Weir’s story
Weir: 40% of homes built before 1919
40% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WeirLancashire
A village of 1,290 in Lancashire, North West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Malcolm Street · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,290
Census 2021 · Rossendale council
Median home
£255K
45 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.1
16% are 65+ · Lancashire 20%
Degree level
34%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
4%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Weir a good place to live?
Weir has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (B+): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is walkability (D−): 4% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £255,000 in the last three years, 5.6 times what households in the Rossendale council area earn in a year.
What makes Weir stand out
The 3 things Weir does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
4% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results trail 91%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Department for Education.
How Weir grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Weir is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityD−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 9% of towns in EnglandDOpen →HealthLife expectancy 75.4 for men, 81.7 for womenC−Open →Hazard riskB+Open →Cost of livingCOpen →Jobs & income2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsCOpen →SafetyBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsCOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 0.6 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsBOpen →Civic life0.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryDOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Weir.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Long commutes are the norm in Weir: just 15% travel under 5 km, below Lancashire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 29% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
93% of commuters drove, above Lancashire’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Households take home £44K a year before tax, on average. For every resident in work, Weir has 0.2 jobs.
4%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving93%
On foot2%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
15%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
29%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£44K
mean household income, before tax
2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D−
Walkability: behind almost every UK town
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
People in Weir live shorter lives than in 89% of UK towns
Seeing a GP means leaving Weir: the nearest practice is 1.8 miles away. At the census, 4.7% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, below both Lancashire’s towns (6.3%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Asked at the census, 83% of residents of Weir said they were in good or very good health. The nearest A&E to Weir is Fairfield General Hospital, 9 miles away.
83%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Weir | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.7% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 20% | 17% |
75.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.7
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
Old homes shape Weir: 40% were built before 1919, more than in both Lancashire’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list has no building inside Weir’s built-up area.
0listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
40%
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
HousingCost of living grade C
More households own their home in Weir than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns: 84%
Renting privately is how 16% of households live. Behind the median of £255,000: 45 standard sales inside Weir’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026. Private rents average £811 a month across the Rossendale council area.
£255Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Weir£255K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £325,000 | 20 |
| Semi-detached | £240,000 | 13 |
| Terraced | £102,997 | 12 |
84%
of households own their home · England 61%
16%
rent privately · England 21%
£811
average private rent a month, Rossendale council area
£2,516
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
Crime per resident in Weir is lower than in 60% of UK towns
Violent crime ran at 19.1 per 1,000 residents a year, below Lancashire’s towns (24.5) and close to England’s towns (22). Police recorded 42 crimes inside Weir’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 18 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 45% of recorded crime.
19.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 39% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual19
Vehicle crime5
Other crime5
Damage & arson4
Public order4
Burglary4
Other theft1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social18
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.
19.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
17.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
42
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.
Who lives here
Few people in Weir are 65 or over: 16%, below Lancashire’s towns and England’s towns
Just over a third of adults hold a degree, higher than Lancashire’s towns (29%) and near England’s towns (34%). Ages in Weir split evenly at 44.1: half are older, half younger. The 15-to-24 age group makes up 11% of residents.
44.1median age
WeirLancashireEngland
Ages · share of residents
11%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level34%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Weir | Lancashire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 16% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.1% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lancashire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Weir
13pages on Weir
The big questions
SafetyB19.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £255K · rent £811 a monthHousing13 sold in 12 months · busiest street Burnley RoadSchoolsDHealthC−Life expectancy 75.4 (men), 81.7 (women)Work & commuteC44% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB+0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Weir’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BacupRawtenstallTodmordenWhitworthBurnleyHaslingdenEdenfieldWeir
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weir | 1,290 | — | — | C | B | C− |
| Bacup | 13,559 | 1.9 | C− | B | D | D |
| Rawtenstall | 23,683 | 3.7 | C− | B− | C− | C− |
| Todmorden | 12,971 | 4.1 | C− | A | D | D |
| Whitworth | 6,713 | 4.6 | C− | B− | C− | C− |
| Burnley | 78,266 | 5.3 | D | B+ | D− | D |
| Haslingden | 16,005 | 5.6 | C | B | C | C− |
| Edenfield | 2,048 | 5.9 | — | C | B | B− |
Edenfield has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Weir
Are schools in Weir good?
Places are handled by Lancashire council.
Does Weir flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
How much is council tax in Weir?
Band D council tax in Weir is £2,516 for 2026–27, more than in 68% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Weir
Village in Lancashire, England
Weir is a built-up area of 1,290 people, in the Rossendale 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
- 1,290 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Rossendale
- County
- Lancashire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000902
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.