam results at Newbury’s schools trail 50% of towns in England
Below are three of its 17 schools, each with why it was picked. St Bartholomew's School’s results beat 89% of schools in England like it. Key Stage 2 results at the town’s 9 primary schools: 55% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 17 schools →
Safety
More crimes per resident in Newbury than in 80% of UK towns
Town centres with shops, stations and nightlife record more crime per resident: police.uk counts crimes where they happen, not where victims live.
The 12 months to August 2026 brought 3,567 recorded crimes inside Newbury’s built-up area, and 517 reports of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 11.8 reports per 1,000, higher than both Berkshire’s towns (6.2) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences were 39% of the crimes.
37.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 37% of the 645 UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
More crimeLess crime
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual1,408
Shoplifting586
Public order341
Damage & arson302
Other theft241
Vehicle crime189
Drugs151
Burglary138
Anti-social517
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.
37.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
14.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
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.
History
4 Grade I buildings among Newbury’s 273 listed
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
At the top of the list, 4 are Grade I and 20 Grade II*. Newbury’s listed buildings include Museum, Grade I. The national list protects 3 ancient monuments locally.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B
The median home in Newbury sells for £365K, against £488K in Berkshire’s towns and £308K in England’s towns
Social housing holds 18% of households, higher than Berkshire’s towns (14%) and near England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,338 a month across the West Berkshire council area. The owner-occupied share of households is 58%.
£365Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Newbury£365K
Typical UK town£277K
By type
Median
Sales
Detached
£595,000
489
Semi-detached
£410,000
489
Terraced
£340,000
461
Flat or maisonette
£205,000
615
58%
of households own their home · England 61%
£1,338
average private rent a month, West Berkshire council area
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
Most people in Newbury (85%) report good or very good health
The nearest A&E to Newbury is Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, 12.2 miles away. Disability touches 16% of the town’s population. 3 GP practices serve the town; 77% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
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.
Who lives here
Few people in Newbury are 15 to 24: 9.6%, fewer than in Berkshire’s towns and England’s towns
38% of adults hold a degree, near Berkshire’s towns (40%) and higher than England’s towns (34%). Half of Newbury is older than 40.6, half younger. Children under 15 count for 18% of the people here.
40.6median age
NewburyBerkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
18%
Under 1515–2425–4445–6465+
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level38%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
WomenEnglandMen
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
Richard Adams: AndrewRH, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Michael Bond: Loz Pycock, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Sebastian Faulks: Elena Torre, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Charles Hefferon: unknown; user de:User:FreeMO on de.wikipedia, Public domain · David Rosen: Steve Nimmons from London, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0
Cold Ash, Upper Bucklebury, Hermitage and Kintbury have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Newbury
How many listed buildings are there in Newbury?
That is 2.7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Sandleford Priory. It also has 3 scheduled monuments.
Does Newbury flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Is Newbury safe?
About the middle for its size: 63% of the 645 UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people report less crime per resident. Against all UK towns, most of them smaller, it grades C−.
Is Newbury expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £365,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £205,000, terraced houses £340,000, semi-detached houses £410,000 and detached houses £595,000. Household incomes are higher than in 74% of UK towns, so cost of living still grades B.
About Newbury
Large town in Berkshire, England
Newbury is a built-up area of 42,262 people, in the West Berkshire 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
42,262 (Census 2021)
Council
West Berkshire
County
Berkshire
Region
South East
Area
4.9 sq mi (12.6 km²)
ONS code
E63005168
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.
