View of some of the houses in Abbey Square, Chester

Chester, #1 on this list · Photo: Meirion · CC BY-SA 2.0

Cheshire rankings · Walkability

Most walkable towns in Cheshire

Chester ranks first on walkability among Cheshire’s 46 towns of 2,500+; 4 of the 46 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland sits beside each letter. How grades work

Chester

92,756 people

Better than 94% of UK towns·#176 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Crewe

74,116 people

A⁻

Better than 84% of UK towns·#539 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Macclesfield

54,352 people

A⁻

Better than 84% of UK towns·#546 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

All 46 towns, ranked

Walkability grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland links to the national list.

Every town in Cheshire →

Find a town

46 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Chester92,756 peopleA#176 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

2Crewe74,116 peopleA⁻#539 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 84% of UK towns

3Macclesfield54,352 peopleA⁻#546 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 84% of UK towns

4Alderley Edge4,496 peopleA⁻#774 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 77% of UK towns

5Runcorn61,641 peopleB⁺#903 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 73% of UK towns

6Knutsford13,254 peopleB⁺#907 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 73% of UK towns

7Nantwich18,741 peopleB⁺#929 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 72% of UK towns

8Northwich18,646 peopleB⁺#964 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 71% of UK towns

9Widnes59,938 peopleB⁺#1,038 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 69% of UK towns

10Warrington174,968 peopleB#1,197 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 64% of UK towns

11Wilmslow25,716 peopleB#1,237 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 63% of UK towns

12Ellesmere Port65,425 peopleB#1,258 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 62% of UK towns

13Winsford32,522 peopleB#1,261 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 62% of UK towns

14Poynton13,015 peopleB#1,307 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 61% of UK towns

15Holmes Chapel6,674 peopleB⁻#1,497 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 54% of UK towns

16Sandbach11,289 peopleB⁻#1,507 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 54% of UK towns

17Congleton30,001 peopleB⁻#1,564 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

18Frodsham9,101 peopleB⁻#1,574 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 51% of UK towns

19Rudheath4,803 peopleB⁻#1,584 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 51% of UK towns

20Disley3,891 peopleB⁻#1,616 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 50% of UK towns

21Bollington7,236 peopleB⁻#1,659 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 48% of UK towns

22Neston14,963 peopleB⁻#1,663 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 48% of UK towns

23Tarporley3,212 peopleB⁻#1,734 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 45% of UK towns

24Middlewich14,428 peopleC⁺#1,928 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 38% of UK towns

25Helsby5,278 peopleC⁺#1,941 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 37% of UK towns

26Christleton and Waverton2,670 peopleC⁺#1,975 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 36% of UK towns

27Barnton6,245 peopleC⁺#1,980 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 36% of UK towns

28Haslington5,042 peopleC#2,032 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 34% of UK towns

29Weaverham6,266 peopleC#2,066 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 32% of UK towns

30Lostock Gralam2,719 peopleC#2,077 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 32% of UK towns

31Willaston (Cheshire East)3,653 peopleC#2,081 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 31% of UK towns

32Lymm11,547 peopleC#2,100 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 31% of UK towns

33Elworth7,646 peopleC#2,112 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 30% of UK towns

34Davenham13,840 peopleC#2,117 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 30% of UK towns

35Saughall2,655 peopleC#2,132 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 29% of UK towns

36Culcheth6,722 peopleC#2,151 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 28% of UK towns

37Tarvin2,744 peopleC#2,152 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 28% of UK towns

38Burtonwood3,504 peopleC#2,154 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 28% of UK towns

39Cuddington5,860 peopleC#2,184 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 26% of UK towns

40Kelsall2,997 peopleC⁻#2,210 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 24% of UK towns

41Prestbury2,629 peopleC⁻#2,223 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 24% of UK towns

42Elton3,293 peopleC⁻#2,247 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 22% of UK towns

43Hartford6,698 peopleC⁻#2,284 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 20% of UK towns

44Alsager15,504 peopleC⁻#2,310 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 18% of UK towns

45Shavington4,972 peopleC⁻#2,354 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 15% of UK towns

46Pickmere2,800 peopleD⁻#2,494 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 4% of UK towns

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the most walkable town in Cheshire?

Chester ranks first on walkability among 46 towns, with an A: better than 94% of UK towns. Crewe and Macclesfield follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers Cheshire’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in Cheshire is on the county page.

Go deeper

More Cheshire lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Cheshire rankings →

Best places to live46 towns · #1 Kelsall Best small towns26 towns · #1 Kelsall Most affordable towns46 towns · #1 Burtonwood Safest towns46 towns · #1 Pickmere Towns with the best schools46 towns · #1 Kelsall Healthiest towns46 towns · #1 Kelsall Best towns for jobs & income46 towns · #1 Prestbury Towns with the lowest flood risk46 towns · #1 Alderley Edge and 14 more Best towns for the outdoors46 towns · #1 Runcorn Most historic towns46 towns · #1 Disley Towns with the most civic life46 towns · #1 Prestbury Towns with the highest household incomes46 towns · #1 PrestburyDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax46 towns · #1 WidnesDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters46 towns · #1 NorthwichDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers46 towns · #1 CuddingtonDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers46 towns · #1 DisleyDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts46 towns · #1 NorthwichDescribed, no letters Driest towns46 towns · #1 CreweDescribed, no letters Wettest towns46 towns · #1 DisleyDescribed, no letters

Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · 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.