Wheelton’s story
Old homes in Wheelton: 32% built before 1919
Historic England lists 11 buildings inside Wheelton’s built-up area.
32% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WheeltonLancashire
A village in Lancashire, North West, home to 983 people.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Chris Heaton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
983
Census 2021 · Chorley council
Median home
£273K
42 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.1
29% are 65+ · Lancashire 20%
Degree level
47%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Wheelton a good place to live?
Wheelton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry nearly one in ten commuters. 11 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. 29% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Wheelton stand out
The 3 things Wheelton does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 4.6 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
29% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Wheelton.
Who lives here
Children make up only 12% of Wheelton, fewer than in Lancashire’s towns and England’s towns
People 65 and over make up 29% of the town, above Lancashire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. 8% of residents are aged 15 to 24. Typical age in Wheelton: 52.1, the median. Graduates make up 47% of adults.
52.1median age
WheeltonLancashireEngland
Ages · share of residents
29%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level47%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 89 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.
| Wheelton | Lancashire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.9% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 47% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lancashire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Wheelton
Key Stage 2 results at the 17 primary schools within 3 km: 64% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below. Attainment 8 at the one secondary school within 3 km averages 60.6, and 73% of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Chad's Catholic Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 139 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Only 9% of commuters in Wheelton go to work without a car, fewer than in Lancashire’s towns and 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.
Households had £59K a year before tax, above Lancashire’s towns (£48K) and England’s towns (£55K) alike. At the census, 90% of commuters went by car. Work in town: 4% of resident commuters. For just over a third of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot5%
Bus2%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
35%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
36%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£59K
mean household income, before tax
1.1%
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
Most households in Wheelton own their home: 75%, more than in Lancashire’s towns or across England’s towns
13% rent privately, below both Lancashire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). Council and housing-body homes hold 11% of households. From September 2023 to August 2026, 42 homes sold inside Wheelton’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £272,500.
£273Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Wheelton£273K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £412,500 | 10 |
| Semi-detached | £346,500 | 6 |
| Terraced | £212,000 | 25 |
75%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£798
average private rent a month, Chorley council area
£2,435
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 recorded by police in Wheelton
61% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Reported offences in Wheelton came to 38 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 9. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 12.2 reports per 1,000, below Lancashire’s towns (17.3) but above England’s towns (7.8).
19.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual23
Damage & arson5
Vehicle crime5
Public order2
Other theft2
Drugs1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Anti-social9
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.
19.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
38
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
In Wheelton, 81% say their health is good or very good
Seeing a GP means leaving Wheelton: the nearest practice is 1.4 miles away. At the census, 17% of people here had a disability, below Lancashire’s towns (20%) and close to England’s towns (17%). The nearest A&E to Wheelton is Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, 1.7 miles away.
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Wheelton | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.8% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 20% | 17% |
81.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.2
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
Wheelton keeps more of its old housing than Lancashire’s towns or England’s towns: 32% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Wheelton has 112 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, above both Lancashire’s towns (15) and England’s towns (39).
11listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II11
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
32%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
112
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 Wheelton
13pages on Wheelton
The big questions
Safety19.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £273K · rent £798 a monthHousing10 sold in 12 months · busiest street Blackburn RoadSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 81.3 (men), 84.2 (women)Work & commute47% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Wheelton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Whittle-le-WoodsBrinscallChorleyEuxtonGregson LaneBamber BridgeLeylandWheelton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelton | 983 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Whittle-le-Woods | 4,388 | 1.2 | A− | B | B− | B+ |
| Brinscall | 1,332 | 1.7 | — | B | A− | A− |
| Chorley | 39,539 | 2.5 | B− | A | D | D |
| Euxton | 17,519 | 2.6 | A | A | B | B− |
| Gregson Lane | 2,073 | 3.4 | — | A | A− | B+ |
| Bamber Bridge | 40,359 | 3.7 | C+ | A | C | C |
| Leyland | 39,281 | 3.9 | C+ | A | C− | C− |
Brinscall and Gregson Lane have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Wheelton
How many listed buildings are there in Wheelton?
That is 4.6 times the typical UK town for its size. 32% of Wheelton’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
How much is council tax in Wheelton?
Band D council tax in Wheelton is £2,435 for 2026–27, less than in 52% 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 Wheelton
Village in Lancashire, England
Wheelton is a built-up area of 983 people, in the Chorley 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
- 983 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chorley
- County
- Lancashire
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000969
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.