Rainow’s story
28 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Rainow’s built-up area.
46% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
RainowCheshire
A village of 619 in Cheshire, North West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Dave.Dunford · Public domain
Population
619
Census 2021 · Cheshire East council
Median home
£415K
21 sales in 3 years
Median age
47.1
23% are 65+ · Cheshire 21%
Degree level
55%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Rainow a good place to live?
Rainow has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Rainow stand out
The 3 things Rainow does most differently from other towns.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
12% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Cheshire 34%.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Rainow.
Who lives here
Degrees are more common in Rainow than in Cheshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 55% of adults
Aged 15 to 24: 9.7% of residents. 23% of residents are 65 or over, higher than both Cheshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (18%). Children under 15 count for 16% of the people here. At 47.1, the median resident of Rainow sits in the middle of the age range.
47.1median age
RainowCheshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications9%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar13%
Degree level55%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Rainow | Cheshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.7% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 9% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.1% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 55% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cheshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Rainow
Just over three in five pupils at the 8 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The one school in town appears below. GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: 54% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 50.7.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainow Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 194 | B+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Only 12% of commuters in Rainow go to work without a car, fewer than in Cheshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 42% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, 84% of commuters went by car. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 40%, below Cheshire’s towns (43%) and England’s towns (45%) alike. Home was the main workplace for 42% of workers at the census. Of the commuters living in Rainow, 6% work in the town itself.
12%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot9%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
Underground, tram1%
40%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
42%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
1.1%
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 Rainow than in Cheshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 84%
Homes sold for a median £415K, higher than both Cheshire’s towns (£300K) and England’s towns (£308K). 4% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up 11% of households.
£415Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Rainow£415K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £499,950 | 9 |
| Terraced | £306,250 | 10 |
84%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£985
average private rent a month, Cheshire East council area
£2,397
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
Violent crime runs low in Rainow: 11.9 per 1,000 residents a year, under Cheshire’s towns and England’s towns
Just over two thirds of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Over the year to August 2026, 19 offences were reported in Rainow. Homes saw 5.4 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, below both Cheshire’s towns (5.7) and England’s towns (9.4).
11.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual13
Public order3
Damage & arson2
Other theft1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social0
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.
11.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
19
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
Is Rainow a healthy place? 90% of its people say their health is good, above Cheshire’s towns and England’s towns
1.6% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, below Cheshire’s towns (5.4%) and England’s towns (5.2%) alike. Disability touches 11% of Rainow’s population. The nearest A&E to Rainow is Macclesfield District General Hospital, 3.1 miles away.
90%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 90%Fair 8%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | Rainow | Cheshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 90% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.6% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 11% | 18% | 17% |
83.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Old homes shape Rainow: 46% were built before 1919, more than in Cheshire’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Scaled to its population, Rainow has 452 listed buildings per 10,000 people, higher than both Cheshire’s towns (21) and England’s towns (39). This Cheshire town has 28 listed buildings on Historic England’s list, all Grade II. The register of parks and gardens lists one here.
28listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II28
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
46%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
452
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 →Sutton Hall, Sutton Lane Ends and 8 more in and around Rainow
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Rainow. Best known first.
Historic houseSutton Hall, Sutton Lane Ends3.9 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumParadise Mill3 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumWest Park Museum3.3 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumBollington Discovery Centre2.1 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumMacclesfield Silk Museum3 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric siteHistoric site1943 P-47D Thunderbolt 42-7873 crash site4.2 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Sutton Hall, Sutton Lane Ends: Plucas58, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Paradise Mill: Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- West Park Museum: mike porter, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rainow
13pages on Rainow
The big questions
Safety11.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £415K · rent £985 a monthHousing5 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 83.8 (men), 86.6 (women)Work & commute57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Rainow’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BollingtonMacclesfieldPrestburyWhaley BridgePoyntonWoodfordDisleyRainow
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainow | 619 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bollington | 7,236 | 1.4 | A | C+ | A− | B+ |
| Macclesfield | 54,352 | 3 | B− | B | C− | C |
| Prestbury | 2,629 | 3.1 | A− | C− | A− | A+ |
| Whaley Bridge | 4,618 | 4.8 | A− | C+ | B− | A− |
| Poynton | 13,015 | 4.8 | A | C− | A− | A |
| Woodford | 2,241 | 5.2 | — | D− | — | A+ |
| Disley | 3,891 | 5.5 | A | C | A− | A |
Woodford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Woodford has no Safety Grade: Greater Manchester Police doesn’t publish to police.uk. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Rainow
How many listed buildings are there in Rainow?
That is 18.6 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Rainow expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £306,250 and detached houses £499,950. Private rents in the Cheshire East council area averaged £985 a month in August 2026.
About Rainow
Village in Cheshire, England
Rainow is a built-up area of 619 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
- 619 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Cheshire East
- County
- Cheshire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001555
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.