Melsonby’s story
26 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Melsonby’s built-up area.
33% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
MelsonbyNorth Yorkshire
Some 705 people live in this village, in North Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Gordon Hatton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
705
Census 2021 · Richmondshire council
Median home
£260K
19 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.6
25% are 65+ · North Yorkshire 22%
Degree level
45%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Melsonby a good place to live?
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Melsonby has none; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 8% of commuters. 26 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. It skews older: a quarter of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Melsonby stand out
The 3 things Melsonby does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St James; 15.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
25% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Melsonby.
Who lives here
More people in Melsonby hold a degree than in North Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 45%
13% are under 15, lower than both North Yorkshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 11% of the town. Melsonby has a median age of 50.6.
50.6median age
MelsonbyNorth YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications10%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level45%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Melsonby | North Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 10% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.3% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 45% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · North Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Melsonby
There is one school here; it is shown below. The town’s primary school has 32 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melsonby Methodist Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 32 | – |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Under 5 km to work: 13% in Melsonby, fewer than in North Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 36% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
36% of workers worked mainly from home, above both North Yorkshire’s towns (27%) and England’s towns (31%). Driving is how 88% of commuters got to work at the census. About 3% of its commuters stay in Melsonby for work. The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 1.5%.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot5%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
Train1%
13%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
36%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£58K
mean household income, before tax
1.5%
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
Housing
Melsonby is a town of owners: 77% of households own their home, above North Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Private renters make up 15% of households, below both North Yorkshire’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). The social rented sector houses 8% of households. The median sale, £260,000, comes from 19 standard sales inside Melsonby’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
£260Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Melsonby£260K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £357,000 | 8 |
| Terraced | £278,100 | 7 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
15%
rent privately · England 21%
£849
average private rent a month, North Yorkshire council area
£2,530
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
Homes in Melsonby see less burglary and damage than in North Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 2.4 per 1,000 a year
There were 3.8 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both North Yorkshire’s towns (10.4) and England’s towns (7.8). The violent crime rate is 9 per 1,000 residents a year. Reported offences in Melsonby came to 7 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 1. Violence and sexual offences made up 71% of the total.
9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual5
Other theft1
Drugs1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Burglary0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social1
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.
9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
7
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 Melsonby than in North Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.6% of residents
13% of residents have a disability, below North Yorkshire’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. Self-reported good health: 87% of Melsonby’s residents. Seeing a GP means leaving Melsonby: the nearest practice is 1.8 miles away.
87%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Melsonby | North Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.6% | 5.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 19% | 17% |
81.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
Melsonby is rich in listed buildings: 369 per 10,000 residents, more than in North Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Melsonby’s land, 37% lies in conservation areas, above North Yorkshire’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (7%) alike. A third of homes date from before 1919. Grade II* covers 1 of them.
26listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II25
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St James Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
33%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
369
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Melsonby
12pages on Melsonby
The big questions
Safety9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £260K · rent £849 a monthHousing5 sold in 12 months · busiest street Moor RoadSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 81.9 (men), 85.8 (women)Work & commute52% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards2.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Melsonby’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
RichmondBrompton-on-SwaleGainfordScortonHurworth-on-TeesCatterick GarrisonDarlingtonMelsonby
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melsonby | 705 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Richmond | 8,076 | 4.6 | B+ | B | C+ | B |
| Brompton-on-Swale | 1,899 | 5.5 | — | B+ | B | B− |
| Gainford | 1,127 | 5.5 | — | B− | A− | C+ |
| Scorton | 1,011 | 6.1 | — | B− | A | B− |
| Hurworth-on-Tees | 2,667 | 6.4 | B | B | B+ | B− |
| Catterick Garrison | 14,212 | 6.7 | B | A | B− | C− |
| Darlington | 93,022 | 7 | C+ | A | D | C− |
Brompton-on-Swale, Gainford and Scorton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Melsonby
How many listed buildings are there in Melsonby?
That is 15.1 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Melsonby?
Band D council tax in Melsonby is £2,530 for 2026–27, more than in 71% 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 Melsonby
Village in North Yorkshire, England
Melsonby is a built-up area of 705 people, in the Richmondshire 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
- 705 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Richmondshire
- County
- North Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000363
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.