Hough’s story
2 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Hough’s built-up area.
19% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HoughCheshire
A village of 744 in Cheshire, North West. 54% of households own their home with no mortgage.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Mike Harris · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
744
Census 2021 · Cheshire East council
Median home
£330K
31 sales in 3 years
Median age
54.7
31% are 65+ · Cheshire 21%
Degree level
36%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Hough a good place to live?
There are no grades for Hough: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 5% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Over-65s are 31% of the population.
What makes Hough stand out
The 3 things Hough does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
31% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Own outright
Housing
54% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hough.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Hough than in Cheshire’s towns or England’s towns: 11% are under 15
People 65 and over make up 31% of the town, higher than both Cheshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (18%). Young adults of 15 to 24 are 6.7% of the population. The age that splits Hough in two is 54.7. 36% of adults hold a degree.
54.7median age
HoughCheshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level36%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Hough | Cheshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.7% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.3% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 36% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cheshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
The car carries 94% of commuters in Hough, more than in Cheshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 41% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
1.3% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, below Cheshire’s towns (1.8%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. For 28% of commuters, work was under 5 km away. The average household earns £69K a year before tax.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving94%
Train2%
On foot1%
Bicycle1%
28%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
41%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£69K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
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
Most households in Hough own their home: 86%, more than in Cheshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Social housing holds 4% of households, below Cheshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private renters make up 9% of households. The median sale, £330,000, comes from 31 standard sales inside Hough’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
£330Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Hough£330K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £335,000 | 27 |
86%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£985
average private rent a month, Cheshire East council area
£2,400
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
Hough records less burglary and damage per resident than Cheshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 4 per 1,000 a year
Violence and sexual offences were 67% of the crimes. Over the year to August 2026, 12 offences were reported in Hough, along with 1 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Violent crime ran at 13.4 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Cheshire’s towns (20.6) and England’s towns (22).
13.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual8
Damage & arson1
Other theft1
Burglary1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
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.
13.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
12
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
Just 4% of people in Hough say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Cheshire’s towns and across England’s towns
At the census, 15% of people here had a disability, lower than both Cheshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). Hough has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.3 miles away. The nearest A&E to Hough is Leighton Hospital, 4.8 miles away.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Hough | Cheshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
81.7
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 · Young towns look healthier on these answers, which aren’t adjusted for age; the Health Grade uses measures that are, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Hough’s listed buildings include Gates, Piers, Screen and Wall at Hough Gates, Grade II*
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Hough’s land, 100% lies in conservation areas, near Cheshire’s towns (100%) and higher than England’s towns (7%). Nearly a fifth of homes were built before 1919.
2listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*2
Grade II0
Among them · Grade II*
- Gates, Piers, Screen and Wall at Hough Gates Grade II*
- Hough Hall Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
19%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
27
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Crewe Heritage Centre and 2 more in and around Hough
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Hough. Best known first.
MuseumCrewe Heritage Centre4 km outside town, to the north · 30K visitors a year
MuseumEnglesea Brook Museum of Methodism3.4 km outside town, to the eastHistoric siteHistoric siteAPT-P4 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Crewe Heritage Centre: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Englesea Brook Museum of Methodism: Adrian Bailey, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hough
13pages on Hough
The big questions
Safety13.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £330K · rent £985 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.7 (men), 83.3 (women)Work & commute53% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.6% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Hough’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ShavingtonWillaston (Cheshire East)CreweHaslingtonNantwichWinterleyAudleyHough
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hough | 744 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Shavington | 4,972 | 1 | B | B+ | B | B |
| Willaston (Cheshire East) | 3,653 | 2.4 | A− | B | B+ | B+ |
| Crewe | 74,116 | 3.1 | C− | A− | D | D |
| Haslington | 5,042 | 3.4 | A− | B | A− | B− |
| Nantwich | 18,741 | 3.9 | B− | B | C− | C+ |
| Winterley | 1,371 | 4.5 | — | C | A− | B |
| Audley | 1,984 | 5.1 | — | A− | C | C− |
Winterley and Audley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Hough
Who lives in Hough?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 31% of residents were 65 or over and 31% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 11% were under 15.
Is Hough expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £330,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the Cheshire East council area averaged £985 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Hough?
Band D council tax in Hough is £2,400 for 2026–27, less than in 58% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Hough
Village in Cheshire, England
Hough is a built-up area of 744 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
- 744 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Cheshire East
- County
- Cheshire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001863
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.