Oakley’s story
13 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Oakley’s built-up area.
20% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
OakleyBuckinghamshire
Home to 1,129 people, this village lies in Buckinghamshire, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Bill Boaden · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,129
Census 2021 · Buckinghamshire council
Median home
£480K
23 sales in 3 years
Median age
46.2
23% are 65+ · Buckinghamshire 17%
Degree level
42%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Oakley a good place to live?
Police record less crime here than in most towns: police record 9.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 2.7 home and vehicle crimes. Residents are healthier than most: life expectancy 82.6 for men, 86 for women. The median home sold for £480,000, 6.9 times what households in the Buckinghamshire council area earn in a year. Its lowest grade is for walkability: 5% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · life expectancy and incomes, ONS · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years. Oakley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Oakley stand out
The 3 things Oakley does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Mary; 4.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
93%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
How Oakley grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Oakley is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD−Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentA+Open →HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 79% of towns in EnglandA−Open →Jobs & income1.3% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsA−Open →Cost of livingRent £1,475 a monthC+Open →Hazard risk0.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryAhead of most towns comparedBOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 2.9 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsBOpen →Civic life4.4 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 Oakley.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Only 11% of Oakley’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in Buckinghamshire’s towns and across 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.
94% of commuters drove, above both Buckinghamshire’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (70%). The census counted 41% of workers working mainly from home. Of the commuters living in Oakley, 4% work in the town itself. Households take home £67K a year before tax, on average.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving94%
On foot3%
Train1%
11%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
41%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£67K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D−
Walkability: behind almost every UK town
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsA−
School results in Oakley are better than in 83% of towns in England
Key Stage 2 results at the 2 primary schools within 3 km: 67% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). There is one school here; it is shown below. The town’s primary school has 91 pupils.
A−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakley Church of England Combined SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 91 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Oakley has less crime per resident than 97% of UK towns
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 1.2 reports per 1,000, lower than both Buckinghamshire’s towns (4.2) and England’s towns (7.8). Police figures for Oakley’s built-up area: 15 crimes and 1 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Oakley has less crime per resident than 93% of them. Of all the crimes, 67% were violence and sexual offences.
9.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 93% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual10
Other theft3
Public order1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Burglary0
Drugs0
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.
9.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
15
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
People in Oakley live longer lives than in 84% of UK towns
Seeing a GP means leaving Oakley: the nearest practice is 4.5 miles away. 3.3% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, below Buckinghamshire’s towns (3.6%) and England’s towns (5.2%) alike. The nearest A&E to Oakley is John Radcliffe Hospital, 6.7 miles away. Asked at the census, 87% of residents of Oakley said they were in good or very good health.
87%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Oakley | Buckinghamshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 86% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.3% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 14% | 17% |
82.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Old homes shape Oakley: 20% were built before 1919, more than in Buckinghamshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II* covers 1 of them. Relative to its size, Oakley keeps 115 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above both Buckinghamshire’s towns (77) and England’s towns (39). The town counts 13 listed buildings on the national list (Historic England): 1 Grade II*.
13listed buildingsBHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II12
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Mary Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
20%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
115
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C+
Oakley is a town of owners: 79% of households own their home, above Buckinghamshire’s towns and England’s towns
Private tenants account for 12% of households. 8% live in social housing, lower than both Buckinghamshire’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). 23 standard sales inside Oakley’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £480,000.
£480Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Oakley£480K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £648,500 | 10 |
| Semi-detached | £397,000 | 11 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,475
average private rent a month, Buckinghamshire council area
£2,481
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Few people in Oakley are 15 to 24: 7.7%, fewer than in Buckinghamshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Those 65 and older account for 23% of residents. Children under 15 make up 18%, below Buckinghamshire’s towns (19%) and close to England’s towns (18%). Oakley has a median age of 46.2. Just over two in five adults hold a degree.
46.2median age
OakleyBuckinghamshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level42%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Oakley | Buckinghamshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.8% | 4.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 42% | 39% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Buckinghamshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Oakley
14pages on Oakley
The big questions
SafetyA+9.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £480K · rent £1,475 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street College CrescentSchoolsA−1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 82.6 (men), 86 (women)Work & commuteA−57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Oakley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Upper ArncottLong CrendonWheatleyAmbrosdenThameHorspathHaddenhamOakley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakley | 1,129 | — | — | C+ | A+ | A |
| Upper Arncott | 1,659 | 3.5 | — | B | A | B |
| Long Crendon | 2,495 | 4 | — | C− | A− | A+ |
| Wheatley | 4,305 | 4.6 | A | B− | B | A− |
| Ambrosden | 2,736 | 5.1 | B | C | B | B− |
| Thame | 12,952 | 5.9 | A+ | C+ | B+ | A |
| Horspath | 1,467 | 5.9 | — | C+ | A− | A |
| Haddenham | 5,603 | 6.7 | A | C | B+ | A |
Upper Arncott, Long Crendon and Horspath have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Oakley
How many listed buildings are there in Oakley?
That is 4.7 times the typical UK town for its size.
Are schools in Oakley good?
Primary results beat 79% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Buckinghamshire council.
Is Oakley expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £480,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £397,000 and detached houses £648,500.
About Oakley
Village in Buckinghamshire, England
Oakley is a built-up area of 1,129 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
- 1,129 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Buckinghamshire
- County
- Buckinghamshire
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004369
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.