Long Preston’s story
21 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Long Preston’s built-up area.
38% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Long PrestonNorth Yorkshire
774 people call this village in North Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Peter Barr · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
774
Census 2021 · Craven council
Median home
£355K
37 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.5
28% are 65+ · North Yorkshire 22%
Degree level
40%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Long Preston a good place to live?
Long Preston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. 21 buildings are listed here, 1 at Grade I. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 11% of commuters. 51% of households own their home with no mortgage.
What makes Long Preston stand out
The 3 things Long Preston does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Mary the Virgin; 11.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Own outright
Housing
51% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Long Preston.
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Long Preston work nearby than in North Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 10% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 31% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households had £48K a year before tax, below North Yorkshire’s towns (£52K) and England’s towns (£55K) alike. Driving is how 86% of commuters got to work at the census. 4% of commuters who live in Long Preston also work there. In 2026, 2.5% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot7%
Bus3%
Train1%
10%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
31%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
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
Schools
The schools around Long Preston
The town has one school, shown below. At the 2 primary schools within 3 km, 49% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Preston Endowed Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 53 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Private renting is less common in Long Preston than in North Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 9%
The middle sale price: £355K, above North Yorkshire’s towns (£261K) and England’s towns (£308K) alike. Owners make up 84% of households. Social housing holds 7% of households.
£355Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Long Preston£355K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £597,500 | 7 |
| Semi-detached | £385,000 | 9 |
| Terraced | £235,950 | 21 |
84%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£849
average private rent a month, North Yorkshire council area
£2,588
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
Burglary and damage are rarer in Long Preston than in North Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.3 per 1,000 residents a year
Over the year to August 2026, 9 offences were reported in Long Preston, along with 3 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Violent crime ran at 17.2 per 1,000 residents a year, below North Yorkshire’s towns (20) and England’s towns (22) alike. Violence and sexual offences were 100% of the crimes.
17.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual9
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social3
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.
17.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
9
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
Bad health is less common in Long Preston than in North Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.5% of residents
Disability touches 16% of Long Preston’s population. 84% of the town’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above both North Yorkshire’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%). There is no GP practice locally: the nearest is 3.7 miles off.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Long Preston | North Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.5% | 5.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 19% | 17% |
82.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.5
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
Much of Long Preston is a conservation area: 100% of its land, more than in both North Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
38% of its homes were built before 1919, higher than both North Yorkshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (16%). Long Preston’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Grade I. Scaled to its population, that is 271 listed buildings for every 10,000 people locally. Also worth knowing: the top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
21listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II20
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary the Virgin Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
38%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
271
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
An older town: 28% of people in Long Preston are 65 or over, more than in both North Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Young adults of 15 to 24 are 8.3% of residents, below both North Yorkshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%). One measure of family life: 14% of residents are under 15. Residents of Long Preston have a median age of 52.5. Two in five adults hold a degree.
52.5median age
Long PrestonNorth YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
28%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level40%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Long Preston | North Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.3% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 28% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.4% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 40% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · North Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Settle Station Signal Box and 2 more in and around Long Preston
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Long Preston. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumSettle Station Signal Box4.9 km outside town, to the north
MuseumMuseum of North Craven Life4.9 km outside town, to the northAttractionAttractionScaleber Force4 km outside town, to the north
MuseumMuseum of North Craven Life4.9 km outside town, to the northAttractionAttractionScaleber Force4 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Museum of North Craven Life: Alexander P Kapp, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Long Preston
14pages on Long Preston
The big questions
Safety17.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £355K · rent £849 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street Main StreetSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82.5 (men), 85.5 (women)Work & commute48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Famous people from Long Preston
3 notable people were born in Long Preston.
G
George LambertEnglish baritone and voice teacher in Canada (1900–1971)J
Joseph Allen HarrisCanadian politician and research chemist, discoverer of pro…Photo credits
Catharine Cappe: W.Boad?, Public domain
Long Preston’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HellifieldSettleGiggleswickGargraveBarnoldswickEarbyChatburnLong Preston
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Preston | 774 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hellifield | 1,478 | 1.6 | — | B | A | A− |
| Settle | 2,710 | 3.5 | B− | C | B+ | B+ |
| Giggleswick | 1,075 | 3.8 | — | D | A | A− |
| Gargrave | 1,502 | 6.7 | — | C+ | A | A− |
| Barnoldswick | 10,915 | 7.5 | C+ | B | B− | C |
| Earby | 4,416 | 8.6 | C | B | B− | C |
| Chatburn | 1,125 | 9.5 | — | A | B+ | A− |
Hellifield, Giggleswick, Gargrave and Chatburn have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Long Preston
How many listed buildings are there in Long Preston?
That is 11.1 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary the Virgin.
Is Long Preston expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £235,950, semi-detached houses £385,000 and detached houses £597,500. Private rents in the North Yorkshire council area averaged £849 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Long Preston?
Band D council tax in Long Preston is £2,588 for 2026–27, more than in 83% 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.
About Long Preston
Village in North Yorkshire, England
Long Preston is a built-up area of 774 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
- 774 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Craven
- County
- North Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000579
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.