Longtown’s story
7 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Longtown’s built-up area.
24% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
LongtownCumbria
A village of 2,176 in Cumbria, North West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Mike Faherty · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,176
Census 2021 · Carlisle council
Median home
£162K
115 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.6
24% are 65+ · Cumbria 23%
Degree level
16%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
17%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Longtown a good place to live?
Longtown has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is walkability (B+): 17% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Its weakest is jobs & income (D): mean household income £37,048; 3.4% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. The median home sold for £162,000 in the last three years, 4 times what households in the Carlisle council area earn in a year.
ONS publishes one rent for all of Cumberland, so this town's Cost Grade uses house prices and council tax only.
What makes Longtown stand out
The 3 things Longtown does most differently from other towns.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Cumbria 28%.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
42% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Household income, against UK towns
Work
Mean, before tax: lower than in 99% of UK towns
ONS small-area income estimates.
How Longtown grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Longtown is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Jobs & incomeDOpen →SafetyDOpen →Hazard risk4.3% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaDOpen →HealthCOpen →WalkabilityB+Open →Cost of livingrent £681 a monthC+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 59% of towns in EnglandBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryB−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 4.3 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsBOpen →Civic life2.3 local charities per 1,000 residents; 100% live within 1 km of a libraryAOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Longtown.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Longtown than in Cumbria’s towns or across England’s towns: 16% of adults
Line up the people of Longtown by age and the one in the middle is 45.6. People 65 and over make up nearly a quarter of the town, close to Cumbria’s towns (23%) and above England’s towns (18%). Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 10% of the town.
45.6median age
LongtownCumbriaEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications30%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level16%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Longtown | Cumbria | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 9.9% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 28% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 30% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.9% | 8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 16% | 28% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cumbria and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsB
School results in Longtown are better than in 61% of towns in England
Below is its only school. 63% of pupils at the one primary school within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town’s primary school has 182 pupils.
BSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longtown Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 182 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Longtown records more burglary and damage per resident than Cumbria’s towns or England’s towns, at 21.9 per 1,000 a year
A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 175 offences in Longtown and 13 cases of nuisance behaviour. Violence came to 43.4 per 1,000 residents a year, above Cumbria’s towns (27) and England’s towns (22) alike.
43.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 4% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual80
Damage & arson33
Public order22
Other theft12
Other crime10
Shoplifting8
Weapons4
Drugs3
Anti-social13
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.
43.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
21.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
175
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Only 76% of people in Longtown say their health is good or very good, fewer than in Cumbria’s towns and across England’s towns
Life expectancy here is 81.2 for women and 80 for men (2019–23). At the census, just over a fifth of people here had a disability, above Cumbria’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%) alike, and on top of that 7% of residents report bad or very bad health. The nearest A&E to Longtown is Cumberland Infirmary, 7.8 miles away.
76%good or very good healthCHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 76%Fair 17%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Longtown | Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 76% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7% | 6.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 20% | 17% |
80
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.2
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Work tends to be further away for Longtown: 22% commute under 5 km, below Cumbria’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 14% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
There are 0.8 jobs in Longtown for each resident in work. 81% of commuters drove, higher than both Cumbria’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%). Work in town: just over a tenth of resident commuters.
17%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving81%
On foot11%
Bus4%
Bicycle1%
22%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
14%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£37K
mean household income, before tax
3.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B+
Walkability: more walkable than 66% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C+
Longtown gets a C+ for cost of living grade
21% rent privately, about level with England’s towns (21%) and above Cumbria’s towns (15%). Half of the 115 standard sales inside Longtown’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £162,000. Owners make up three in five households.
£162Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Longtown£162K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £220,000 | 34 |
| Semi-detached | £157,500 | 48 |
| Terraced | £110,000 | 33 |
60%
of households own their home · England 61%
21%
rent privately · England 21%
£681
average private rent a month, Cumberland council area
£2,560
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
Longtown’s listed buildings: 7, all Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up nearly a quarter of the total, lower than Cumbria’s towns (28%) yet higher than England’s towns (16%). Longtown has 32 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents.
7listed buildingsB−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II7
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
24%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
32
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Longtown
14pages on Longtown
The big questions
SafetyD43.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £162K · rent £681 a monthHousing39 sold in 12 months · busiest street St Michaels DriveSchoolsB1 state schoolHealthCLife expectancy 80 (men), 81.2 (women)Work & commuteD41% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD4.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Longtown’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
GretnaHoughtonCarlisleScotbyWarwick BridgeWetheralBramptonLongtown
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longtown | 2,176 | — | — | C+ | D | C |
| Gretna | 3,435 | 4.1 | — | A+ | — | C+ |
| Houghton | 1,486 | 6.2 | — | D | A | B+ |
| Carlisle | 77,729 | 8.4 | D | C+ | D | D |
| Scotby | 1,830 | 9 | — | D− | A+ | A− |
| Warwick Bridge | 1,232 | 9.3 | — | D | B+ | A− |
| Wetheral | 1,129 | 10 | — | D− | A | A+ |
| Brampton | 4,187 | 10 | C− | C− | D | C+ |
Houghton, Scotby, Warwick Bridge and Wetheral have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Longtown
Is Longtown safe?
Police recorded 175 crimes inside Longtown’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 46% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking. Burglary was rare, with 1 report in the year.
Does Longtown flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Is Longtown expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £162,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £110,000, semi-detached houses £157,500 and detached houses £220,000.
About Longtown
Village in Cumbria, England
Longtown is a built-up area of 2,176 people, in the Carlisle 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
- 2,176 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Carlisle
- County
- Cumbria
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi (1.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000074
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.