Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
8,773 people live in this town in Lancashire, North West.
Some subjects shine; others lag. Burscough’s overall grade is B−, better than 46% of UK towns. It ranks #25 of 65 in Lancashire. Health outcomes fall short of most towns: life expectancy is 77.2 for men and 81.8 for women. Natural hazards are few (A). The median home sold for £260,000, 5.5 times what households in the West Lancashire council area earn in a year. Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for safety, B− for schools, B− for jobs & income and C+ for walkability.
Figures: flood risk, Environment Agency · life expectancy and incomes, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · claimants, DWP · commuting, Census 2021.
The thing Burscough 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 Burscough is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Historic England lists 25 buildings inside Burscough’s built-up area, 2 of them Grade II*.
13% 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 Burscough.
3 GP practices serve the town; just over four in five patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey. 5% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, below Lancashire’s towns (6.3%) and close to England’s towns (5.2%). The nearest A&E to Burscough is Ormskirk District General Hospital, 2.7 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Burscough | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 20% | 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.
At the town’s 4 primary schools, 64% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Burscough Bridge Methodist School’s results beat 96% of schools in England like it. GCSE results at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km: 38% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 42.4.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burscough Village Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 223 | A− |
| Burscough Priory AcademyLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 729 | C |
| Burscough Bridge Methodist SchoolTop results in townPrimary | Primary | 41 | A+ |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 26% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households had £48K a year before tax, near Lancashire’s towns (£48K) and lower than England’s towns (£55K). 85% of commuters took the car to work at the census. For just over a third of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II* covers 2 of them. Homes from before 1919 make up 13% of the total. Burscough counts 25 listed buildings on the national list (Historic England): 2 Grade II*.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Homes see 7.8 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 500 crimes and 165 reports of anti-social behaviour inside Burscough’s built-up area. Of all the crimes, 51% were violence and sexual offences. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 19.8 reports per 1,000, above Lancashire’s towns (17.2) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
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.
11% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up 14% of households, below both Lancashire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). Behind the median of £260,000: 560 standard sales inside Burscough’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £385,000 | 203 |
| Semi-detached | £235,000 | 222 |
| Terraced | £207,500 | 83 |
| Flat or maisonette | £158,500 | 52 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Under-15s account for 16% of the population. Young adults of 15 to 24 are just over one in ten residents, below Lancashire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Half the people of Burscough are older than 44.8.
52% women, 48% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Burscough | Lancashire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.3% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 33% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lancashire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Burscough. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustRufford Old Hall3 km outside town, to the northeastZooZooWindmill Animal Farm2.6 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttractionCedar Farm4.2 km outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
25 listed buildings in Burscough.
Railway Bridge over Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Ainscough's Mill: Photo: Dave Bevis · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Burscough Bridge Railway Station Building on North Side of Track: Photo: David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Leeds and Liverpool Canal Top Locks, Upper Lock (That Part in Burscough) Top Locks, Upper Lock (That Part in Lathom): Photo: David Haworth · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Martin Lane Bridge: Photo: Chris Denny · CC BY-SA 2.0
5 notable people were born in Burscough.
Mark Beesley: Mattythewhite, CC BY-SA 3.0
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burscough | 8,773 | — | B− | B− | B− | C |
| Rufford | 1,562 | 2.3 | — | C | A | C+ |
| Parbold | 2,409 | 2.9 | — | C | A+ | A |
| Ormskirk | 27,720 | 3.2 | A− | B− | B | C+ |
| Skelmersdale | 34,921 | 4.4 | C− | A− | D | D− |
| Croston | 2,793 | 5.3 | A− | B+ | B | C+ |
| Appley Bridge | 5,131 | 5.4 | — | C+ | — | B |
| Eccleston | 4,543 | 5.8 | A | B+ | B+ | B+ |
Rufford and Parbold have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Appley Bridge has no Safety Grade: Greater Manchester Police doesn’t publish to police.uk. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Band D council tax in Burscough is £2,475 for 2026–27, more than in 58% 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.
Town in Lancashire, England
Burscough is a built-up area of 8,773 people, in the West Lancashire 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.