Looking across Market Street into Chapel Street

Chorley, #1 on this list · Photo: Ann Cook · CC BY-SA 2.0

Lancashire rankings · Cost of living

Most affordable towns in Lancashire

Chorley ranks first on cost of living among Lancashire’s 65 towns of 2,500+; 11 of the 65 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The Cost of living Grade: the median sale price (Land Registry), a year’s private rent (ONS) and Band D council tax with the parish precept, each against the mean household income of the town’s council area. The rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland sits beside each letter. How grades work

Chorley

39,539 people

Homes cost 3.6 years of area income·#254 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Longridge

8,739 people

Homes cost 4.4 years of area income·#293 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Clitheroe

16,626 people

Homes cost 4.6 years of area income·#306 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

All 65 towns, ranked

Cost of living grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland links to the national list.

Every town in Lancashire →

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65 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Chorley39,539 peopleA#254 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.6 years of area income

2Longridge8,739 peopleA#293 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.4 years of area income

3Clitheroe16,626 peopleA#306 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.6 years of area income

4Coppull8,303 peopleA#334 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.9 years of area income

5Bamber Bridge40,359 peopleA#343 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.9 years of area income

6Leyland39,281 peopleA#364 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.1 years of area income

7Adlington8,777 peopleA#372 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.4 years of area income

8Euxton17,519 peopleA#435 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.5 years of area income

9Penwortham20,489 peopleA⁻#498 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.5 years of area income

10Skelmersdale34,921 peopleA⁻#507 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.1 years of area income

11Padiham10,121 peopleA⁻#693 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 2.8 years of area income

12Burnley78,266 peopleB⁺#778 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.3 years of area income

13Croston2,793 peopleB⁺#795 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 5.3 years of area income

14Preston94,502 peopleB⁺#841 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.0 years of area income

15Farington Moss2,692 peopleB⁺#852 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 5.2 years of area income

16Nelson33,808 peopleB⁺#857 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 2.3 years of area income

17Darwen27,897 peopleB⁺#861 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.3 years of area income

18Eccleston4,543 peopleB⁺#929 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 5.6 years of area income

19Longton10,912 peopleB⁺#954 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 5.5 years of area income

20Church5,030 peopleB⁺#992 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.1 years of area income

21Colne18,914 peopleB⁺#999 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.4 years of area income

22Accrington34,897 peopleB⁺#1,023 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.3 years of area income

23Blackburn124,958 peopleB#1,050 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.0 years of area income

24Barnoldswick10,915 peopleB#1,062 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.7 years of area income

25Rishton6,653 peopleB#1,080 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.5 years of area income

26Bacup13,559 peopleB#1,083 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.3 years of area income

27Oswaldtwistle10,810 peopleB#1,086 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.6 years of area income

28Great Harwood11,022 peopleB#1,104 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.6 years of area income

29Earby4,416 peopleB#1,129 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.9 years of area income

30Banks4,439 peopleB#1,156 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.8 years of area income

31Whittle-le-Woods4,388 peopleB#1,190 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 6.1 years of area income

32Clayton-le-Moors7,969 peopleB#1,206 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.9 years of area income

33Brierfield10,723 peopleB#1,239 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.2 years of area income

T34Fleetwood26,224 peopleB#1,265 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 3.3 years of area income

T34Haslingden16,005 peopleB#1,265 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.0 years of area income

36Barrowford5,887 peopleB#1,284 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.4 years of area income

37Wesham4,474 peopleB#1,298 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.1 years of area income

38Whalley3,411 peopleB⁻#1,326 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 7.4 years of area income

39Freckleton4,478 peopleB⁻#1,353 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.3 years of area income

40Whitworth6,713 peopleB⁻#1,358 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.2 years of area income

T41Fulwood34,693 peopleB⁻#1,381 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.8 years of area income

T41Rawtenstall23,683 peopleB⁻#1,381 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.4 years of area income

43Cleveleys11,121 peopleB⁻#1,433 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.2 years of area income

44Kirkham8,939 peopleB⁻#1,442 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.4 years of area income

45Burscough8,773 peopleB⁻#1,468 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 5.5 years of area income

46Ormskirk27,720 peopleB⁻#1,471 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 5.6 years of area income

47Thornton19,263 peopleB⁻#1,485 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.3 years of area income

48Lancaster52,646 peopleB⁻#1,528 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.1 years of area income

49Preesall and Knott End-on-Sea4,679 peopleC⁺#1,535 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.4 years of area income

50Warton (Fylde)4,180 peopleC⁺#1,576 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.8 years of area income

51Heysham16,593 peopleC⁺#1,603 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.2 years of area income

52Morecambe32,745 peopleC⁺#1,648 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.2 years of area income

53Tarleton and Hesketh Bank8,756 peopleC⁺#1,669 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 5.9 years of area income

54Carnforth5,852 peopleC⁺#1,690 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.3 years of area income

55Lytham St Anne's42,693 peopleC#1,800 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 5.4 years of area income

56Cottam5,507 peopleC#1,959 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 6.1 years of area income

57Blackpool149,087 peopleC⁻#2,027 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 4.0 years of area income

58Poulton-le-Fylde12,792 peopleC⁻#2,072 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 5.8 years of area income

59Catterall2,800 peopleC⁻#2,080 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 5.7 years of area income

60Grimsargh2,594 peopleC⁻#2,200 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 7.2 years of area income

61Carleton4,793 peopleD#2,206 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 6.2 years of area income

62Garstang5,804 peopleD#2,246 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 6.3 years of area income

63Caton2,552 peopleD#2,280 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 6.2 years of area income

64Halton2,652 peopleD#2,284 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 6.1 years of area income

65Bolton-le-Sands6,728 peopleD#2,343 of 2,515 nationallyhomes cost 6.6 years of area income

Not ranked

Not on this list

1 military garrison town or university campus keeps its grade but isn’t ranked: most residents serve in the forces or are students.

Bailrigg 4,788 people. University campus.

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the most affordable town in Lancashire?

Chorley ranks first on cost of living among 65 towns, with an A: homes cost 3.6 years of area income. Longridge and Clitheroe follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Cost of living Grade: the median sale price (Land Registry), a year’s private rent (ONS) and Band D council tax with the parish precept, each against the mean household income of the town’s council area. The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers Lancashire’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in Lancashire is on the county page.

Go deeper

More Lancashire lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Lancashire rankings →

Best places to live65 towns · #1 Longton Best small towns31 towns · #1 Eccleston Safest towns65 towns · #1 Bolton-le-Sands Towns with the best schools65 towns · #1 Croston Healthiest towns65 towns · #1 Caton Best towns for jobs & income65 towns · #1 Whittle-le-Woods Most walkable towns65 towns · #1 Lancaster Towns with the lowest flood risk65 towns · #1 Adlington and 5 more Best towns for the outdoors65 towns · #1 Lancaster Most historic towns65 towns · #1 Croston Towns with the most civic life65 towns · #1 Bolton-le-Sands Towns with the highest household incomes66 towns · #1 GrimsarghDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax66 towns · #1 ClitheroeDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters66 towns · #1 HeyshamDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers66 towns · #1 CarnforthDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers66 towns · #1 BacupDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts66 towns · #1 HeyshamDescribed, no letters Driest towns66 towns · #1 BanksDescribed, no letters Wettest towns66 towns · #1 WhitworthDescribed, no letters

Sources: 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) · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · 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.