Upper Rissington’s story
No listed buildings inside Upper Rissington’s built-up area
8% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Upper RissingtonGloucestershire
Only 9% of residents are 65 or over. A village of 1,999 in Gloucestershire, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Jonathan Billinger · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,999
Census 2021 · Cotswold council
Median home
£386K
90 sales in 3 years
Median age
38.5
9% are 65+ · Gloucestershire 20%
Degree level
43%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
6%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Upper Rissington a good place to live?
Upper Rissington’s best grade is for schools: primary results beat 94% of towns in England. Walkability is its weak spot — on the way to work, 6% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. The median home sold for £385,750, 6.6 times what households in the Cotswold council area earn in a year. Natural hazards are less of a worry than in most UK towns (A).
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS · flood risk, Environment Agency. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Upper Rissington has its subject grades alone.
Gloucestershire Police published 29 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
How Upper Rissington grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Upper Rissington is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Upper Rissington has its subject grades alone.
WalkabilityNear the bottom of the towns comparedD−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 94% of towns in EnglandA+Open →HealthLife expectancy 83.1 for men, 84.5 for womenAOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SafetyGraded on crime per residentA−Open →Cost of livingRent £1,252 a monthCOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work beat most townsB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsDOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 100% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeAOpen →Civic life2.5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryCOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Upper Rissington stand out
The 3 things Upper Rissington does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
6% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
Only 9% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results beat 94%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Department for Education.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Upper Rissington.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Long commutes are the norm in Upper Rissington: just 23% travel under 5 km, below Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
6%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 38% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households take home £60K a year before tax, on average. The car took 93% of commuters, above both Gloucestershire’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (70%). Unemployment benefit claims reached 1.6% of 16 to 64s in 2026.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving93%
On foot3%
Bus1%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
23%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
38%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£60K
mean household income, before tax
1.6%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D−
Walkability: more walkable than 2% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsA+
Upper Rissington’s schools outperform 96% of towns in England on results
A+School Grade
The Rissington School’s results beat 79% of schools in England like it. The one school in town appears below. At the one primary school within 3 km, 73% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rissington SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 256 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
History
Upper Rissington has fewer old homes than Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns: 8% built before 1919
0listed buildingsDHistory Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
The national list protects one ancient monument in Upper Rissington. Historic England’s list has no building inside the town’s built-up area.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
1
scheduled monument
0
registered parks and gardens
8%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Bad health is less common in Upper Rissington than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 1.1% of residents
92%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
Men in Upper Rissington can expect to live to 83.1, women to 84.5 (2019–23). Self-reported good health: 92% of the town’s residents. One in ten residents have a disability, lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). Seeing a GP means leaving Upper Rissington: the nearest practice is 2.4 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 92%Fair 7%Bad or very bad 1%
| Census 2021 | Upper Rissington | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 92% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.1% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 10% | 17% | 17% |
83.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.5
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.
Safety
Upper Rissington records less violent crime per resident than Gloucestershire’s towns or England’s towns, at 9.7 per 1,000 a year
9.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Violence and sexual offences were nearly a quarter of the crimes. Burglary and damage came to 11.2 per 1,000 residents a year, above Gloucestershire’s towns (8.1) and England’s towns (9.4) alike. 25 crimes and 4 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Upper Rissington’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 65% 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 & sexual6
Shoplifting5
Public order4
Burglary4
Other theft2
Vehicle crime2
Drugs1
Other crime1
Anti-social4
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.
9.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
25
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 C
More households own their home in Upper Rissington than in Gloucestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 72%
£386Kmedian sale
9% of households rent from a council or housing body. Private renters make up 14% of households, lower than both Gloucestershire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%). From September 2023 to August 2026, 90 homes sold inside Upper Rissington’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £385,750.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Upper Rissington£386K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £570,000 | 38 |
| Semi-detached | £348,000 | 21 |
| Terraced | £303,000 | 25 |
| Flat or maisonette | £176,750 | 6 |
72%
of households own their home · England 61%
14%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,252
average private rent a month, Cotswold council area
£2,426
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
A town of families: 24% of people in Upper Rissington are under 15, more than in both Gloucestershire’s towns and England’s towns
38.5median age
The 15-to-24 age group makes up 8.8% of residents. Upper Rissington has a median age of 38.5 years. Graduates make up 43% of adults.
Upper RissingtonGloucestershireEngland
Ages · share of residents
9%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications8%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level43%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Upper Rissington | Gloucestershire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 24% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 29% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 9.1% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 7.7% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.8% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 43% | 34% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Gloucestershire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Upper Rissington
14pages on Upper Rissington
The big questions
SafetyA−9.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £386K · rent £1,252 a monthHousing32 sold in 12 months · busiest street Mitchell WaySchoolsA+1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 83.1 (men), 84.5 (women)Work & commuteB+55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Birdland Park and Gardens and 4 more in and around Upper Rissington
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Upper Rissington. Best known first.
ZooBirdland Park and Gardens3.2 km outside town, to the west
MuseumCotswold Motoring Museum & Toy Collection3.6 km outside town, to the westAttractionAttractionReplica Iron Age roundhouse2.8 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttractionThe Model Village3.4 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumThe Old Mill4.6 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Birdland Park and Gardens: David Stowell, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cotswold Motoring Museum & Toy Collection: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Upper Rissington
Village in Gloucestershire, England
Upper Rissington is a built-up area of 1,999 people, in the Cotswold 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
- 1,999 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Cotswold
- County
- Gloucestershire
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004240
Upper Rissington’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Bourton-on-the-WaterStow-on-the-WoldMilton-under-Wychwood and Shipton-under-WychwoodBurfordNorthleachMoreton-in-MarshChipping NortonUpper Rissington
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Rissington | 1,999 | — | — | C | A− | A |
| Bourton-on-the-Water | 4,177 | 2.2 | A− | C− | B− | A |
| Stow-on-the-Wold | 1,907 | 3.9 | — | C− | C+ | B+ |
| Milton-under-Wychwood and Shipton-under-Wychwood | 2,956 | 4.1 | A− | C | B+ | A |
| Burford | 1,522 | 5.6 | — | C | C | A− |
| Northleach | 1,997 | 6.4 | — | C+ | B+ | A− |
| Moreton-in-Marsh | 5,015 | 8 | C+ | C | C+ | B+ |
| Chipping Norton | 6,991 | 8.2 | B | B | C+ | C |
Stow-on-the-Wold, Burford and Northleach have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Upper Rissington
Are schools in Upper Rissington good?
Primary results beat 94% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Gloucestershire council.
Who lives in Upper Rissington?
A young village. At the 2021 Census, 24% of residents were under 15 and 29% were 25 to 44, against 18% and 27% across England’s towns; only 9.1% were 65 or over.
Is Upper Rissington safe?
Against all UK towns, it grades A−.
Is Upper Rissington expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £385,750, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £176,750, terraced houses £303,000, semi-detached houses £348,000 and detached houses £570,000.
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.