Haydock’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Haydock’s built-up area.
17% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HaydockMerseyside
A town of 16,143 in Merseyside, North West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Ian Greig · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
16,143
Census 2021 · St. Helens council
Median home
£169K
569 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.9
23% are 65+ · Merseyside 19%
Degree level
22%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
D
#18 of 25 in Merseyside
Is Haydock a good place to live?
Haydock grades D overall against UK towns: better than 8% of UK towns, and #18 of 25 in Merseyside. 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 health (D): life expectancy 77.3 for men, 79.8 for women. The median home sold for £169,000 in the last three years, 4 times what households in the St. Helens council area earn in a year.
What makes Haydock stand out
The 3 things Haydock does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
14% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
44% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
39% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Merseyside 30%.
How Haydock grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Haydock is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
HealthDOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 20% of towns in England; secondary results beat 30% of towns in EnglandC−Open →Jobs & income3.3% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC−Open →SafetyCOpen →Hazard riskB+Open →Cost of livingC+Open →WalkabilityB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History1 listed buildingDOpen →Outdoors86% live within 400 m of a park; 6.8 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsBOpen →Civic life0.4 local charities per 1,000 residents; 86% live within 1 km of a libraryC+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Haydock.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Haydock than in Merseyside’s towns or across England’s towns: 22% of adults
The 15-to-24 age group: 9.6%, lower than both Merseyside’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (12%). 23% of residents are 65 or over. The middle age in Haydock is 45.9. Under-15s account for 16% of the population.
45.9median age
HaydockMerseysideEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications24%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level22%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Haydock | Merseyside | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.6% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 24% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.3% | 5.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 22% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Merseyside and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC−
School results in Haydock are weaker than in 81% of towns in England
Some 1,932 pupils attend Haydock’s four primaries and one secondary. Of its 5 schools, two are shown below, each with the reason. GCSE results at the 7 secondary schools within 3 km: nearly two in five pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 43.2.
C−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legh Vale Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 449 | C− |
| Outwood Academy HaydockLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 791 | C+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 5 schools →
Health
Haydock’s life expectancy trails 90% of UK towns
One GP practice serves the town; 63% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey. 76% of Haydock’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, lower than both Merseyside’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (82%). Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects nearly a tenth of the town. The nearest A&E to Haydock is Whiston Hospital, 5.6 miles away.
76%good or very good healthDHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 76%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Haydock | Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 76% | 78% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.2% | 7.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 22% | 17% |
77.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
79.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Young towns look healthier on these answers, which aren’t adjusted for age; the Health Grade uses measures that are, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Haydock’s one listed building is Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
No town in Merseyside has fewer listed buildings for its size than Haydock. 17% of homes date from before 1919.
1listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
17%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
1
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Violence is recorded more often in Haydock than in Merseyside’s towns or across England’s towns: 33.2 per 1,000 residents a year
Of all the crimes, 46% were violence and sexual offences. Homes saw 12.7 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Merseyside’s towns (9.5) and England’s towns (9.4). Over the year to August 2026, 1,021 offences were reported in Haydock, along with 70 incidents of anti-social behaviour.
33.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearCSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 47% of the 645 UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual474
Damage & arson107
Public order91
Shoplifting70
Other theft69
Drugs54
Vehicle crime52
Burglary47
Anti-social70
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.
33.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.7
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)
1,021
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+
More households own their home in Haydock than in Merseyside’s towns or across England’s towns: 69%
13% rent privately, lower than both Merseyside’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (21%). Private rents average £807 a month across the St. Helens council area. Half of the 569 standard sales inside Haydock’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £169,000.
£169Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Haydock£169K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £275,000 | 69 |
| Semi-detached | £180,000 | 314 |
| Terraced | £121,750 | 156 |
| Flat or maisonette | £85,000 | 30 |
69%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£807
average private rent a month, St. Helens council area
£2,395
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Only 14% of commuters in Haydock go to work without a car, fewer than in both Merseyside’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 20% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households had £41K a year before tax, below Merseyside’s towns (£48K) and England’s towns (£55K) alike. Driving is how 84% of commuters got to work at the census. A fifth of commuters who live in Haydock also work there. The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 3.3%.
14%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot8%
Bus4%
Bicycle1%
Train1%
20%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£41K
mean household income, before tax
3.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 48% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →North West Museum of Road Transport and 2 more in and around Haydock
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Haydock. Best known first.
MuseumNorth West Museum of Road Transport2.2 km outside town, to the west
MuseumWorld of Glass2.6 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumSmithy Heritage Centre4.6 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- North West Museum of Road Transport: Alan Murray-Rust, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- World of Glass: Ian Greig, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Haydock
15pages on Haydock
The big questions
SafetyC33.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £169K · rent £807 a monthHousing178 sold in 12 months · busiest street Church RoadSchoolsC−5 state schoolsHealthDLife expectancy 77.3 (men), 79.8 (women)Work & commuteC−49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB+0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Famous people from Haydock
12 notable people were born in Haydock.
C
Cliff BirkettEnglish footballer (1933-1997)H
Harry GeeEnglish footballer (1895-1991)B
Billy CaulfieldFootballer (1892-1972)Photo credits
Edmund Arrowsmith: Arrowsmith, Public domain · Harry Burrows: Jonesy702, CC0 · Jimmy Taylor: https://www.flickr.com/photos/26298797@N07/, CC BY 2.0
Haydock’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Newton-le-WillowsAshton-in-MakerfieldBillingeBurtonwoodSt HelensWinwickGolborneHaydock
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haydock | 16,143 | — | D | C+ | C | D |
| Newton-le-Willows | 24,651 | 1.9 | D | C | C− | D |
| Ashton-in-Makerfield | 26,367 | 2.1 | — | B+ | — | C− |
| Billinge | 4,963 | 2.3 | B− | C− | B+ | C+ |
| Burtonwood | 3,504 | 2.5 | B+ | A | B+ | D |
| St Helens | 107,684 | 3.1 | D | C+ | D | D− |
| Winwick | 2,062 | 4 | — | C+ | D− | C− |
| Golborne | 25,563 | 4 | — | B | — | C− |
Winwick has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Ashton-in-Makerfield and Golborne have no Safety Grade: Greater Manchester Police doesn’t publish to police.uk. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Haydock
Are schools in Haydock good?
GCSE results trail 70% of towns in England, and primary results trail 80% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2).
Is Haydock expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £169,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £85,000, terraced houses £121,750, semi-detached houses £180,000 and detached houses £275,000.
Is Haydock safe?
About the middle for its size: 53% of the 645 UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people report less crime per resident. Against all UK towns, most of them smaller, it grades C.
About Haydock
Town in Merseyside, England
Haydock is a built-up area of 16,143 people, in the St. Helens 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
- 16,143 (Census 2021)
- Council
- St. Helens
- County
- Merseyside
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 1.9 sq mi (4.9 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001301
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.