Birch Vale’s story
3 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Birch Vale’s built-up area.
65% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Birch ValeDerbyshire
A village of 523 in Derbyshire, East Midlands.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Dave Dunford Dave.Dunford · Public domain
Population
523
Census 2021 · High Peak council
Median home
£275K
31 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.2
24% are 65+ · Derbyshire 20%
Degree level
45%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Birch Vale a good place to live?
Birch Vale has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Birch Vale stand out
The 3 things Birch Vale does most differently from other towns.
Homes built before 1919
History
65% of homes built before 1919
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Own outright
Housing
52% 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 Birch Vale.
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Birch Vale work nearby than in Derbyshire’s towns or England’s towns: 22% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 39% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Birch Vale, that is below both Derbyshire’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%). 9% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot4%
Bicycle2%
Train2%
Bus1%
22%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
39%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£53K
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
Schools
The schools around Birch Vale
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornsett Primary School (High Peak Federation)Largest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 65 | D− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
More households own their home in Birch Vale than in Derbyshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 87%
Birch Vale sits above both Derbyshire’s towns (67%) and England’s towns (61%) on this measure. Social housing holds 0% of households.
£275Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Birch Vale£275K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £500,000 | 7 |
| Semi-detached | £337,000 | 6 |
| Terraced | £222,500 | 18 |
87%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£937
average private rent a month, High Peak council area
£2,438
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
Birch Vale records less burglary and damage per resident than Derbyshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 3.2 per 1,000 a year
That puts Birch Vale below both Derbyshire’s towns (8.9) and England’s towns (9.4). Violent crime runs at 10.8 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 14 crimes inside Birch Vale’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 3 reports of anti-social behaviour.
10.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual8
Public order3
Other theft1
Burglary1
Drugs1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social3
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.
10.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
14
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
Is Birch Vale a healthy place? 85% of its people say their health is good, above Derbyshire’s towns and England’s towns
On this, Birch Vale is above both Derbyshire’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (82%). Birch Vale has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.6 miles away. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
85%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Birch Vale | Derbyshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 20% | 17% |
80.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Birch Vale keeps more of its old housing than Derbyshire or England’s towns: 65% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
In the comparison, Birch Vale comes above both Derbyshire’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (16%). Birch Vale has 3 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
3listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
65%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
57
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Birch Vale than in Derbyshire’s towns or England’s towns: 11% are under 15
People 65 and over make up 24% of the town, above both Derbyshire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for 9.1% of residents. Half the people of Birch Vale are older than 51.2.
51.2median age
Birch ValeDerbyshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level45%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Birch Vale | Derbyshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.1% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 36% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.1% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 45% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Derbyshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Birch Vale
13pages on Birch Vale
The big questions
Safety10.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £275K · rent £937 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street New Mills RoadSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 80.6 (men), 84.6 (women)Work & commute52% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Birch Vale’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HayfieldNew MillsFurness ValeChinleyDisleyWhaley BridgeMarple BridgeBirch Vale
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Vale | 523 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hayfield | 1,878 | 0.8 | — | B− | B | C |
| New Mills | 9,195 | 1.7 | B | B | C+ | C+ |
| Furness Vale | 1,069 | 2.3 | — | B+ | A− | B+ |
| Chinley | 1,913 | 2.9 | — | C+ | A− | B |
| Disley | 3,891 | 3.2 | A | C | A− | A |
| Whaley Bridge | 4,618 | 3.6 | A− | C+ | B− | A− |
| Marple Bridge | 4,702 | 3.8 | — | D− | — | A+ |
Hayfield, Furness Vale and Chinley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Marple Bridge has no Safety Grade: Greater Manchester Police doesn’t publish to police.uk. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Birch Vale
How many listed buildings are there in Birch Vale?
3 on Historic England’s list. That is 2.4 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Birch Vale?
Band D council tax in Birch Vale is £2,438 for 2026–27, less than in 51% 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 Birch Vale
Village in Derbyshire, England
Birch Vale is a built-up area of 523 people, in the High Peak 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
- 523 (Census 2021)
- Council
- High Peak
- County
- Derbyshire
- Region
- East Midlands
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001419
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.