Buxton grades C overall against UK towns: better than 26% of UK towns, and #47 of 59 in Derbyshire. Its strongest subject is walkability (A): 24% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Its weakest is safety (D): 43.8 violent and sexual offences and 14.1 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Among UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people, it has less crime per resident than 25%. The median home sold for £240,000 in the last three years, 4.7 times what households in the High Peak council area earn in a year.

StrongestAWalkabilityWeakestDSafety C⁻Schools

What makes Buxton stand out

The 3 things Buxton does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Homes built before 1919

History

35% of homes built before 1919

Against 15% in the typical UK town

Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

23% are 65 or over

Against 18% across England’s towns

Own outright

Housing

40% own outright

of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)

66% own their home in all.

How Buxton grades

Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Buxton is from typical. American towns are graded separately.

How grading works

WalkabilityAOpen →SafetyDOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 33% of towns in England; secondary results beat 18% of towns in EnglandC⁻Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £47,192; 3.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC⁻Open →HealthLife expectancy 78.1 for men, 81.8 for womenCOpen →Cost of livingrent £937 a monthB⁺Open →Hazard risk0.8% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC⁺Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

HistoryAOpen →Outdoors86% live within 400 m of a park; 61% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeAOpen →Civic life2.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 48% live within 1 km of a libraryA⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

The Crescent, Buxton, Derbyshire, c. 1766 · Photo: Daniel Orme · Public domain

Buxton’s story

Buxton in pictures

Historic England lists 101 buildings inside Buxton’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade I, and 2 scheduled monuments.

35% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.

The archive holds 8 old photos and postcards going back to 1766.

c. 1853Buxton Thermal Baths by Henry Currey 1853
c. 1890Buxton, Ashwood Dale, Derbyshire, England
c. 1890Buxton, Chee Dale, Derbyshire, England

Explore the history →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Buxton.

History

Buxton keeps more of its old housing than Derbyshire or England’s towns: 35% built before 1919

The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.

For Buxton, that is above both Derbyshire’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (16%). Buxton’s listed buildings include The Crescent, Grade I. Buxton has 101 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 7 Grade II*.

101listed buildingsAHistory Grade

Listed buildings by grade · Historic England

Grade I1

Grade II*7

Grade II93

Among them · Grade I

The Crescent Grade I

scheduled monuments

registered parks and gardens

35%

of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%

listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24

Full pageBuxton’s history pageOpen the page

Homes by age35% built before 1919 · Older homes Listed buildings101 listed buildings Vs. the neighboursAhead of 6 of its 7 graded neighbours Questions“How many listed buildings are there in Buxton?”

Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL

SchoolsC⁻

Results at Buxton’s schools trail 80% of towns in England

Two of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

C⁻School Grade

School	Level	Pupils	Letter
Burbage Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary	Primary	355	B⁻
Buxton Community SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary	Secondary	954	C⁻

Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 9 schools →

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C⁻

Work is close at hand in Buxton: 56% of commuters travel under 5 km, more than in Derbyshire’s towns or England’s towns

The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 22% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.

Buxton sits above both Derbyshire’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%) on this measure. 74% of commuters drove to work at the census.

24%walk, cycle or ride

How commuters got to work · March 2021

Driving74%

On foot20%

Bus2%

Bicycle1%

Train1%

56%

of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%

22%

worked mainly from home in March 2021

£47K

mean household income, before tax

3.1%

of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)

Walkability: more walkable than 87% of UK towns

Full pageBuxton’s work & commute pageOpen the page

Commute map24% walk, cycle or ride Jobs based here8,250 jobs based here · Health and social care is the biggest, 16%Household income£47K a year · Mean household income Getting to work56% go under 5 km · Short trips to work

ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL

Safety

Buxton has more crime per resident than 86% of UK towns

Town centres with shops, stations and nightlife record more crime per resident: police.uk counts crimes where they happen, not where victims live.

