Brinscall’s story
Old homes in Brinscall: 31% built before 1919
31% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BrinscallLancashire
Population 1,332: a village in Lancashire, North West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Chris Heaton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,332
Census 2021 · Chorley council
Median home
£290K
49 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.3
26% are 65+ · Lancashire 20%
Degree level
42%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Brinscall a good place to live?
Brinscall’s standout strength is safety (A−) — police record 13.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 6.5 home and vehicle crimes. Walkability is its weak spot (C): one in ten commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Homes sell for a median £290,000, about 5.9 years of what households in the Chorley council area earn. Hazard risk is lower than in most UK towns (A).
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS · flood risk, Environment Agency. Brinscall is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
What makes Brinscall stand out
The 3 things Brinscall does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
31% of homes built before 1919
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Claimant rate, against UK towns
Work
of 16 to 64s in 2026: fewer than in 99% of UK towns
DWP claimant count, January to August 2026.
How Brinscall grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Brinscall is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Brinscall is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SafetyVery little crime by comparisonA−Open →Jobs & incomeAmong the best of the towns comparedA−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 74% of towns in EnglandA−Open →HealthLife expectancy 80.9 for men, 84.4 for womenA−Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carCOpen →Cost of livingHomes are easier to afford than in most townsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsC−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 3.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsAOpen →Civic life2.3 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryCOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Brinscall.
Safety
Per resident, Brinscall sees less crime than four in five UK towns
Of all the crimes, 45% were violence and sexual offences. Over the year to August 2026, 38 offences were reported in Brinscall, along with 24 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Brinscall has less crime per resident than just over two thirds of them.
13.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 68% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual17
Damage & arson8
Vehicle crime5
Other theft3
Other crime2
Public order1
Burglary1
Bicycle theft1
Anti-social24
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.
13.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
23.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
38
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.
SchoolsA−
Exam results at Brinscall’s schools top 78% of towns in England
Below is its only school. At the 6 primary schools within 3 km, 66% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town’s primary school has 183 pupils.
A−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brinscall St John's CofE and Methodist Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 183 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
History
Brinscall keeps more of its old housing than Lancashire’s towns or England’s towns: 31% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list has no building inside Brinscall’s built-up area.
0listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
31%
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
Is Brinscall a healthy place? 85% of its people say their health is good, above Lancashire’s towns and England’s towns
There is no GP practice in Brinscall: the nearest is 0.5 miles off. 16% of residents have a disability, below Lancashire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 5.1% of the town.
85%good or very good healthA−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Brinscall | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.1% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 20% | 17% |
80.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.4
life expectancy at birth, women
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Work tends to be further away for Brinscall: 15% commute under 5 km, below Lancashire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 33% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households take home £57K a year before tax, on average. 88% of commuters drove, above both Lancashire’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (70%). In 2026, 0.9% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot7%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
15%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
33%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£57K
mean household income, before tax
0.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 29% 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 B
Private renting is less common in Brinscall than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns: 9%
83% of households own their home, above Lancashire’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. Social renters account for 7% of households. Private rents average £798 a month across the Chorley council area.
£290Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Brinscall£290K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £335,000 | 27 |
| Semi-detached | £240,000 | 5 |
| Terraced | £189,997 | 16 |
83%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£798
average private rent a month, Chorley council area
£2,431
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
Brinscall is a graduates’ town: 42% hold a degree, more than in Lancashire’s towns or England’s towns
People 65 and over make up just over a quarter of the town, above Lancashire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Young adults of 15 to 24 account for nearly a tenth of the town. Brinscall has a median age of 49.3 years. The under-15s are 16% of the population here.
49.3median age
BrinscallLancashireEngland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level42%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 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.
| Brinscall | Lancashire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.1% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 26% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.2% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 42% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lancashire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brinscall
13pages on Brinscall
The big questions
SafetyA−13.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingBMedian home £290K · rent £798 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street School LaneSchoolsA−1 state schoolHealthA−Life expectancy 80.9 (men), 84.4 (women)Work & commuteA−48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Brinscall’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Whittle-le-WoodsChorleyGregson LaneDarwenCoup GreenEuxtonBamber BridgeBrinscall
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brinscall | 1,332 | — | — | B | A− | A− |
| Whittle-le-Woods | 4,388 | 2.9 | A− | B | B− | B+ |
| Chorley | 39,539 | 3.6 | B− | A | D | D |
| Gregson Lane | 2,073 | 3.7 | — | A | A− | B+ |
| Darwen | 27,897 | 4.2 | D | B+ | D | D |
| Coup Green | 1,208 | 4.2 | — | A− | A− | B+ |
| Euxton | 17,519 | 4.3 | A | A | B | B− |
| Bamber Bridge | 40,359 | 4.7 | C+ | A | C | C |
Gregson Lane and Coup Green have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Brinscall
Are schools in Brinscall good?
Primary results beat 74% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Lancashire council.
Does Brinscall flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Brinscall
Village in Lancashire, England
Brinscall is a built-up area of 1,332 people, in the Chorley 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
- 1,332 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chorley
- County
- Lancashire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000962
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.