Holmeswood’s story
No listed buildings inside Holmeswood’s built-up area
16% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HolmeswoodLancashire
This village in Lancashire, North West has a population of 350.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Small-town hero · Public domain
Population
350
Census 2021 · West Lancashire council
Median home
£435K
12 sales in 3 years
Median age
53.3
27% are 65+ · Lancashire 20%
Degree level
34%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Holmeswood a good place to live?
Holmeswood is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. Just over one in ten commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. 59% of households own their home outright. Over-65s are 27% of the population.
What makes Holmeswood stand out
The 3 things Holmeswood does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Holmeswood.
Who lives here
Children make up only 11% of Holmeswood, fewer than in Lancashire’s towns and across England’s towns
27% of residents are 65 or over, above Lancashire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Half the people of Holmeswood are older than 53.3. Graduates make up just over a third of adults.
53.3median age
HolmeswoodLancashireEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level34%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
About 108 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Holmeswood | Lancashire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 35% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.5% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lancashire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Holmeswood
The town has one school, shown below. At the 3 primary schools within 3 km, nearly two thirds of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). 55 pupils attend Holmeswood’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holmeswood Methodist SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 55 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Under 5 km to work: 27% in Holmeswood, fewer than in Lancashire’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Working mainly from home: just over a third of workers, higher than both Lancashire’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (31%). By car: that was how 86% of commuters travelled at the census. Among 16 to 64s, 1.1% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
12%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot8%
Train2%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
Underground, tram1%
27%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£44K
mean household income, before tax
1.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
A home in Holmeswood sells for £435K, more than in Lancashire’s towns and across England’s towns
Owners make up just over nine in ten households, above Lancashire’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. 3% of households live in social housing. Private tenants account for 5% of households.
£435Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Holmeswood£435K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £620,000 | 8 |
91%
of households own their home · England 61%
5%
rent privately · England 21%
£805
average private rent a month, West Lancashire council area
£2,481
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Burglary and damage are rarer in Holmeswood than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns: 1 per 1,000 residents a year
Per 1,000 residents, 8.6 violent crimes are recorded each year. Over the year to August 2026, 2 offences were reported in Holmeswood. There were 2.9 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below Lancashire’s towns (17.3) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 100% of recorded crime.
8.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual2
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social0
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.
8.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
2
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.
Health
In Holmeswood, 82% say their health is good or very good
There is no GP practice in Holmeswood: the nearest is 2.6 miles off. At the census, 5.1% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. 19% of residents have a disability, below Lancashire’s towns (20%) but above England’s towns (17%).
82%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Holmeswood | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.1% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 20% | 17% |
78.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More of the land in Holmeswood is conservation area than in Lancashire’s towns or England’s towns: 100%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes built before 1919 account for 16% of the housing. Historic England’s list has no building inside Holmeswood’s built-up area.
0listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
16%
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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Holmeswood
13pages on Holmeswood
The big questions
Safety8.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £435K · rent £805 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 months · busiest street Holmeswood RoadSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 78.3 (men), 82.9 (women)Work & commute51% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Holmeswood’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
RuffordBurscoughBanksTarleton and Hesketh BankCrostonWymottParboldHolmeswood
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holmeswood | 350 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rufford | 1,562 | 1.7 | — | C | A | C+ |
| Burscough | 8,773 | 3.2 | B− | B− | B− | C |
| Banks | 4,439 | 3.3 | C | B | B+ | C |
| Tarleton and Hesketh Bank | 8,756 | 3.6 | B+ | C+ | A− | B+ |
| Croston | 2,793 | 3.7 | A− | B+ | B | C+ |
| Wymott | 2,092 | 5.1 | — | A− | B | C− |
| Parbold | 2,409 | 5.2 | — | C | A+ | A |
Rufford, Wymott and Parbold have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Holmeswood
Is Holmeswood expensive to live in?
Private rents in the West Lancashire council area averaged £805 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Holmeswood?
Band D council tax in Holmeswood is £2,481 for 2026–27, more than in 60% 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.
About Holmeswood
Village in Lancashire, England
Holmeswood is a built-up area of 350 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
- Population
- 350 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Lancashire
- County
- Lancashire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001016
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.