Chelford’s story
No listed buildings inside Chelford’s built-up area
9% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ChelfordCheshire
On the way to work, 11% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. The village has 1,377 residents and lies in Cheshire, North West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Ydam · CC BY 2.5
Population
1,377
Census 2021 · Cheshire East council
Median home
£425K
86 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.2
29% are 65+ · Cheshire 21%
Degree level
48%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Chelford a good place to live?
Chelford’s strongest is safety — 11.6 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 2.7 home and vehicle crimes. School results are strong (A): primary results beat 91% of towns in England. Homes are dear: homes sell for a median £425,000, about 8 times local household income. Natural hazards are less of a worry than in most UK towns (A).
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · flood risk, Environment Agency. Chelford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Chelford stand out
The 3 things Chelford does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
89%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.
Claimant rate, against UK towns
Work
1% claim jobless benefits
of 16 to 64s in 2026: fewer than in 97% of UK towns
DWP claimant count, January to August 2026.
How Chelford grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Chelford is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyVery little crime by comparisonA+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £59,499AOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 91% of towns in EnglandAOpen →HealthLife expectancy 82 for men, 84.2 for womenAOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Cost of livingRent £985 a monthC−Open →WalkabilityBehind most towns comparedCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsD−Open →Outdoors82% live within 400 m of a park; 1.8 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsCOpen →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 Chelford.
History
Chelford has fewer old homes than Cheshire’s towns or England’s towns: 9% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Chelford’s land, 100% lies in conservation areas, close to Cheshire’s towns (100%) and above England’s towns (7%). Historic England’s list has no building inside the town’s built-up area.
0listed buildingsD−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
9%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
SchoolsA
On exam results, Chelford’s schools beat 94% of towns in England
The town has one school, shown below. Key Stage 2 results at the 3 primary schools within 3 km: 72% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
ASchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelford CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 81 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Per resident, Chelford sees less crime than 95% of UK towns
Over the year to August 2026, 27 offences were reported in Chelford, along with 1 incidents of anti-social behaviour. For its size, Chelford records less crime per resident than 89% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people. Violence and sexual offences made up two thirds of the total. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 1.5 reports per 1,000, below both Cheshire’s towns (3.7) and England’s towns (7.8).
11.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 89% 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 & sexual18
Public order3
Damage & arson2
Other theft1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
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.
11.6
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
1.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
27
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
Good or very good health: 82% of Chelford’s residents
Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 4.5% of the town. The nearest A&E to Chelford is Macclesfield District General Hospital, 5.9 miles away. One GP practice serves the town; 99% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
82%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Chelford | Cheshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.5% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
82
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
HousingCost of living grade C−
Private renting is less common in Chelford than in Cheshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 10%
12% live in social housing, below Cheshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. The owner-occupied share of households is 76%. The £425,000 median rests on 86 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£425Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Chelford£425K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £543,750 | 48 |
| Semi-detached | £385,000 | 31 |
76%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£985
average private rent a month, Cheshire East council area
£2,437
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Work tends to be further away for Chelford: 16% commute under 5 km, below Cheshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 50% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Jobs per working resident: 0.5. The car took 87% of commuters, higher than both Cheshire’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (70%), and the census counted half of workers working mainly from home. Of the commuters living in Chelford, 3% work in the town itself.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot6%
Train4%
Bicycle2%
16%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
50%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£59K
mean household income, before tax
1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 34% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
An older town: 29% of people in Chelford are 65 or over, more than in Cheshire’s towns and across England’s towns
7.7% of residents are 15 to 24, below Cheshire’s towns (10%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Under-15s account for 13% of the population. Residents of Chelford have a median age of 48.2.
48.2median age
ChelfordCheshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
29%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship3%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level48%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 87 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.
| Chelford | Cheshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.7% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.1% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 48% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cheshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Capesthorne Hall and 5 more in and around Chelford
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Chelford. Best known first.
Historic houseCapesthorne Hall3.3 km outside town, to the southeast
Historic housePeover Hall3.7 km outside town, to the west
Historic houseAlderley Park2.8 km outside town, to the eastHistoric siteHistoric site · National TrustNether Alderley Mill2.8 km outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionJodrell Bank Discovery Centre3.9 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumMining Museum4.6 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Capesthorne Hall: Mark Percy, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Peover Hall: Iain McDonald, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alderley Park: Jatkinson853, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Chelford
14pages on Chelford
The big questions
SafetyA+11.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £425K · rent £985 a monthHousing30 sold in 12 months · busiest street Dixon DriveSchoolsA1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 82 (men), 84.2 (women)Work & commuteA61% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Chelford’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Alderley EdgeMobberleyKnutsfordGoostreyWilmslowPrestburyHolmes ChapelChelford
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelford | 1,377 | — | — | C− | A+ | A |
| Alderley Edge | 4,496 | 3 | A | C− | C+ | A |
| Mobberley | 1,349 | 3.5 | — | C | A+ | B+ |
| Knutsford | 13,254 | 4.2 | A | C− | B | A |
| Goostrey | 1,952 | 4.2 | — | C− | A+ | A+ |
| Wilmslow | 25,716 | 4.4 | A | C− | B | A+ |
| Prestbury | 2,629 | 5.6 | A− | C− | A− | A+ |
| Holmes Chapel | 6,674 | 5.9 | A | C+ | A− | A |
Mobberley and Goostrey have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Chelford
Are schools in Chelford good?
Primary results beat 91% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Cheshire East council.
Is Chelford expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £425,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £385,000 and detached houses £543,750.
About Chelford
Village in Cheshire, England
Chelford is a built-up area of 1,377 people, in the Cheshire East 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
- 1,377 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Cheshire East
- County
- Cheshire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001572
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.