Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
1,982 people live in this village in Hertfordshire, East of England.
People here tend to be in good health (A+): life expectancy 83.5 for men, 88.7 for women. Recorded crime is low (A): 9.6 violent and sexual offences and 6.6 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Cost of living is its weak spot: homes sell for a median £580,000, about 8.7 times local household income. Hazard risk is lower than in most UK towns (A).
Figures: life expectancy, ONS · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · flood risk, Environment Agency. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Ashwell has its subject grades alone.
The 3 things Ashwell does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Ashwell is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Ashwell has its subject grades alone.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Historic England lists them inside Ashwell’s built-up area.
30% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ashwell.
At the census, 87% of people in Ashwell called their health good or very good, higher than both Hertfordshire’s towns (85%) and England’s towns (82%). Just over one in ten residents in Ashwell live with a disability. The nearest A&E to Ashwell is Lister Hospital, 8.4 miles away. Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 2.7% of the town.
| Census 2021 | Ashwell | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 85% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.7% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 12% | 14% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
There is one school here; it is shown below. Just over three in five pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town’s primary school has 229 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwell Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 229 | B+ |
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Ashwell’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary, Grade I. Historic England’s list names 69 listed buildings here: 1 Grade I, 7 Grade II*. 30% of its homes were built before 1919, higher than both Hertfordshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (16%).
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 5.9 reports per 1,000, below both Hertfordshire’s towns (14.4) and England’s towns (7.8). The 12 months to August 2026 brought 50 recorded crimes inside Ashwell’s built-up area, and 13 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were just over two fifths of the crimes.
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.
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.
Social housing holds 13% of households, below both Hertfordshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). Half of the 67 standard sales inside Ashwell’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £580,000. Private rents average £1,434 a month across the North Hertfordshire council area.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £855,000 | 29 |
| Semi-detached | £550,000 | 13 |
| Terraced | £350,000 | 17 |
| Flat or maisonette | £201,625 | 8 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 54% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Household income averages £71K a year before tax. The car took just over four in five commuters, higher than both Hertfordshire’s towns (73%) and England’s towns (70%). Home was the main workplace for 54% of workers at the census. 9% of commuters who live in Ashwell also work there.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
A quarter of residents are 65 or over, above both Hertfordshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Residents of Ashwell have a median age of 47.1.
53% women, 47% men
About 89 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.
| Ashwell | Hertfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.6% | 4.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 48% | 39% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Hertfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwell | 1,982 | — | — | C− | A | A+ |
| Baldock | 10,613 | 4 | B+ | B | C | C+ |
| Stotfold | 12,313 | 4 | B+ | B− | B+ | A− |
| Arlesey | 6,027 | 5 | B | A− | B− | B− |
| Bassingbourn | 2,353 | 5 | — | B+ | B− | A |
| Langford | 3,712 | 5.1 | B | B− | B | B |
| Letchworth | 33,993 | 5.2 | C+ | B− | C | C+ |
| Biggleswade | 21,945 | 5.5 | B− | B+ | B− | C+ |
Bassingbourn has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 14.3 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £580,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £201,625, terraced houses £350,000, semi-detached houses £550,000 and detached houses £855,000.
Village in Hertfordshire, England
Ashwell is a built-up area of 1,982 people, in the North Hertfordshire 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
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.