Parbold’s story
9 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Parbold’s built-up area.
16% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ParboldLancashire
A village of 2,409 in Lancashire, North West. 12% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: MTRB · Public domain
Population
2,409
Census 2021 · West Lancashire council
Median home
£300K
93 sales in 3 years
Median age
53.2
31% are 65+ · Lancashire 20%
Degree level
48%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Parbold a good place to live?
Parbold has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (A+): 7.8 violent and sexual offences and 4.3 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is hazard risk (D−): 11% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. The median home sold for £300,000 in the last three years, 6.4 times what households in the West Lancashire council area earn in a year.
What makes Parbold stand out
The 3 things Parbold does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
12% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
94%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
Less crime than 94%
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results beat 99%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 5%. Department for Education.
How Parbold grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Parbold is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyA+Open →Hazard riskD−Open →HealthLife expectancy 82.7 for men, 86 for womenAOpen →Jobs & incomeAOpen →Cost of livingrent £805 a monthCOpen →WalkabilityC+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 99% of towns in England; secondary results beat 5% of towns in EnglandB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryC+Open →Outdoors36% live within 400 m of a park; 1.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsDOpen →Civic life4.2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 100% live within 1 km of a libraryA+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Parbold.
Safety
Parbold records less crime per resident than 97% of UK towns
36 crimes and 6 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Parbold’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. 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. Violence and sexual offences made up 47% of the total.
7.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 94% 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
Shoplifting4
Damage & arson4
Public order3
Other theft3
Vehicle crime2
Burglary1
Drugs1
Anti-social6
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.
7.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.3
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)
36
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.
SchoolsB−
School results in Parbold are better than in 53% of towns in England
Attainment 8 at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km averages 39.1, and nearly a quarter of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths. Below are its two schools. Between them, two primaries teach 297 pupils in Parbold.
B−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parbold Douglas Church of England AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 191 | A |
| Our Lady and All Saints Roman Catholic Primary School, ParboldTop results in townPrimary | Primary | 106 | A+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
Health
Just 3.9% of people in Parbold say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Lancashire’s towns and England’s towns
85% of Parbold’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above both Lancashire’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (82%). Disability touches 15% of the town’s population. Also worth knowing: women here live to 86 on average and men to 82.7 (2019–23). One GP practice serves the town; 96% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
85%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Parbold | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.9% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 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 · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
HousingCost of living grade C
Parbold is a town of owners: 86% of households own their home, above Lancashire’s towns and England’s towns
Social housing holds 3% of households. 9% rent privately, below both Lancashire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). Behind the median of £300,000: 93 standard sales inside Parbold’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£300Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Parbold£300K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £485,000 | 31 |
| Semi-detached | £248,750 | 44 |
| Terraced | £230,000 | 13 |
| Flat or maisonette | £220,000 | 5 |
86%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£805
average private rent a month, West Lancashire council area
£2,476
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Only 20% of Parbold’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in Lancashire’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 36% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
36% of workers worked mainly from home at the census. Households had £58K a year before tax, higher than both Lancashire’s towns (£48K) and England’s towns (£55K). Among 16 to 64s, 0.7% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. Work in town: 8% of resident commuters.
12%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot7%
Train3%
Bicycle1%
20%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
36%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£58K
mean household income, before tax
0.7%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 37% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
More of the land in Parbold 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.
Before 1919: that is when 16% of homes were built. Parbold counts 9 listed buildings on the national list (Historic England): 1 Grade II*. It has 37 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents.
9listed buildingsC+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II8
Among them · Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
16%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
37
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Parbold skews older, with 31% of residents 65 or over, more than Lancashire’s towns or England’s towns
Young adults of 15 to 24 are 8.4% of the population, and 14% are under 15, below both Lancashire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). At 53.2, the median resident of Parbold sits in the middle of the age range. Among adults, 48% have a degree.
53.2median age
ParboldLancashireEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level48%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 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.
| Parbold | Lancashire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.4% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 48% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lancashire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Parbold
15pages on Parbold
The big questions
SafetyA+7.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £300K · rent £805 a monthHousing30 sold in 12 months · busiest street BurnsideSchoolsB−2 state schoolsHealthALife expectancy 82.7 (men), 86 (women)Work & commuteA49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD−10.7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Parbold’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Appley BridgeSkelmersdaleBurscoughRuffordShevingtonShevington MoorEcclestonParbold
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parbold | 2,409 | — | — | C | A+ | A |
| Appley Bridge | 5,131 | 2.5 | — | C+ | — | B |
| Skelmersdale | 34,921 | 2.7 | C− | A− | D | D− |
| Burscough | 8,773 | 2.9 | B− | B− | B− | C |
| Rufford | 1,562 | 3.5 | — | C | A | C+ |
| Shevington | 5,315 | 3.6 | — | B | — | C+ |
| Shevington Moor | 2,717 | 3.6 | — | C+ | — | B− |
| Eccleston | 4,543 | 4.3 | A | B+ | B+ | B+ |
Rufford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Appley Bridge, Shevington and Shevington Moor have no Safety Grade: Greater Manchester Police doesn’t publish to police.uk. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Parbold
Does Parbold flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
How much is council tax in Parbold?
Band D council tax in Parbold is £2,476 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.
About Parbold
Village in Lancashire, England
Parbold is a built-up area of 2,409 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
- 2,409 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Lancashire
- County
- Lancashire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (1 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001100
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.