Violent crime ran at 43.8 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Derbyshire’s towns (25.6) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 1,808 crimes inside Buxton’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 276 reports of anti-social behaviour. Among the 645 UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people, Buxton has more crime per resident than 75% of them.

43.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade

Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 25% of the 645 UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.

More crimeLess crime

Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026

Violence & sexual882

Shoplifting217

Public order197

Damage & arson171

Other theft101

Burglary74

Drugs56

Vehicle crime39

Anti-social276

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.

43.8

violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026

14.1

burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026

15.7

anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)

1,808

crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026

Full pageBuxton’s safety reportOpen the page

Safety Grade43.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 · Buxton has more crime per resident than 86% of UK towns Crime by typeViolence & sexual leads Vs. the neighboursAhead of 1 of its 7 graded neighbours Questions“Is Buxton safe?”

data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL

Who lives here

Fewer children live in Buxton than in Derbyshire’s towns or England’s towns: 16% are under 15

That puts Buxton below both Derbyshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). 23% of residents are 65 or over. Buxton has a median age of 47.1.

47.1median age

BuxtonDerbyshireEngland

DerbyshireEngland

Ages · share of residents

23%

Qualifications · residents 16 and older

No qualifications17%

Apprenticeship6%

A levels or similar18%

Degree level33%

Women and men · all residents

51% women, 49% men

About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.

Ages and qualifications in Buxton
	Buxton	Derbyshire	England
Under 15	16%	17%	18%
15–24	11%	11%	12%
25–44	21%	25%	27%
45–64	30%	27%	25%
65+	23%	20%	18%
No qualifications	17%	19%	18%
Apprenticeship	6.1%	6.5%	5.3%
A levels or similar	18%	18%	17%
Degree level	33%	29%	34%

Full pageBuxton’s Who lives here pageOpen the page

Ages47.1 median age · 23% are 65 or over Households9,171 households · 66% own their home Where people were born5.2% born outside the UK Questions“What is the population of Buxton?”

ONS Census 2021 · Derbyshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL

Health

Life expectancy in Buxton is shorter than in 79% of UK towns

Women here live to 81.8 on average and men to 78.1 (2019–23). The nearest A&E to Buxton is Macclesfield District General Hospital, 9.5 miles away. 3 GP practices serve the town; 90% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.

80%good or very good healthCHealth Grade

General health, self-reported

Good or very good 80%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 6%

Census 2021	Buxton	Derbyshire	England
Good or very good health	80%	80%	82%
Bad or very bad health	5.6%	6%	5.2%
Disabled (Equality Act)	20%	20%	17%

78.1

life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)

81.8

life expectancy at birth, women

Full pageBuxton’s health pageOpen the page

Health GradeLife expectancy: women 81.8, men 78.1 Getting care9.5 miles to A&E · Macclesfield District General Hospital GP practices3 GP practices · 90% rate their practice good Census health80% in good health

ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL

HousingCost of living grade B⁺

Buxton gets a B+ for cost of living grade

Social housing holds 14% of households, below both Derbyshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%).

£240Kmedian sale

Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026

Buxton£240K

Typical UK town£277K

By type	Median	Sales
Detached	£395,000	167
Semi-detached	£252,697	324
Terraced	£197,950	221
Flat or maisonette	£165,000	209

66%

of households own their home · England 61%

20%

rent privately · England 21%

£937

average private rent a month, High Peak council area

£2,347

council tax, Band D, 2026–27

Full pageBuxton’s housing & cost pageOpen the page

House pricesMedian sale £240,000 Renting£937 a month · Average private rent Council tax£2,347 Band D · Council tax, 2026–27 Owners and renters66% own their home

HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL

Nearby attractions

Poole's Cavern and 7 more in and around Buxton

Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Buxton. Best known first.

