Drax’s story
2 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Drax’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
14% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DraxNorth Yorkshire
The village has 513 residents and lies in North Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Chemical Engineer · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
513
Census 2021 · Selby council
Median home
£246K
17 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.5
19% are 65+ · North Yorkshire 22%
Degree level
29%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Drax a good place to live?
Drax has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 10% walk, cycle or take a bus or train.
What makes Drax stand out
The thing Drax does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Drax.
Work & commute
Only 22% of Drax’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in North Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 33% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 86% of commuters, above both North Yorkshire’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%). Of the commuters living in Drax, 6% work in the town itself. Jobs per working resident: 0.7.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot7%
Bicycle3%
Train1%
22%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
33%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£53K
mean household income, before tax
1.8%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Drax is a town of owners: 76% of households own their home, above North Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Social housing holds 6% of households. The median sale price was £246K, lower than both North Yorkshire’s towns (£261K) and England’s towns (£308K). Private rents average £849 a month across the North Yorkshire council area.
£246Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Drax£246K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £335,000 | 7 |
| Semi-detached | £200,000 | 5 |
| Terraced | £165,000 | 5 |
76%
of households own their home · England 61%
18%
rent privately · England 21%
£849
average private rent a month, North Yorkshire council area
£2,557
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
Drax records less burglary and damage per resident than North Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 3.3 per 1,000 a year
Violent crime runs at 14.3 per 1,000 residents a year. In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 11 crimes inside Drax’s built-up area. 55% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 5.2 reports per 1,000, below both North Yorkshire’s towns (10.4) and England’s towns (7.8).
14.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual6
Other theft2
Damage & arson1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Drugs0
Anti-social0
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.
14.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
11
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.
Health
Just 4.3% of people in Drax say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in North Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The nearest A&E to Drax is Doncaster Royal Infirmary, 14.7 miles away. This North Yorkshire town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.3 miles away. Disability touches 19% of the town’s population.
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Drax | North Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.3% | 5.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 19% | 17% |
80.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Drax’s listed buildings include the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
14% of its homes were built before 1919, below North Yorkshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. The national list protects one ancient monument in Drax. Scaled to its population, that is 39 listed buildings for every 10,000 people locally.
2listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II1
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Peter and St Paul Grade I
1
scheduled monument
0
registered parks and gardens
14%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
39
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Children make up only 14% of Drax, fewer than in North Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Degrees are held by 29% of adults, below North Yorkshire’s towns (32%) and England’s towns (34%) alike. Half the people of Drax are older than 44.5. The 15-to-24 age group makes up 13% of residents.
44.5median age
DraxNorth YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
13%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level29%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Drax | North Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 13% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 19% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.1% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 29% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · North Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Drax
12pages on Drax
The big questions
Safety14.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £246K · rent £849 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 months · busiest street Main RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.7 (men), 82.4 (women)Work & commute49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards49.5% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Drax’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
CamblesforthCarltonRawcliffeHemingbroughSnaithGooleHowdenDrax
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drax | 513 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Camblesforth | 1,557 | 1.5 | — | A− | B | B− |
| Carlton | 2,040 | 2.1 | — | B | B+ | B− |
| Rawcliffe | 1,580 | 2.2 | — | A | B | C+ |
| Hemingbrough | 1,874 | 2.7 | — | B− | A− | B− |
| Snaith | 3,557 | 3.3 | A− | B+ | B | B− |
| Goole | 20,173 | 4.6 | C | A | D | C− |
| Howden | 4,572 | 4.8 | C+ | B+ | C− | B− |
Camblesforth, Carlton, Rawcliffe and Hemingbrough have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Drax
How much is council tax in Drax?
Band D council tax in Drax is £2,557 for 2026–27, more than in 78% 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.
Is Drax expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £165,000, semi-detached houses £200,000 and detached houses £335,000.
About Drax
Village in North Yorkshire, England
Drax is a built-up area of 513 people, in the Selby 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
- 513 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Selby
- County
- North Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000889
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.