Waddesdon’s story
16 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Waddesdon’s built-up area.
33% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WaddesdonBuckinghamshire
It is a village of 1,859 residents in Buckinghamshire, South East. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 15% of commuters.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: John Salmon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,859
Census 2021 · Buckinghamshire council
Median home
£383K
56 sales in 3 years
Median age
43.1
17% are 65+ · Buckinghamshire 17%
Degree level
34%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
15%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Waddesdon a good place to live?
People here tend to be in good health: life expectancy 81.8 for men, 84.4 for women. At a median £382,500, a home costs 5.5 times the yearly income of households in the Buckinghamshire council area. Jobs & income is a strength too — mean household income £70,044; 2.7% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. The rest of its grades are middling: B for safety, B− for schools and B− for walkability.
Figures: life expectancy and income, ONS · claimants, DWP · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Waddesdon has its subject grades alone.
What makes Waddesdon stand out
The 3 things Waddesdon does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Michael; 3.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
15% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.4 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Waddesdon grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Waddesdon is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Waddesdon has its subject grades alone.
Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →HealthResidents are healthier than in most townsA−Open →Jobs & incomeAbove the middle of the towns comparedB+Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentBOpen →WalkabilityNear typical for the towns comparedB−Open →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesB−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 19% of towns in England; secondary results beat 87% of towns in EnglandB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryGraded on historic places and the town’s ageA−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 3 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB+Open →Civic life6.5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Waddesdon Manor and 13 more in and around Waddesdon
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Waddesdon. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustWaddesdon Manor500 m outside town, to the southwest
MuseumBuckinghamshire Railway Centre1.5 km outside town, to the north
CastleDinton Folly4.9 km outside town, to the south
Historic houseNether Winchendon House4.2 km outside town, to the southAttractionAttraction · National TrustThe Four Continents400 m outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttraction · National TrustTerra degli Etruschi300 m outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Waddesdon Manor: Mattlever, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Buckinghamshire Railway Centre: Oxyman, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dinton Folly: D Gore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nether Winchendon House: MICHAEL ZAWADZKI, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Waddesdon.
Health
Just 2.9% of people in Waddesdon say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Buckinghamshire’s towns and England’s towns
The nearest A&E to Waddesdon is Stoke Mandeville Hospital, 6.1 miles away. At the census, 86% of people in Waddesdon called their health good or very good, close to Buckinghamshire’s towns (86%) and above England’s towns (82%). One GP practice serves the town; just over nine in ten patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
86%good or very good healthA−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Waddesdon | Buckinghamshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 86% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.9% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 14% | 17% |
81.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.4
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.
SchoolsB−
Waddesdon’s schools outperform 54% of towns in England on results
Between them, one primary and one secondary teach 1,229 pupils in Waddesdon. Its two schools are below. Attainment 8 at the one secondary school within 3 km averages 53.7, and 57% of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths.
B−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waddesdon Village Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 217 | C− |
| Waddesdon Church of England SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 1,012 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
History
Old homes shape Waddesdon: 33% were built before 1919, more than in Buckinghamshire’s towns or 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. Of Waddesdon’s land, 32% lies in conservation areas, above Buckinghamshire’s towns (8%) and England’s towns (7%) alike. Historic England’s list names 16 listed buildings locally: 1 Grade II*.
16listed buildingsA−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II15
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Michael Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
33%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
86
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Homes in Waddesdon see less burglary and damage than in Buckinghamshire’s towns or England’s towns: 6.5 per 1,000 a year
In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 62 crimes and 10 reports of anti-social behaviour inside Waddesdon’s built-up area. 63% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 3.8 reports per 1,000, below both Buckinghamshire’s towns (4.2) and England’s towns (7.8).
22.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 37% 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 & sexual39
Public order10
Damage & arson5
Drugs3
Other theft2
Vehicle crime1
Theft from person1
Other crime1
Anti-social10
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.
22.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
62
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Under 5 km to work: 16% in Waddesdon, fewer than in Buckinghamshire’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 33% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 84% of commuters, above Buckinghamshire’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. About 9% of its commuters stay in Waddesdon for work. There are 0.7 jobs in Waddesdon for each resident in work.
15%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot10%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
16%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
33%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£70K
mean household income, before tax
2.7%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 55% 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 B−
The median home in Waddesdon sells for £383K, against £502K in Buckinghamshire’s towns and £308K in England’s towns
Private rents average £1,475 a month across the Buckinghamshire council area. The private rented sector houses 17% of households. Social housing holds 18% of households, about level with England’s towns (18%) and above Buckinghamshire’s towns (15%).
£383Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Waddesdon£383K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £522,000 | 13 |
| Semi-detached | £400,000 | 15 |
| Terraced | £357,500 | 22 |
| Flat or maisonette | £169,000 | 6 |
64%
of households own their home · England 61%
17%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,475
average private rent a month, Buckinghamshire council area
£2,612
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
Waddesdon has fewer young adults than Buckinghamshire’s towns or England’s towns: 9.8% are 15 to 24
Line up the people of Waddesdon by age and the one in the middle is 43.1. 20% are under 15, about level with Buckinghamshire’s towns (19%) and above England’s towns (18%). Among adults, 34% have a degree.
43.1median age
WaddesdonBuckinghamshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
17%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level34%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Waddesdon | Buckinghamshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 17% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.1% | 4.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 39% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Buckinghamshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Waddesdon
15pages on Waddesdon
The big questions
SafetyB22.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £383K · rent £1,475 a monthHousing22 sold in 12 months · busiest street Quainton RoadSchoolsB−2 state schoolsHealthA−Life expectancy 81.8 (men), 84.4 (women)Work & commuteB+55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Waddesdon’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
QuaintonStoneAylesburyHaddenhamCalvertBiertonLong CrendonWaddesdon
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waddesdon | 1,859 | — | — | B− | B | A− |
| Quainton | 1,311 | 1.9 | — | C+ | A+ | A− |
| Stone | 2,081 | 3.8 | — | C | A− | A |
| Aylesbury | 87,966 | 4.9 | B | B+ | C− | C |
| Haddenham | 5,603 | 5.1 | A | C | B+ | A |
| Calvert | 1,434 | 5.7 | — | C+ | B+ | A− |
| Bierton | 1,251 | 5.9 | — | C+ | A− | A− |
| Long Crendon | 2,495 | 5.9 | — | C− | A− | A+ |
Quainton, Stone, Calvert, Bierton and Long Crendon have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Waddesdon
How many listed buildings are there in Waddesdon?
That is 3.5 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Waddesdon expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £382,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £169,000, terraced houses £357,500, semi-detached houses £400,000 and detached houses £522,000. Household incomes are higher than in 89% of UK towns, so cost of living still grades B−.
Does Waddesdon flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Waddesdon
Village in Buckinghamshire, England
Waddesdon is a built-up area of 1,859 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
- 1,859 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Buckinghamshire
- County
- Buckinghamshire
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004277
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.