Beacon's Bottom’s story
3 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Beacon's Bottom’s built-up area.
13% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Beacon's BottomBuckinghamshire
799 people live in this village in Buckinghamshire, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Des Blenkinsopp · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
799
Census 2021 · Buckinghamshire council
Median home
£542K
65 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.5
24% are 65+ · Buckinghamshire 17%
Degree level
41%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Beacon's Bottom a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Beacon's Bottom has no grades; its figures are still real. Nearly one in ten commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Homes change hands at a median £541,815. It skews older: 24% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Beacon's Bottom stand out
The 3 things Beacon's Bottom 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%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
24% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Beacon's Bottom.
Who lives here
Children make up only 13% of Beacon's Bottom, fewer than in Buckinghamshire’s towns and England’s towns
Degrees are held by 41% of adults. People 65 and over make up 24% of the town, above Buckinghamshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Half of Beacon's Bottom is older than 50.5, half younger.
50.5median age
Beacon's BottomBuckinghamshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level41%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
About 113 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Beacon's Bottom | Buckinghamshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 34% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.6% | 4.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 41% | 39% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Buckinghamshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Commuters in Beacon's Bottom travel far: only 14% go under 5 km, fewer than in Buckinghamshire’s towns or England’s towns
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.
9% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census. Households had £63K a year before tax, below Buckinghamshire’s towns (£72K) but above England’s towns (£55K). Also worth knowing: of the commuters living in Beacon's Bottom, 4% work in the town itself. The town counts 0.5 jobs per working resident.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot5%
Train2%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
14%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
42%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£63K
mean household income, before tax
2.4%
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
Housing
Most households in Beacon's Bottom own their home: 83%, more than in Buckinghamshire’s towns or across England’s towns
14% rent privately, below both Buckinghamshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (21%). Social renters account for 2% of households. Private rents average £1,475 a month across the Buckinghamshire council area.
£542Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Beacon's Bottom£542K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £600,000 | 19 |
| Flat or maisonette | £540,907 | 42 |
83%
of households own their home · England 61%
14%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,475
average private rent a month, Buckinghamshire council area
£2,482
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
Homes in Beacon's Bottom see less burglary and damage than in Buckinghamshire’s towns or England’s towns: 2.1 per 1,000 a year
There were 0.4 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Buckinghamshire’s towns (4.1) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence accounts for 3.3 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 8 recorded crimes inside Beacon's Bottom’s built-up area, and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. 63% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
3.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual5
Other theft2
Damage & arson1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
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.
3.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
8
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
Bad health is less common in Beacon's Bottom than in Buckinghamshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 3% of residents
86% of Beacon's Bottom’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, about level with Buckinghamshire’s towns (86%) and above England’s towns (82%). Seeing a GP means leaving Beacon's Bottom: the nearest practice is 1.7 miles away. The nearest A&E to Beacon's Bottom is Stoke Mandeville Hospital, 10.6 miles away.
86%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Beacon's Bottom | Buckinghamshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 86% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 14% | 17% |
77.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
All 3 of Beacon's Bottom’s listed buildings are Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 13% of the total, between Buckinghamshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (16%). Beacon's Bottom has 38 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents.
3listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
13%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
38
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →West Wycombe House and 6 more in and around Beacon's Bottom
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Beacon's Bottom. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustWest Wycombe House3.8 km outside town, to the east
AttractionThe Hellfire Caves3.8 km outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionSt Lawrence3.6 km outside town, to the eastHistoric siteHistoric siteDashwood Mausoleum3.6 km outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionSaint Bartholomew3.7 km outside town, to the southAttractionAttractionSt Botolph's, Bradenham4.1 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- West Wycombe House: Original author was Giano, converted to PNG format by PNG crusade bot at en.wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- The Hellfire Caves: Stefan Wolmarans, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Beacon's Bottom
13pages on Beacon's Bottom
The big questions
Safety3.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £542K · rent £1,475 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 months · busiest street Jones WaySchoolsHealthLife expectancy 77.9 (men), 84.8 (women)Work & commute64% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Beacon's Bottom’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
StokenchurchLane EndWalter's Ash and NaphillDownleyChinnorLacey Green and Loosley RowHughenden ValleyBeacon's Bottom
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon's Bottom | 799 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Stokenchurch | 4,351 | 1.4 | B− | B | B+ | B− |
| Lane End | 3,446 | 2.6 | C+ | B− | B | C+ |
| Walter's Ash and Naphill | 3,893 | 3.9 | A+ | C | A+ | A+ |
| Downley | 2,655 | 4 | A | C+ | A− | B− |
| Chinnor | 7,268 | 4 | A− | B− | A− | A |
| Lacey Green and Loosley Row | 1,135 | 4 | — | C | A+ | A |
| Hughenden Valley | 1,814 | 5.1 | — | C− | A+ | A+ |
Lacey Green and Loosley Row and Hughenden Valley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Beacon's Bottom
Is Beacon's Bottom expensive to live in?
By type: flats £540,907 and detached houses £600,000.
How much is council tax in Beacon's Bottom?
Band D council tax in Beacon's Bottom is £2,482 for 2026–27, more than in 60% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Beacon's Bottom
Village in Buckinghamshire, England
Beacon's Bottom is a built-up area of 799 people, in the Buckinghamshire 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
- 799 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Buckinghamshire
- County
- Buckinghamshire
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004691
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.