All attractions →

AttractionPoole's Cavernin town

MuseumBuxton Museum and Art Galleryin town Historic siteHistoric site1943 P-47D Thunderbolt 42-7873 crash site5 km outside town, to the west Historic siteHistoric site1943 P-47D Thunderbolt 42-78985 km outside town, to the west Historic siteHistoric site1944 Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman crash site3.9 km outside town, to the west Historic siteHistoric site1944 North American Mk2B FT442 crash site4 km outside town, to the west

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (2)

Poole's Cavern: Dave Pape, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Buxton Museum and Art Gallery: Douglal, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Buxton

15pages on Buxton

The big questions

SafetyD43.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 Cost of livingB⁺Median home £240K · rent £937 a month Housing235 sold in 12 months · busiest street Park Road SchoolsC⁻9 state schools HealthCLife expectancy 78.1 (men), 81.8 (women)Work & commuteC⁻67% of working residents work in the town Flood & hazardsC⁺0.8% of homes at high or medium flood risk

Out and about

OutdoorsA86% live within 400 m of a park AttractionsClimateJuly highs of 18°C (65°F), 1,395 mm of rain a year Weather

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 47.1 · 20,048 people HistoryA101 listed buildings, 1 Grade I Town Hall & politicsCouncil area: High Peak Famous people34 born here, among them Robert Stevenson

Landmarks

101 listed buildings in Buxton, 1 of them Grade I.

All landmarks →

The CrescentGrade I listed

The Opera HouseGrade II* listed

Devonshire Royal HospitalGrade II* listed

The Old Club HouseGrade II listed

Photo credits

The Crescent: Photo: Eugene Birchall · CC BY-SA 2.0 · The Opera House: Photo: Dave Pape · Public domain · Devonshire Royal Hospital: Photo: Colin Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0 · The Old Club House: Photo: Dave.Dunford · CC BY-SA 4.0

Famous people from Buxton

34 notable people were born in Buxton.

See all 34 →

Tim Brooke-TaylorEnglish comedian and actor (1940-2020)

Lloyd ColeEnglish singer and songwriter · born 1961

Andrew BinghamBritish politician (born 1962)

Mick AndrewsEnglish international motorcycle trials rider · born 1944

Dave Lee TravisBritish radio and television presenter · born 1945

David FallowsEnglish musicologist · born 1945

Photo credits

Tim Brooke-Taylor: Ed g2s, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lloyd Cole: Michiel1972, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Andrew Bingham: Andrew Bingham, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mick Andrews: Insomnia Cured Here, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Dave Lee Travis: Brian Milnes, CC BY-SA 3.0 · David Fallows: David Savary, CC BY-SA 4.0

Buxton’s neighbours

The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →

All towns in Derbyshire →

Harpur HillDove HolesChapel-en-le-FrithTideswellChinleyWhaley BridgeFurness ValeBuxton

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	Miles	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Buxton	20,048	—	C	B⁺	D	C
Harpur Hill	1,121	1.4	—	B	D	A
Dove Holes	1,156	3.3	—	B	C⁻	B⁻
Chapel-en-le-Frith	7,235	4.6	B	B	B⁻	B⁻
Tideswell	1,554	5.9	—	A⁻	B⁺	A
Chinley	1,913	5.9	—	C⁺	A⁻	B
Whaley Bridge	4,618	6	A⁻	C⁺	B⁻	A⁻
Furness Vale	1,069	7.3	—	B⁺	A⁻	B⁺

Harpur Hill, Dove Holes, Tideswell, Chinley and Furness Vale have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.

Questions about Buxton

How many listed buildings are there in Buxton?

That is 2.1 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is The Crescent. It also has 2 scheduled monuments.

Is Buxton safe?

Police recorded 1,808 crimes inside Buxton’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 49% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.

Are schools in Buxton good?

GCSE results trail 82% of towns in England, and primary results trail 68% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2).

About Buxton

Large town in Derbyshire, England

Buxton is a built-up area of 20,048 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: 20,048 (Census 2021)
Council: High Peak
County: Derbyshire
Region: East Midlands
Area: 2.1 sq mi (5.3 km²)
ONS code: E63001599

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.