Lancaster, #1 on this list · Photo: Stephen Craven · CC BY-SA 2.0

Lancashire rankings · Walkability

Most walkable towns in Lancashire

Lancaster ranks first on walkability among Lancashire’s 65 towns of 2,500+; 14 of the 65 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland sits beside each letter. How grades work

Lancaster

52,646 people

A⁺

Better than 97% of UK towns·#77 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Preston

94,502 people

A⁺

Better than 95% of UK towns·#143 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Blackpool

149,087 people

Better than 91% of UK towns·#302 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

All 65 towns, ranked

Walkability 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

1Lancaster52,646 peopleA⁺#77 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 97% of UK towns

2Preston94,502 peopleA⁺#143 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

3Blackpool149,087 peopleA#302 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 91% of UK towns

4Fleetwood26,224 peopleA#307 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 91% of UK towns

5Nelson33,808 peopleA#439 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 87% of UK towns

6Barnoldswick10,915 peopleA#460 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 86% of UK towns

7Morecambe32,745 peopleA#463 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 86% of UK towns

8Kirkham8,939 peopleA⁻#514 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 85% of UK towns

9Ormskirk27,720 peopleA⁻#636 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 81% of UK towns

10Clitheroe16,626 peopleA⁻#645 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 81% of UK towns

11Burnley78,266 peopleA⁻#675 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

12Padiham10,121 peopleA⁻#717 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

13Fulwood34,693 peopleA⁻#779 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 77% of UK towns

14Skelmersdale34,921 peopleA⁻#838 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 75% of UK towns

15Wesham4,474 peopleB⁺#841 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 75% of UK towns

16Colne18,914 peopleB⁺#849 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 75% of UK towns

17Chorley39,539 peopleB⁺#911 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 73% of UK towns

18Lytham St Anne's42,693 peopleB⁺#956 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 72% of UK towns

19Carnforth5,852 peopleB⁺#983 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 71% of UK towns

20Accrington34,897 peopleB⁺#998 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

21Darwen27,897 peopleB⁺#1,055 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 68% of UK towns

22Church5,030 peopleB⁺#1,088 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 67% of UK towns

23Longridge8,739 peopleB⁺#1,139 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 66% of UK towns

24Blackburn124,958 peopleB⁺#1,169 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 65% of UK towns

T25Cleveleys11,121 peopleB#1,180 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 65% of UK towns

T25Heysham16,593 peopleB#1,180 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 65% of UK towns

27Garstang5,804 peopleB#1,293 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 61% of UK towns

28Earby4,416 peopleB#1,307 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 61% of UK towns

29Bacup13,559 peopleB#1,347 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 59% of UK towns

30Penwortham20,489 peopleB#1,457 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 56% of UK towns

31Bamber Bridge40,359 peopleB⁻#1,489 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns

32Leyland39,281 peopleB⁻#1,536 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 53% of UK towns

33Great Harwood11,022 peopleB⁻#1,542 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

T34Poulton-le-Fylde12,792 peopleB⁻#1,570 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

T34Whitworth6,713 peopleB⁻#1,570 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

36Haslingden16,005 peopleB⁻#1,588 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 51% of UK towns

37Brierfield10,723 peopleB⁻#1,621 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 50% of UK towns

38Halton2,652 peopleB⁻#1,649 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

39Rishton6,653 peopleB⁻#1,666 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 48% of UK towns

40Oswaldtwistle10,810 peopleB⁻#1,724 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 46% of UK towns

T41Freckleton4,478 peopleB⁻#1,734 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 45% of UK towns

T41Rawtenstall23,683 peopleB⁻#1,734 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 45% of UK towns

43Croston2,793 peopleC⁺#1,750 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 45% of UK towns

44Burscough8,773 peopleC⁺#1,794 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 43% of UK towns

45Adlington8,777 peopleC⁺#1,850 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 41% of UK towns

46Preesall and Knott End-on-Sea4,679 peopleC⁺#1,870 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 40% of UK towns

47Warton (Fylde)4,180 peopleC⁺#1,875 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 40% of UK towns

48Thornton19,263 peopleC⁺#1,898 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 39% of UK towns

T49Barrowford5,887 peopleC⁺#1,918 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 38% of UK towns

T49Coppull8,303 peopleC⁺#1,918 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 38% of UK towns

51Clayton-le-Moors7,969 peopleC#2,012 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 34% of UK towns

52Carleton4,793 peopleC#2,102 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 30% of UK towns

53Bolton-le-Sands6,728 peopleC⁻#2,232 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 23% of UK towns

54Longton10,912 peopleC⁻#2,247 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 22% of UK towns

55Grimsargh2,594 peopleC⁻#2,310 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 18% of UK towns

56Euxton17,519 peopleC⁻#2,323 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 17% of UK towns

57Caton2,552 peopleC⁻#2,342 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 16% of UK towns

58Catterall2,800 peopleC⁻#2,347 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 16% of UK towns

59Whittle-le-Woods4,388 peopleD#2,368 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 14% of UK towns

60Eccleston4,543 peopleD#2,371 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 14% of UK towns

61Tarleton and Hesketh Bank8,756 peopleD#2,376 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 14% of UK towns

62Banks4,439 peopleD#2,426 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 10% of UK towns

63Cottam5,507 peopleD#2,437 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 10% of UK towns

64Farington Moss2,692 peopleD#2,451 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 8% of UK towns

65Whalley3,411 peopleD#2,457 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 8% of UK towns

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 walkable town in Lancashire?

Lancaster ranks first on walkability among 65 towns, with an A+: better than 97% of UK towns. Preston and Blackpool follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). 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 Most affordable towns65 towns · #1 Chorley 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 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: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · 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.