Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 909 people, this village lies in Lincolnshire, East Midlands.
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Ancaster has none; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 8% of commuters. 7 buildings are listed here, 1 at Grade I. People aged 65 and over make up just over a quarter of residents.
The 3 things Ancaster does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Ancaster’s built-up area, along with 2 scheduled monuments.
12% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ancaster.
The 15-to-24 age group: 9.7%, below both Lincolnshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Ancaster has a median age of 50.4 years. Among adults, 27% have a degree.
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Ancaster | Lincolnshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 26% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.8% | 6.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 27% | 25% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lincolnshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
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.
The car took nearly nine in ten commuters, above both Lincolnshire’s towns (79%) and England’s towns (70%). Average household income comes to £58K a year before tax. 4% of commuters who live in Ancaster also work there. There are 0.5 jobs in Ancaster for each resident in work.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
73% of households are owner-occupiers. Private rents average £845 a month across the South Kesteven council area. Homes sold for a median £255K, between Lincolnshire’s towns (£235K) and England’s towns (£308K).
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £271,247 | 48 |
| Semi-detached | £188,500 | 22 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Police recorded 57 crimes inside Ancaster’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 10 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence came to 26 per 1,000 residents a year, above Lincolnshire’s towns (21.3) and England’s towns (22) alike. Just over half of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
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.
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.
The nearest A&E to Ancaster is Lincoln County Hospital, 17.3 miles away. One GP practice serves the town; 87% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey. Also worth knowing: 5.8% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, about level with Lincolnshire’s towns (5.9%) and above England’s towns (5.2%).
| Census 2021 | Ancaster | Lincolnshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.8% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 20% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Ancaster’s listed buildings include the Church of St Martin, Grade I. Of the town’s land, 9% lies in conservation areas, above both Lincolnshire’s towns (2%) and England’s towns (7%).
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancaster | 909 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Greylees | 1,989 | 3.5 | — | A | B− | A− |
| Cranwell | 2,583 | 4.6 | A+ | A+ | A+ | B+ |
| Sleaford | 18,028 | 5.1 | B− | A+ | C− | C+ |
| Leasingham | 1,552 | 5.5 | — | A+ | A+ | B− |
| Great Gonerby | 1,880 | 6.4 | — | A | B | B |
| Grantham | 44,906 | 6.4 | B− | A+ | C− | C− |
| Ruskington | 5,650 | 7.6 | B+ | A | B+ | B− |
Greylees, Leasingham and Great Gonerby have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 3.2 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Martin. It also has 2 scheduled monuments.
Band D council tax in Ancaster is £2,257 for 2026–27, less than in 79% 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.
Village in Lincolnshire, England
Ancaster is a built-up area of 909 people, in the South Kesteven 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
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.