Cowling’s story
Cowling: 48% of homes built before 1919
48% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
CowlingNorth Yorkshire
A village in North Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber, home to 1,439 people.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Bill Boaden · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,439
Census 2021 · Craven council
Median home
£195K
101 sales in 3 years
Median age
38
13% are 65+ · North Yorkshire 22%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Cowling a good place to live?
Health is where it shines — men here can expect to live to 81.7, women to 86.5. Housing is within reach: a typical home costs £195,000 and rent runs £849 a month. Its lowest grade is for schools (D): primary results beat 19% of towns in England. The rest of its grades are middling: B for safety and B for jobs & income.
Figures: life expectancy and income, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · claimants, DWP. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Cowling has subject grades but no overall one.
ONS publishes one rent for all of North Yorkshire, so this town's Cost Grade uses house prices and council tax only.
What makes Cowling stand out
The 3 things Cowling does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
48% of homes built before 1919
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
30% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Cowling grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Cowling is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
With fewer than 2,500 residents, Cowling has subject grades but no overall one.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 19% of towns in EnglandDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedA−Open →WalkabilityAmong the weakest of the towns comparedC−Open →Cost of livingMedian sale £195,000, 3.9 years of area incomeB+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £55,258; 2.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →Safety18.8 violent and sexual offences and 9.7 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026BOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsCOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 1.3 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsBOpen →Civic life4.2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryBOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cowling.
Health
Fewer people in Cowling live with a disability than in North Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 13%
Women here live to 86.5 on average and men to 81.7 (2019–23). 3% of residents report bad or very bad health. Cowling has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 4.7 miles away.
86%good or very good healthA−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Cowling | North Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3% | 5.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 19% | 17% |
81.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.5
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Under 5 km to work: 17% in Cowling, fewer than in both North Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 24% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, 9% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train. Of the commuters living in Cowling, 2% work in the town itself. Jobs per working resident: 0.2.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot4%
Bus2%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
17%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
24%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
2.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 20% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Cowling keeps more of its old housing than North Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 48% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Conservation areas cover 100% of Cowling’s land, above North Yorkshire’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (7%) alike. Historic England’s list has no building inside the town’s built-up area.
0listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
48%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B+
More households own their home in Cowling than in North Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 74%
8% live in social housing, below both North Yorkshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). 101 standard sales inside Cowling’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £195,000.
£195Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Cowling£195K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £442,500 | 6 |
| Semi-detached | £242,500 | 24 |
| Terraced | £163,000 | 70 |
74%
of households own their home · England 61%
18%
rent privately · England 21%
£849
average private rent a month, North Yorkshire council area
£2,584
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Per resident, Cowling sees less crime than 60% of UK towns
48% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Police recorded 52 crimes inside Cowling’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 10 reports of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 5.1 reports per 1,000, below both North Yorkshire’s towns (10.4) and England’s towns (7.8).
18.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 38% 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 & sexual25
Damage & arson6
Burglary5
Vehicle crime5
Other crime4
Public order3
Other theft2
Drugs1
Anti-social10
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.
18.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
52
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
Children make up 22% of Cowling, above North Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Cowling has a median age of 38. People 65 and over make up 13% of the town, below North Yorkshire’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Degrees are held by 30% of adults.
38median age
CowlingNorth YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
11%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar22%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Cowling | North Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 27% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 13% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.7% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 22% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · North Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cowling
13pages on Cowling
The big questions
SafetyB18.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB+Median home £195K · rent £849 a monthHousing40 sold in 12 months · busiest street Keighley RoadSchoolsDHealthA−Life expectancy 81.7 (men), 86.5 (women)Work & commuteB40% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Cowling’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Sutton-in-CravenCross HillsSteetonLow BradleyCarleton-in-CravenOakworthSilsdenCowling
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowling | 1,439 | — | — | B+ | B | A− |
| Sutton-in-Craven | 2,719 | 2.2 | B− | B | B− | C+ |
| Cross Hills | 4,809 | 2.2 | B | B− | B | B− |
| Steeton | 5,019 | 3.4 | B+ | B | D | B |
| Low Bradley | 1,203 | 3.7 | — | C− | A+ | B− |
| Carleton-in-Craven | 1,060 | 4 | — | B+ | A | A |
| Oakworth | 3,688 | 4.5 | C+ | A− | C+ | C+ |
| Silsden | 8,392 | 4.6 | B | B | C | C+ |
Low Bradley and Carleton-in-Craven have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Cowling
Are schools in Cowling good?
Primary results trail 81% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). Places are handled by North Yorkshire council.
Is Cowling expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £195,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £163,000, semi-detached houses £242,500 and detached houses £442,500.
Does Cowling flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Cowling
Village in North Yorkshire, England
Cowling is a built-up area of 1,439 people, in the Craven 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
- 1,439 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Craven
- County
- North Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000692
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.