Dry Drayton’s story
15 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Dry Drayton’s built-up area.
7% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Dry DraytonCambridgeshire
The village has 698 residents and lies in Cambridgeshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Cruccone · CC BY 3.0
Population
698
Census 2021 · South Cambridgeshire council
Median home
£658K
29 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.5
22% are 65+ · Cambridgeshire 17%
Degree level
59%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
18%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Dry Drayton a good place to live?
There are no grades for Dry Drayton: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. 15 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. Homes sell for a median £657,500.
What makes Dry Drayton stand out
The 3 things Dry Drayton does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Peter and St Paul; 8.8 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.4 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Cambridgeshire 37%.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Dry Drayton.
Who lives here
Dry Drayton is a graduates’ town: 59% hold a degree, more than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or England’s towns
45.5median age
Just over a fifth of residents are 65 or over. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 6.9% of residents, below both Cambridgeshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%). The middle age in Dry Drayton is 45.5.
Dry DraytonCambridgeshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications10%
Apprenticeship3%
A levels or similar13%
Degree level59%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Dry Drayton | Cambridgeshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.9% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 28% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 10% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 59% | 37% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cambridgeshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Dry Drayton
The town has one school, shown below. 61% of pupils at the 3 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). 64 pupils attend Dry Drayton’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Drayton CofE (C) Primary School, and Pre-SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 64 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Only 19% of Dry Drayton’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or England’s towns
18%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 51% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Working mainly from home: 51% of workers, above Cambridgeshire’s towns (34%) and England’s towns (31%) alike. By car: that was how 79% of commuters travelled at the census. About nearly a tenth of its commuters stay in Dry Drayton for work. Average household income comes to £72K a year before tax.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving79%
On foot10%
Bicycle6%
Bus1%
Train1%
19%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
51%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£72K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
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
More households own their home in Dry Drayton than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 77%
£658Kmedian sale
Council and housing-body homes hold 10% of households. 13% rent privately, lower than both Cambridgeshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). Private rents average £1,408 a month across the South Cambridgeshire council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Dry Drayton£658K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £697,500 | 22 |
| Semi-detached | £426,250 | 6 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,408
average private rent a month, South Cambridgeshire council area
£2,486
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
Violence is recorded less often in Dry Drayton than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 5.3 per 1,000 residents a year
5.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Violence and sexual offences made up 62% of the total. Over the year to August 2026, 13 offences were reported in Dry Drayton, along with 1 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Burglary and damage came to 11.5 per 1,000 residents a year, above Cambridgeshire’s towns (9.1) and England’s towns (9.4) alike.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual8
Public order2
Damage & arson1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Other theft0
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.
5.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
13
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 Dry Drayton than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 1.4% of residents
88%good or very good health
The nearest A&E to Dry Drayton is Addenbrooke's and the Rosie Hospitals, 6.7 miles away. Asked at the census, 88% of residents of Dry Drayton said they were in good or very good health. 12% of residents have a disability, below both Cambridgeshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (17%). This Cambridgeshire town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 1%
| Census 2021 | Dry Drayton | Cambridgeshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.4% | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 12% | 16% | 17% |
84
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
Dry Drayton is rich in listed buildings: 215 per 10,000 residents, more than Cambridgeshire’s towns or England’s towns
15listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
7% of its homes were built before 1919, lower than both Cambridgeshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (16%). Grade II* covers 1 of them.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II14
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Peter and St Paul Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
7%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
215
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dry Drayton
13pages on Dry Drayton
The big questions
Safety5.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £658K · rent £1,408 a monthHousing13 sold in 12 months · busiest street Pettitts LaneSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 84 (men), 87.6 (women)Work & commute62% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
About Dry Drayton
Village in Cambridgeshire, England
Dry Drayton is a built-up area of 698 people, in the South Cambridgeshire 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
- 698 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Cambridgeshire
- County
- Cambridgeshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003363
Dry Drayton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Bar HillHardwickOakingtonGirtonHighfields CaldecoteLongstanton and NorthstoweCombertonDry Drayton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Drayton | 698 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bar Hill | 3,899 | 0.8 | A+ | A | B+ | A+ |
| Hardwick | 2,658 | 1.9 | A+ | B− | B+ | A+ |
| Oakington | 1,494 | 2.5 | — | A− | A | B+ |
| Girton | 4,384 | 2.6 | A+ | C+ | A | A+ |
| Highfields Caldecote | 2,049 | 2.9 | — | B− | A− | A+ |
| Longstanton and Northstowe | 5,278 | 3 | A− | A− | C− | B+ |
| Comberton | 2,255 | 3.6 | — | B | B+ | A+ |
Oakington, Highfields Caldecote and Comberton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Dry Drayton
Is Dry Drayton expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £426,250 and detached houses £697,500.
How many listed buildings are there in Dry Drayton?
That is 8.8 times the typical UK town for its size.
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.