Parson Drove’s story
10 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Parson Drove’s built-up area.
13% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Parson DroveCambridgeshire
Home to 1,197 people, this village lies in Cambridgeshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Tony Bennett · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,197
Census 2021 · Fenland council
Median home
£295K
43 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.2
26% are 65+ · Cambridgeshire 17%
Degree level
19%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
4%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Parson Drove a good place to live?
Parson Drove’s best grade is for safety — 16.7 violent and sexual offences and 7 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. The weak point is jobs & income — the mean household earns £45,894 a year. Most journeys need a car (D−): 4% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It takes 6.4 years of household income in the Fenland council area to buy the median home, at £295,000.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · income, ONS · claimants, DWP · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Parson Drove has its subject grades alone.
What makes Parson Drove stand out
The 3 things Parson Drove does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
4% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 3.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Cambridgeshire 37%.
How Parson Drove grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Parson Drove is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Parson Drove has its subject grades alone.
WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carD−Open →Hazard risk26% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaD−Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedD−Open →Cost of livingIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedC−Open →HealthLife expectancy 78.8 for men, 82.9 for womenC−Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 30% of towns in EnglandCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBased on listed places, the town’s age and notable peopleC+Open →Outdoors60% live within 400 m of a park; 3.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsDOpen →Civic life4.2 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 Parson Drove.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Parson Drove than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 19% of adults
Young adults of 15 to 24 account for nearly a tenth of the town. Just over a quarter of residents are 65 or over, higher than both Cambridgeshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Half of Parson Drove is older than 50.2, half younger.
50.2median age
Parson DroveCambridgeshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications26%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level19%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Parson Drove | Cambridgeshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.5% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 28% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 26% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 26% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.5% | 5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 19% | 37% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cambridgeshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC
Exam results at Parson Drove’s schools trail 74% of towns in England
Below is its only school. 58% of pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). 100 pupils attend Parson Drove’s one primary school.
CSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alderman Payne Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 100 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Work tends to be further away for Parson Drove: 7% commute under 5 km, below Cambridgeshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 24% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Working mainly from home: 24% of workers, below both Cambridgeshire’s towns (34%) and England’s towns (31%). 95% of commuters drove to work at the census. Work in town: 2% of resident commuters. Unemployment benefit claims reached 3.3% of 16 to 64s in 2026.
4%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving95%
On foot3%
Bicycle1%
7%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
24%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£46K
mean household income, before tax
3.3%
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
HousingCost of living grade C−
Few households rent privately in Parson Drove: 9%, fewer than in both Cambridgeshire’s towns and England’s towns
Owners make up 77% of households, above Cambridgeshire’s towns (61%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. 13% of households live in social housing. Private rents average £842 a month across the Fenland council area.
£295Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Parson Drove£295K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £315,000 | 37 |
| Semi-detached | £180,000 | 5 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£842
average private rent a month, Fenland council area
£2,531
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
Bad health is more common in Parson Drove than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 8.4% of residents
At the census, just over a fifth of people here had a disability, above Cambridgeshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. Just over three quarters of people in Parson Drove rate their own health good or very good. Women here live to 82.9 on average and men to 78.8 (2019–23). There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 0.9 miles off.
76%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 76%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Parson Drove | Cambridgeshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 76% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.4% | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 16% | 17% |
78.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
Safety
Per resident, Parson Drove sees less crime than three in four UK towns
The 12 months to August 2026 brought 53 recorded crimes inside Parson Drove’s built-up area, and 8 reports of anti-social behaviour. 55% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 4.2 reports per 1,000, below both Cambridgeshire’s towns (9.3) and England’s towns (7.8).
16.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 55% 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 & sexual29
Damage & arson6
Burglary6
Public order3
Other theft3
Drugs2
Weapons2
Vehicle crime1
Anti-social8
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.
16.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
53
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.
History
Parson Drove has 10 listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Parson Drove’s land, 17% lies in conservation areas, above Cambridgeshire’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (7%) alike. Per 10,000 residents, Parson Drove counts 84 listed buildings.
10listed buildingsC+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II10
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
13%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
84
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 Parson Drove
13pages on Parson Drove
The big questions
SafetyB+16.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £295K · rent £842 a monthHousing11 sold in 12 months · busiest street Main RoadSchoolsC1 state schoolHealthC−Life expectancy 78.8 (men), 82.9 (women)Work & commuteD−43% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD−26.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Parson Drove’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Wisbech St MaryGorefieldLeveringtonWisbechThorneyFriday BridgeSutton St JamesParson Drove
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parson Drove | 1,197 | — | — | C− | B+ | C− |
| Wisbech St Mary | 1,069 | 2.9 | — | C+ | C+ | C− |
| Gorefield | 1,070 | 3.4 | — | C+ | C+ | C |
| Leverington | 1,694 | 4.7 | — | C+ | C | C |
| Wisbech | 26,800 | 5.8 | D− | B− | D | D |
| Thorney | 1,655 | 6.1 | — | B+ | C | C |
| Friday Bridge | 1,411 | 6.2 | — | C+ | C+ | C− |
| Sutton St James | 1,027 | 6.2 | — | C | A+ | C |
Wisbech St Mary, Gorefield, Leverington, Thorney, Friday Bridge and Sutton St James have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Parson Drove
Does Parson Drove flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
How many listed buildings are there in Parson Drove?
That is 3.4 times the typical UK town for its size.
Are schools in Parson Drove good?
Primary results trail 70% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Cambridgeshire council.
About Parson Drove
Village in Cambridgeshire, England
Parson Drove is a built-up area of 1,197 people, in the Fenland 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
- 1,197 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Fenland
- County
- Cambridgeshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002540
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.