Blackfordby’s story
9 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Blackfordby’s built-up area.
6% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BlackfordbyLeicestershire
This village in Leicestershire, East Midlands has a population of 1,071.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: the bitterman · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,071
Census 2021 · North West Leicestershire council
Median home
£299K
90 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.8
31% are 65+ · Leicestershire 17%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Blackfordby a good place to live?
Crime is low (A−): 15.6 violent and sexual offences and 5 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Housing is within reach: a typical home costs £298,975 and rent runs £914 a month. Its weakest is walkability — on the way to work, 5% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Schools are weaker too — primary results beat 13% of towns in England; secondary results beat 49% of towns in England.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021. An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so Blackfordby is graded subject by subject only.
How Blackfordby grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Blackfordby is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesD−Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SafetyVery little crime by comparisonA−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 13% of towns in England; secondary results beat 49% of towns in EnglandCOpen →Cost of livingMedian sale £298,975, 5.5 years of area incomeB+Open →HealthLife expectancy 80.1 for men, 83.2 for womenC+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £54,724; 2.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBehind most towns comparedCOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 3.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB+Open →Civic life0.9 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryDOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Blackfordby stand out
The 3 things Blackfordby does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% 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*; 3.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
31% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Blackfordby.
Who lives here
An older town: 31% of people in Blackfordby are 65 or over, more than in both Leicestershire’s towns and England’s towns
52.8median age
Blackfordby has a median age of 52.8. Children under 15 make up 14%, lower than both Leicestershire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). The 15-to-24 age group makes up 7.7% of residents.
BlackfordbyLeicestershireEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Blackfordby | Leicestershire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.7% | 14% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.3% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Leicestershire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Blackfordby is a driving town: 93% of commuters go by car, above Leicestershire’s towns and England’s towns
5%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Short trips to work, under 5 km: 33%, below both Leicestershire’s towns (46%) and England’s towns (45%). Jobs per working resident: 0.2. Walking ranked second among ways to work, at 2%.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving93%
On foot2%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
33%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
2.1%
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
Safety
Blackfordby records less crime per resident than four in five UK towns
15.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Violence and sexual offences made up 62% of the total. In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 29 crimes and 11 reports of anti-social behaviour inside Blackfordby’s built-up area. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Blackfordby has less crime per resident than 66% of them.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 66% 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 & sexual18
Burglary5
Other theft2
Other crime2
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Shoplifting0
Drugs0
Anti-social11
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.
15.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
29
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.
HousingCost of living grade B+
More households own their home in Blackfordby than in Leicestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 84%
£299Kmedian sale
10% live in social housing, lower than both Leicestershire’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Private tenants account for 6% of households. Behind the median of £298,975: 90 standard sales inside Blackfordby’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Blackfordby£299K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £340,000 | 53 |
| Semi-detached | £247,000 | 33 |
84%
of households own their home · England 61%
6%
rent privately · England 21%
£914
average private rent a month, North West Leicestershire council area
£2,460
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
All 9 of Blackfordby’s listed buildings are Grade II
9listed buildingsCHistory Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Conservation areas cover 15% of Blackfordby’s land, above both Leicestershire’s towns (6%) and England’s towns (7%). Per 10,000 residents, Blackfordby counts 84 listed buildings.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II9
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
6%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
84
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
More people in Blackfordby live with a disability than in Leicestershire’s towns or across England’s towns: 20%
80%good or very good healthC+Health Grade
Self-reported good health: 80% of Blackfordby’s residents. Seeing a GP means leaving Blackfordby: the nearest practice is 1.3 miles away. 5.5% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, higher than both Leicestershire’s towns (4.7%) and England’s towns (5.2%).
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Blackfordby | Leicestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.5% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
80.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Blackfordby
15pages on Blackfordby
The big questions
SafetyA−15.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB+Median home £299K · rent £914 a monthHousing22 sold in 12 months · busiest street Barnes LaneSchoolsCHealthC+Life expectancy 80.1 (men), 83.2 (women)Work & commuteB−50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Ashby de la Zouch Castle and 5 more in and around Blackfordby
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Blackfordby. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageAshby de la Zouch Castle3.1 km outside town, to the east
MuseumSharpe's Pottery Museum2.7 km outside town, to the northwestGardenGardenBluebell Arboretum1.4 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumAshby de la Zouch Museum2.8 km outside town, to the eastTheme parkTheme parkConkers2.2 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumMoira Furnace Museum2.6 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Ashby de la Zouch Castle: Pahazzard, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sharpe's Pottery Museum: Dave Bevis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Blackfordby
Village in Leicestershire, England
Blackfordby is a built-up area of 1,071 people, in the North West Leicestershire 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
- 1,071 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North West Leicestershire
- County
- Leicestershire
- Region
- East Midlands
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002342
Blackfordby’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WoodvilleMoiraAshby-de-la-ZouchDonisthorpeSwadlincoteOverseal and Castle GresleyLintonBlackfordby
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackfordby | 1,071 | — | — | B+ | A− | C+ |
| Woodville | 7,255 | 1 | C | A+ | C− | C− |
| Moira | 3,198 | 1.3 | B | A | B | C |
| Ashby-de-la-Zouch | 15,121 | 1.9 | B+ | B+ | C | B− |
| Donisthorpe | 1,204 | 2.3 | — | A | B− | C+ |
| Swadlincote | 34,569 | 2.4 | C | A+ | C− | C− |
| Overseal and Castle Gresley | 5,055 | 2.6 | B− | A+ | B− | C |
| Linton | 2,145 | 3.3 | — | A+ | B− | C |
Donisthorpe and Linton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Blackfordby
How many listed buildings are there in Blackfordby?
That is 3.4 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Blackfordby safe?
About the middle for its size: 34% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people report less crime per resident. Against all UK towns, it grades A−.
Are schools in Blackfordby good?
GCSE results trail 51% of towns in England, and primary results trail 87% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). Places are handled by Leicestershire council.
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.