Mossy Lea’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Mossy Lea’s built-up area.
19% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Mossy LeaLancashire
Mortgage-free owners make up 51% of households. In Lancashire, North West, this village has 561 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Colin Pyle · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
561
Census 2021 · West Lancashire council
Median home
£265K
22 sales in 3 years
Median age
53
28% are 65+ · Lancashire 20%
Degree level
37%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Mossy Lea a good place to live?
There are no grades for Mossy Lea: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 7% of commuters. 28% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Mossy Lea stand out
The 3 things Mossy Lea does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
28% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Own outright
Housing
51% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Mossy Lea.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Mossy Lea than in Lancashire’s towns or England’s towns: 13% are under 15
Aged 15 to 24: 7.4% of residents. Line up the people of Mossy Lea by age and the one in the middle is 53. 37% of adults hold a degree, higher than both Lancashire’s towns (29%) and England’s towns (34%).
53median age
Mossy LeaLancashireEngland
Ages · share of residents
28%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar14%
Degree level37%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Mossy Lea | Lancashire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.4% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 36% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 28% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.2% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lancashire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Mossy Lea
At the 10 primary schools within 3 km, nearly two thirds of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below. Secondary results at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 51.3, with 51% at grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrightington Mossy Lea Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 24 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Work tends to be further away for Mossy Lea: 11% commute under 5 km, below Lancashire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 31% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Nearly nine in ten commuters took the car to work at the census. Household income came to £58K a year before tax, higher than both Lancashire’s towns (£48K) and England’s towns (£55K). There are 0.7 jobs in Mossy Lea for each resident in work. About 3% of its commuters stay in Mossy Lea for work.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot4%
Bus2%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
11%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
31%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£58K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
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
More households own their home in Mossy Lea than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns: 82%
Social housing holds 8% of households, below Lancashire’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Renting privately is how nearly one in ten households live. Private rents average £805 a month across the West Lancashire council area.
£265Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Mossy Lea£265K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £500,000 | 7 |
| Semi-detached | £285,000 | 7 |
| Terraced | £196,250 | 6 |
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£805
average private rent a month, West Lancashire council area
£2,453
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
Violence is recorded less often in Mossy Lea than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.6 per 1,000 residents a year
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 5.4 reports per 1,000, below Lancashire’s towns (17.3) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Police recorded 9 crimes inside Mossy Lea’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 2 reports of anti-social behaviour. A third of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
3.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual3
Damage & arson2
Vehicle crime2
Drugs1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
Anti-social2
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.
3.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
9
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
Just 4.8% of people in Mossy Lea say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Lancashire’s towns and across England’s towns
There is no GP practice in Mossy Lea: the nearest is 1.8 miles off. At the census, 17% of people here had a disability, about level with England’s towns (17%) and below Lancashire’s towns (20%). The nearest A&E to Mossy Lea is Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, 4.5 miles away.
82%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Mossy Lea | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.8% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 20% | 17% |
82.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86
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.
History
More of the land in Mossy Lea 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.
Every one of Mossy Lea’s 2 listed buildings sits at Grade II, the most common listing. 19% of its homes were built before 1919, lower than Lancashire’s towns (23%) yet higher than England’s towns (16%). For its size, Mossy Lea has 36 listed buildings per 10,000 residents.
2listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
19%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
36
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 Mossy Lea
12pages on Mossy Lea
The big questions
Safety3.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £265K · rent £805 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street Mossy Lea RoadSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82.7 (men), 86 (women)Work & commute49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Mossy Lea’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Shevington MoorCoppullAppley BridgeStandishCharnock RichardShevingtonEcclestonMossy Lea
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mossy Lea | 561 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Shevington Moor | 2,717 | 1.2 | — | C+ | — | B− |
| Coppull | 8,303 | 2 | B− | A | B− | C− |
| Appley Bridge | 5,131 | 2 | — | C+ | — | B |
| Standish | 12,937 | 2.3 | — | B− | — | B− |
| Charnock Richard | 1,098 | 2.4 | — | B+ | D | B |
| Shevington | 5,315 | 2.6 | — | B | — | C+ |
| Eccleston | 4,543 | 2.8 | A | B+ | B+ | B+ |
Charnock Richard has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Shevington Moor, Appley Bridge, Standish and Shevington have no Safety Grade: Greater Manchester Police doesn’t publish to police.uk. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Mossy Lea
Is Mossy Lea expensive to live in?
Close to the typical UK town: the median sale over three years was £265,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £196,250, semi-detached houses £285,000 and detached houses £500,000.
How many listed buildings are there in Mossy Lea?
2 on Historic England’s list. That is 1.5 times the typical UK town for its size.
About Mossy Lea
Village in Lancashire, England
Mossy Lea is a built-up area of 561 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
- 561 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Lancashire
- County
- Lancashire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001076
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.