Great Paxton’s story
Historic England lists 10 buildings inside Great Paxton’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade I.
16% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Great PaxtonCambridgeshire
Population 1,003: a village in Cambridgeshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Mark Hurn · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,003
Census 2021 · Huntingdonshire council
Median home
£380K
47 sales in 3 years
Median age
43.9
19% are 65+ · Cambridgeshire 17%
Degree level
41%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Great Paxton a good place to live?
Great Paxton is a safe place by the numbers (A+): 5.7 violent and sexual offences and 6 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Homes sell for a median £380,000, about 6 years of what households in the Huntingdonshire council area earn. Its weakest is walkability (D) — on the way to work, 7% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Natural hazards weigh less here than in most UK towns (A).
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS · flood risk, Environment Agency. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Great Paxton has subject grades but no overall one.
How Great Paxton grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Great Paxton is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyNear the top of the towns comparedA+Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Jobs & income1.4% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsA−Open →Cost of livingRent £1,057 a monthA−Open →HealthLife expectancy 81.9 for men, 83.3 for womenB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 16% of towns in England; secondary results beat 68% of towns in EnglandC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBased on listed places, the town’s age and notable peopleB−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 2.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsBOpen →Civic life3 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Great Paxton stand out
The 3 things Great Paxton does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of Holy Trinity; 4.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
95%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.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Great Paxton.
Safety
Per resident, Great Paxton sees less crime than 97% of UK towns
5.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Violence and sexual offences made up a third of the total. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 18 recorded crimes inside Great Paxton’s built-up area, and 3 reports of anti-social behaviour. Also worth knowing: for its size, Great Paxton records less crime per resident than 95% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 4 reports per 1,000, below Cambridgeshire’s towns (9.3) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 95% 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 & sexual6
Other crime3
Damage & arson2
Public order2
Other theft2
Burglary2
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social3
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.
5.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
18
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.
SchoolsC+
Great Paxton’s schools fall behind 60% of towns in England on results
C+School Grade
Attainment 8 at the one secondary school within 3 km averages 48.2, and 51% of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths. Its only school is listed below. At the 6 primary schools within 3 km, 53% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Paxton CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 73 | C+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Commuters in Great Paxton travel far: only 22% go under 5 km, fewer than in Cambridgeshire’s towns and across England’s towns
7%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 38% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
There are 0.4 jobs in Great Paxton for each resident in work. The car took 90% of commuters, higher than both Cambridgeshire’s towns (72%) and England’s towns (70%). Household income averages £68K a year before tax. Of the commuters living locally, 4% work in the town itself.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot3%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
Bus1%
22%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
38%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£68K
mean household income, before tax
1.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 7% 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 A−
Most households in Great Paxton own their home: 83%, more than in Cambridgeshire’s towns and across England’s towns
£380Kmedian sale
Private renters make up 8% of households, below both Cambridgeshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). 9% of households live in social housing. The median sale, £380,000, comes from 47 standard sales inside Great Paxton’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Great Paxton£380K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £440,000 | 23 |
| Semi-detached | £338,750 | 20 |
83%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,057
average private rent a month, Huntingdonshire council area
£2,515
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
Fewer people in Great Paxton live with a disability than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 11%
88%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
The nearest A&E to Great Paxton is Hinchingbrooke Hospital, 5.2 miles away. At the census, 88% of people in Great Paxton called their health good or very good, higher than both Cambridgeshire’s towns (84%) and England’s towns (82%). Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 2.6% of the town. There is no GP practice locally: the nearest is 2.4 miles off.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Great Paxton | Cambridgeshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.6% | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 11% | 16% | 17% |
81.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.3
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
10 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
10listed buildingsB−History Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Per 10,000 residents, Great Paxton counts 100 listed buildings. The town’s listed buildings include the Church of Holy Trinity, Grade I. Homes from before 1919 make up 16% of the total, higher than Cambridgeshire’s towns (12%) and near England’s towns (16%).
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II9
Among them · Grade I
- Church of Holy Trinity Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
16%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
100
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Great Paxton is a graduates’ town: 41% hold a degree, more than in Cambridgeshire’s towns and across England’s towns
43.9median age
At 43.9, the median resident of Great Paxton sits in the middle of the age range. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 9.3% of residents, below Cambridgeshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. People 65 and over make up nearly a fifth of the town.
Great PaxtonCambridgeshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
19%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level41%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Great Paxton | Cambridgeshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.3% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 28% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 19% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.9% | 5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 41% | 37% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cambridgeshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Great Paxton
14pages on Great Paxton
The big questions
SafetyA+5.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA−Median home £380K · rent £1,057 a monthHousing19 sold in 12 months · busiest street High StreetSchoolsC+1 state schoolHealthB+Life expectancy 81.9 (men), 83.3 (women)Work & commuteA−53% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
About Great Paxton
Village in Cambridgeshire, England
Great Paxton is a built-up area of 1,003 people, in the Huntingdonshire 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
- 1,003 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Huntingdonshire
- County
- Cambridgeshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003318
Great Paxton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Offord D'Arcy and Offord ClunyLittle PaxtonBuckdenSt NeotsBramptonGodmanchesterPapworth EverardGreat Paxton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Paxton | 1,003 | — | — | A− | A+ | B+ |
| Offord D'Arcy and Offord Cluny | 1,385 | 1.6 | — | A | A− | B |
| Little Paxton | 4,031 | 1.7 | A− | A | B | B+ |
| Buckden | 2,757 | 2.6 | B | A− | B | B |
| St Neots | 33,262 | 2.9 | B+ | A | C | B− |
| Brampton | 6,585 | 4.4 | B+ | A− | C+ | B |
| Godmanchester | 7,714 | 4.6 | A− | A− | C+ | B+ |
| Papworth Everard | 3,821 | 4.7 | B+ | A | B | B+ |
Offord D'Arcy and Offord Cluny has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Great Paxton
How many listed buildings are there in Great Paxton?
That is 4.1 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of Holy Trinity.
Is Great Paxton expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £380,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £338,750 and detached houses £440,000. Household incomes are higher than in 86% of UK towns, so cost of living still grades A−.
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.