Old Leake’s story
4 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Old Leake’s built-up area.
20% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Old LeakeLincolnshire
Home to 1,173 people, this village lies in Lincolnshire, East Midlands.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Adrian S Pye · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,173
Census 2021 · Boston council
Median home
£190K
41 sales in 3 years
Median age
40.8
20% are 65+ · Lincolnshire 22%
Degree level
19%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Old Leake a good place to live?
Natural hazards weigh more here: 72% of homes face a high or medium risk of river or sea flooding. It takes 4.6 years of household income in the Boston council area to buy the median home, at £189,950. Schools are weaker too: primary results beat 14% of towns in England; secondary results beat 4% of towns in England. Jobs & income is weaker too: households earn a mean £41,940 a year, and 3.5% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Walkability is weaker too (D): on the way to work, 8% walk, cycle or take a bus or train.
Figures: flood risk, Environment Agency · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS · claimants, DWP · commuting, Census 2021. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Old Leake has subject grades but no overall one.
What makes Old Leake stand out
The 3 things Old Leake does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
Flood risk, against UK towns
Flood risk
High or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea: more than in 100% of UK towns
Environment Agency flood maps, defences counted.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Lincolnshire 25%.
How Old Leake grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Old Leake is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Hazard riskAmong the most exposed to natural hazardsD−Open →Jobs & incomeNear the bottom of the towns comparedD−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 14% of towns in England; secondary results beat 4% of towns in EnglandDOpen →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesDOpen →HealthLife expectancy 78.4 for men, 83.5 for womenC−Open →SafetyMore crime than in most townsCOpen →Cost of livingRent £806 a monthCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryGraded on historic places and the town’s ageC+Open →Outdoors75% live within 400 m of a park; 3.6 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life1.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Old Leake.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Old Leake than in Lincolnshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 19% of adults
At 40.8, the median resident of Old Leake sits in the middle of the age range. Children under 15 make up 20%, above Lincolnshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Over-65s are 20% of the population.
40.8median age
Old LeakeLincolnshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications27%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level19%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Old Leake | Lincolnshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 27% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.9% | 6.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 19% | 25% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lincolnshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsD
School results in Old Leake are weaker than in 95% of towns in England
53% of pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its two schools are below. GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: just over a fifth of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 39.6.
DSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Leake Primary AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 168 | C |
| Giles AcademyLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 793 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Fewer commuters in Old Leake work nearby than in Lincolnshire’s towns or England’s towns: 27% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 13% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Home was the main workplace for 13% of workers at the census. The car took 89% of commuters, higher than both Lincolnshire’s towns (79%) and England’s towns (70%). For every resident in work, Old Leake has 0.9 jobs. About nearly a tenth of its commuters stay in Old Leake for work.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot6%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
27%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
13%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£42K
mean household income, before tax
3.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 11% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Fewer people in Old Leake say their health is good than in Lincolnshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 77%
A disability affects 21% of people in Old Leake. 6.4% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, above Lincolnshire’s towns (5.9%) and England’s towns (5.2%) alike. One GP practice serves the town; 78% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
77%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 77%Fair 17%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Old Leake | Lincolnshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.4% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 20% | 17% |
78.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
Safety
Old Leake records more violent crime per resident than Lincolnshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 39.2 per 1,000 a year
Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Old Leake has more crime per resident than 89% of them. The town logged 73 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 21 complaints of anti-social conduct. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 17.9 reports per 1,000, above both Lincolnshire’s towns (9.5) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences made up 70% of the total.
39.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearCSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 11% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual51
Damage & arson6
Public order4
Shoplifting2
Other theft2
Burglary2
Drugs2
Other crime2
Anti-social21
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.
39.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
17.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
73
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 C
Few households rent privately in Old Leake: 12%, fewer than in Lincolnshire’s towns and England’s towns
24% live in social housing, higher than both Lincolnshire’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). The owner-occupied share of households is 59%. 41 standard sales inside Old Leake’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £189,950.
£190Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Old Leake£190K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £225,000 | 25 |
| Semi-detached | £156,500 | 10 |
| Terraced | £178,000 | 5 |
59%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£806
average private rent a month, Boston council area
£2,384
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
The Church of St Mary (Grade I) heads Old Leake’s short list of listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Old Leake’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary, Grade I. Homes from before 1919 make up a fifth of the total, higher than both Lincolnshire’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (16%).
4listed buildingsC+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II3
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
20%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
34
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 Old Leake
13pages on Old Leake
The big questions
SafetyC39.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £190K · rent £806 a monthHousing13 sold in 12 months · busiest street St Marys WaySchoolsD2 state schoolsHealthC−Life expectancy 78.4 (men), 83.5 (women)Work & commuteD−38% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD−72% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Old Leake’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SibseyButterwickStickneyFishtoftBostonWainfleet St MaryWainfleet All SaintsOld Leake
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Leake | 1,173 | — | — | C | C | C− |
| Sibsey | 1,520 | 3.4 | — | C− | A | C+ |
| Butterwick | 1,363 | 3.5 | — | C | B | C |
| Stickney | 1,108 | 5.4 | — | C− | C+ | C+ |
| Fishtoft | 1,077 | 5.6 | — | D | A | C+ |
| Boston | 45,347 | 6.4 | D | C+ | D | C− |
| Wainfleet St Mary | 1,045 | 7.2 | — | B− | A− | D |
| Wainfleet All Saints | 1,802 | 8 | — | B− | C | D |
Sibsey, Butterwick, Stickney, Fishtoft, Wainfleet St Mary and Wainfleet All Saints have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Old Leake
Does Old Leake flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Are schools in Old Leake good?
GCSE results trail 96% of towns in England, and primary results trail 86% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). Old Leake has 2 state schools; places are handled by Lincolnshire council.
About Old Leake
Village in Lincolnshire, England
Old Leake is a built-up area of 1,173 people, in the Boston 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
- 1,173 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Boston
- County
- Lincolnshire
- Region
- East Midlands
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001872
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.