Knowsley’s story
3 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Knowsley’s built-up area.
12% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
KnowsleyMerseyside
A village of 2,345 in Merseyside, North West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Rept0n1x · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,345
Census 2021
Median home
£239K
90 sales in 3 years
Median age
46.8
23% are 65+ · Merseyside 19%
Degree level
25%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Knowsley a good place to live?
Knowsley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its weakest is health (D−): life expectancy 74.9 for men, 77.8 for women. The median home sold for £239,000 in the last three years, 5.9 times what households in the Knowsley council area earn in a year.
What makes Knowsley stand out
The 3 things Knowsley does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Life expectancy, against UK towns
Health
77.8 and 74.9 years
Life expectancy at birth, women and men: shorter than in 98% of UK towns
OHID Fingertips, 2019–23.
Household income, against UK towns
Work
£36K household income
Mean, before tax: lower than in 99% of UK towns
ONS small-area income estimates.
How Knowsley grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Knowsley is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
HealthD−Open →Cost of livingD−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 20% of towns in England; secondary results beat 2% of towns in EnglandDOpen →Hazard risk3% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC−Open →WalkabilityCOpen →SafetyCOpen →Jobs & income2.2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History3 listed buildingsC−Open →Outdoors77% live within 400 m of a park; 3.1 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life0 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryD−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Knowsley.
Health
People in Knowsley live shorter lives than in 98% of UK towns
Seeing a GP means leaving Knowsley: the nearest practice is 1.1 miles away. At the census, 9.2% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. 77% of the town’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, below both Merseyside’s towns (78%) and England’s towns (82%). A disability affects nearly a quarter of people here.
77%good or very good healthD−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 77%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 9%
| Census 2021 | Knowsley | Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 78% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 9.2% | 7.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 22% | 17% |
74.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
77.8
life expectancy at birth, women
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.
SchoolsD
Knowsley’s schools fall behind 93% of towns in England on results
Between them, two primaries teach 386 pupils in Knowsley. One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Secondary results at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 34.9, with 21% at grade 5 or above in English and maths.
DSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St John Fisher Catholic Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 211 | C+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
HousingCost of living grade D−
Private renting is less common in Knowsley than in Merseyside’s towns or across England’s towns: 12%
71% of households own their home, above both Merseyside’s towns (58%) and England’s towns (61%). From September 2023 to August 2026, 90 homes sold inside Knowsley’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £239,000. Private rents average £858 a month across the Knowsley council area.
£239Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Knowsley£239K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £388,750 | 32 |
| Semi-detached | £222,500 | 32 |
| Terraced | £150,000 | 20 |
| Flat or maisonette | £124,250 | 6 |
71%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£858
average private rent a month, Knowsley council area
£2,567
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
More of the land in Knowsley is conservation area than in Merseyside’s towns or England’s towns: 100%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Knowsley has 3 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade II*. One registered park or garden lies in the town. For its size, Knowsley has 13 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, higher than Merseyside’s towns (9) yet lower than England’s towns (39).
3listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II2
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Mary Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
12%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
13
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Knowsley than in Merseyside’s towns or England’s towns: 11%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 25% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Work in town: 6% of resident commuters. 86% of commuters drove, above Merseyside’s towns (71%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. For 37% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot4%
Bus4%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
37%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
25%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£36K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 31% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
Knowsley records more burglary and damage per resident than Merseyside’s towns or England’s towns, at 15.5 per 1,000 a year
Reported offences in Knowsley came to 144 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 27. Violence and sexual offences accounted for just over a third of recorded crime. Violent crime ran at 25.2 per 1,000 residents a year, below Merseyside’s towns (26.8) but above England’s towns (22).
25.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearCSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 17% 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 & sexual50
Public order27
Damage & arson23
Vehicle crime8
Burglary7
Drugs7
Other crime7
Shoplifting6
Anti-social27
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.
25.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
15.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
144
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.
Who lives here
Knowsley skews older, with 23% of residents 65 or over, more than in Merseyside’s towns and across England’s towns
Young adults of 15 to 24 are 11% of residents, lower than both Merseyside’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (12%). Children under 15 count for 14% of the people here. Typical age in Knowsley: 46.8, the median. Graduates make up a quarter of adults.
46.8median age
KnowsleyMerseysideEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications26%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level25%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Knowsley | Merseyside | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 26% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.2% | 5.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 25% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Merseyside and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Knowsley Safari and 8 more in and around Knowsley
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Knowsley. Best known first.
Wildlife parkWildlife parkKnowsley Safari2 km outside town, to the southeast
Historic houseCroxteth Hall2.4 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumPrescot Museum3.3 km outside town, to the southeastCastleCastleKnowsley Hall1.1 km outside town, to the southeastZooZooCroxteth Park Farm2.5 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionCroxteth Park Miniature Railway2.6 km outside town, to the west
Historic houseCroxteth Hall2.4 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumPrescot Museum3.3 km outside town, to the southeastCastleCastleKnowsley Hall1.1 km outside town, to the southeastZooZooCroxteth Park Farm2.5 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionCroxteth Park Miniature Railway2.6 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 (1)
- Croxteth Hall: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Knowsley
15pages on Knowsley
The big questions
SafetyC25.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingD−Median home £239K · rent £858 a monthHousing22 sold in 12 months · busiest street Longmeadow RoadSchoolsD2 state schoolsHealthD−Life expectancy 74.9 (men), 77.8 (women)Work & commuteC47% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC−3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Famous people from Knowsley
10 notable people were born in Knowsley.
E
Eleanor ThrelkeldEnglish cricketer · born 1998L
Luke RoskellBritish actor · born 1997M
Mark AtkinsonEnglish rugby union player · born 1990Photo credits
Christopher Wood: Christopher Wood, Public domain · John Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl: Thomas Murray, Public domain
Knowsley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Huyton with RobyKirkbyPrescotLiverpoolAintreeRainfordSt HelensKnowsley
Questions about Knowsley
Are schools in Knowsley good?
GCSE results trail 99% of towns in England, and primary results trail 80% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). Knowsley has 2 state schools; places are handled by Knowsley council.
Does Knowsley flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Knowsley
Village in Merseyside, England
Knowsley is a built-up area of 2,345 people, in the Knowsley 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
- 2,345 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Knowsley
- County
- Merseyside
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.9 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001317
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.