Rode Heath’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Rode Heath’s built-up area.
15% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Rode HeathCheshire
The village, home to 1,901 people, lies in Cheshire, North West. Over-65s are 26% of the population.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Dave.Dunford · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,901
Census 2021 · Cheshire East council
Median home
£220K
79 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.8
26% are 65+ · Cheshire 21%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Rode Heath a good place to live?
Rode Heath’s standout strength is safety (A−): 17.7 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 2.8 home and vehicle crimes. Schools do well (A−): primary results beat 91% of towns in England; secondary results beat 56% of towns in England. The weak point is walkability (D) — 7% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. A median £220,000 buys a home here, 4.2 times what households in the Cheshire East council area earn in a year. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B for health and B− for jobs & income.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes and life expectancy, ONS · claimants, DWP. Rode Heath is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
What makes Rode Heath stand out
The 3 things Rode Heath does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results beat 91%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 56%. Department for Education.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
26% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Rode Heath grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Rode Heath is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Rode Heath is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SafetyVery little crime by comparisonA−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 91% of towns in England; secondary results beat 56% of towns in EnglandA−Open →Cost of livingRent £985 a monthA−Open →HealthAhead of most towns comparedBOpen →Jobs & incomeAbout average among the towns comparedB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsC−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 0.9 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsCOpen →Civic life1.6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Rode Heath.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Work tends to be further away for Rode Heath: 17% commute under 5 km, below Cheshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 30% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
A household here earns £49K a year before tax, on average. 92% of commuters drove, above Cheshire’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Rode Heath counts 0.2 jobs per working resident. Work in town: 2% of resident commuters.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot5%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
17%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
£49K
mean household income, before tax
2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 6% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsA−
School results in Rode Heath are better than in 77% of towns in England
Rode Heath Primary School’s results beat 98% of schools in England like it. GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: 43% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 48.6. The one school in town appears below. At the 9 primary schools within 3 km, 72% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
A−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rode Heath Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 245 | A+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Who lives here
Rode Heath skews older, with 26% of residents 65 or over, more than in both Cheshire’s towns and England’s towns
31% of adults hold a degree. Children under 15 make up 14%, below Cheshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%) alike, and people aged 15 to 24 make up 9% of the town. Half of Rode Heath is older than 50.8, half younger.
50.8median age
Rode HeathCheshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Rode Heath | Cheshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 26% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.4% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cheshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
History
Rode Heath’s listed buildings: 2, all Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Rode Heath’s land, 100% lies in conservation areas, about level with Cheshire’s towns (100%) and above England’s towns (7%). The town has 11 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. Also worth knowing: homes from before 1919 make up 15% of the total.
2listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
15%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
11
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Crime per resident in Rode Heath is lower than in 81% of UK towns
Police figures for Rode Heath’s built-up area: 61 crimes and 7 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 69% of recorded crime. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Rode Heath has less crime per resident than nearly two thirds of them.
17.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 66% 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 & sexual42
Public order7
Damage & arson5
Burglary2
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Theft from person1
Anti-social7
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.
17.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
61
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.
HousingCost of living grade A−
Rode Heath is a town of owners: 84% of households own their home, above Cheshire’s towns and England’s towns
5% live in social housing, below Cheshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Renting privately is how 11% of households live. Behind the median of £220,000: 79 standard sales inside Rode Heath’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£220Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Rode Heath£220K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £310,000 | 17 |
| Semi-detached | £225,000 | 39 |
| Terraced | £157,000 | 17 |
| Flat or maisonette | £108,975 | 6 |
84%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£985
average private rent a month, Cheshire East council area
£2,424
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
Good or very good health: 82% of Rode Heath’s residents
There is no GP practice in Rode Heath: the nearest is 1.5 miles off. The nearest A&E to Rode Heath is Leighton Hospital, 7.7 miles away. Life expectancy here is 84.4 for women and 81.5 for men (2019–23).
82%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Rode Heath | Cheshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
81.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Little Moreton Hall and 2 more in and around Rode Heath
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Rode Heath. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustLittle Moreton Hall2.7 km outside town, to the northeast
Castle · National TrustMow Cop Castle4.7 km outside town, to the east
CastleRode Hall900 m 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)
- Little Moreton Hall: Christine-Ann Martin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mow Cop Castle: Nmwatson, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Rode Hall: Ian Greig, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rode Heath
14pages on Rode Heath
The big questions
SafetyA−17.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA−Median home £220K · rent £985 a monthHousing18 sold in 12 months · busiest street Sandbach RoadSchoolsA−1 state schoolHealthBLife expectancy 81.5 (men), 84.4 (women)Work & commuteB−44% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Rode Heath’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
AlsagerScholar GreenKidsgroveTalke and Talke PitsHarriseahead, Mow Cop and NewchapelSandbachWinterleyRode Heath
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rode Heath | 1,901 | — | — | A− | A− | B |
| Alsager | 15,504 | 1.5 | B | B | B− | B |
| Scholar Green | 2,095 | 1.6 | — | B− | A− | B |
| Kidsgrove | 15,598 | 2.7 | C− | A− | C | C− |
| Talke and Talke Pits | 3,436 | 3.1 | C | A− | C | C− |
| Harriseahead, Mow Cop and Newchapel | 3,637 | 3.5 | B+ | B+ | B+ | B− |
| Sandbach | 11,289 | 3.6 | B | B | C | C+ |
| Winterley | 1,371 | 3.6 | — | C | A− | B |
Scholar Green and Winterley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Rode Heath
Is Rode Heath safe?
About the middle for its size: 34% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people report less crime per resident. Against all UK towns, it grades A−.
Are schools in Rode Heath good?
Secondary results are closer to the middle, beating 56%. One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Cheshire East council.
Is Rode Heath expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £220,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £108,975, terraced houses £157,000, semi-detached houses £225,000 and detached houses £310,000.
About Rode Heath
Village in Cheshire, England
Rode Heath is a built-up area of 1,901 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
- 1,901 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Cheshire East
- County
- Cheshire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001775
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.