Oswaldkirk’s story
6 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Oswaldkirk’s built-up area.
51% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
OswaldkirkNorth Yorkshire
The village has 233 residents and lies in North Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Pauline E · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
233
Census 2021 · Ryedale council
Median home
£348K
12 sales in 3 years
Median age
55.8
33% are 65+ · North Yorkshire 22%
Degree level
55%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Oswaldkirk a good place to live?
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Oswaldkirk has none; the figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 9% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Just over half of its homes date from before 1919. Over-65s are a third of the population.
What makes Oswaldkirk stand out
The 3 things Oswaldkirk 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
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
33% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Oswaldkirk.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Oswaldkirk: 33% are 65 or over, above North Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Those aged 15 to 24 account for 7.3% of residents. Children under 15 make up 13%, below North Yorkshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. The median resident of Oswaldkirk is 55.8 years old. Among adults, 55% have a degree.
55.8median age
OswaldkirkNorth YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
33%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications9%
Apprenticeship3%
A levels or similar11%
Degree level55%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Oswaldkirk | North Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.3% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 10% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 36% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 8.9% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.5% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 11% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 55% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · North Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Only 25% of Oswaldkirk’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 44% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
88% of commuters drove to work at the census. Unemployment benefit claims came to 0.9% of 16 to 64s in 2026, below both North Yorkshire’s towns (1.8%) and England’s towns (2.3%). The average household earns £46K a year before tax.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot5%
Train2%
Bicycle2%
25%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
44%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£46K
mean household income, before tax
0.9%
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
Oswaldkirk is a town of owners: 86% of households own their home, above North Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Private tenants account for 12% of households. 2% live in social housing, lower than both North Yorkshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). Half of the 12 standard sales inside Oswaldkirk’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £347,500.
£348Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Oswaldkirk£348K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £399,995 | 7 |
86%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£849
average private rent a month, North Yorkshire council area
£2,520
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
Oswaldkirk records less violent crime per resident than North Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 1.4 per 1,000 a year
Police figures for Oswaldkirk’s built-up area: 6 crimes and 5 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Homes saw 5.7 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, below both North Yorkshire’s towns (7.4) and England’s towns (9.4). Violence and sexual offences accounted for 17% of recorded crime.
1.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Drugs2
Violence & sexual1
Damage & arson1
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Burglary0
Anti-social5
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.
1.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
6
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 2.6% of people in Oswaldkirk say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in North Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
There is no GP practice in Oswaldkirk: the nearest is 2.4 miles off. At the census, 14% of people here had a disability, below North Yorkshire’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. Self-reported good health: 86% of the town’s residents. The nearest A&E to Oswaldkirk is The York Hospital, 16.3 miles away.
86%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Oswaldkirk | North Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.6% | 5.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 19% | 17% |
81.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Oswaldkirk is rich in listed buildings: 258 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.
Oswaldkirk has 6 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 2 Grade II*. Homes from before 1919 make up just over half of the total, higher than both North Yorkshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (16%).
6listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*2
Grade II4
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of Saint Oswald Grade II*
- Oswaldkirk Hall Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
51%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
258
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Helmsley Castle and 6 more in and around Oswaldkirk
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Oswaldkirk. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageHelmsley Castle4.5 km outside town, to the north
CastleGilling Castle2.2 km outside town, to the southwest
Abbey or prioryAmpleforth Abbey1.9 km outside town, to the west
Historic house · National TrustNunnington Hall4.2 km outside town, to the east
Historic houseDuncombe Park4.1 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttractionNational Centre for Birds of Prey4.4 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Helmsley Castle: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gilling Castle: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ampleforth Abbey: martin dawes, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nunnington Hall: Wehha, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Duncombe Park: Kognos, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Oswaldkirk
13pages on Oswaldkirk
The big questions
Safety1.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £348K · rent £849 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.8 (men), 84.9 (women)Work & commute60% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Oswaldkirk’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
AmpleforthHelmsleyKirkbymoorsideEasingwoldHuby (Hambleton)MaltonPickeringOswaldkirk
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oswaldkirk | 233 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ampleforth | 1,239 | 2.3 | — | D− | A | A− |
| Helmsley | 1,345 | 3 | — | D− | B− | B+ |
| Kirkbymoorside | 2,763 | 6.5 | C | C | C+ | A− |
| Easingwold | 5,036 | 8.1 | B | C | C+ | B+ |
| Huby (Hambleton) | 1,056 | 9 | — | D | A+ | A− |
| Malton | 6,320 | 11 | C− | D | C+ | C |
| Pickering | 7,260 | 11 | C | D | C+ | B− |
Ampleforth, Helmsley and Huby (Hambleton) have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Oswaldkirk
How many listed buildings are there in Oswaldkirk?
That is 10.6 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Oswaldkirk expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £347,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the North Yorkshire council area averaged £849 a month in August 2026.
About Oswaldkirk
Village in North Yorkshire, England
Oswaldkirk is a built-up area of 233 people, in the Ryedale 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
- 233 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Ryedale
- County
- North Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000465
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.