Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
With 275 residents, it is a village in North Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber.
With fewer than 1,000 residents, West Tanfield is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. It has 16 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade I. Just over one in ten commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. 30% of residents are 65 or over.
The 3 things West Tanfield does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside West Tanfield’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
39% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in West Tanfield.
The middle age in West Tanfield is 53.4. People 65 and over make up 30% of the town. A third of residents 16 and over have a degree-level qualification (North Yorkshire 32%, England 34%).
52% women, 48% men
About 94 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.
| West Tanfield | North Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.3% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 33% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · North Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Key Stage 2 results at the 2 primary schools within 3 km: 29% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, West TanfieldLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 53 | D |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 29% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
86% of commuters drove, above North Yorkshire’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Household income averages £59K a year before tax. Also worth knowing: the 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 1.5%.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
47% of households own their home, lower than both North Yorkshire’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%). Private rents average £849 a month across the North Yorkshire council area. Behind the median of £337,000: 13 standard sales inside West Tanfield’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £373,000 | 7 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Violent crime ran at 15.8 per 1,000 residents a year, below both North Yorkshire’s towns (20) and England’s towns (22). A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 12 offences in West Tanfield and 1 cases of nuisance behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 67% of the crimes.
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.
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.
At the census, 20% of people here had a disability, above North Yorkshire’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. Seeing a GP means leaving West Tanfield: the nearest practice is 3.8 miles away. The nearest A&E to West Tanfield is Harrogate District Hospital, 14.9 miles away.
| Census 2021 | West Tanfield | North Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.9% | 5.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 19% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
West Tanfield’s listed buildings include the Church of St Nicholas, Grade I. Homes from before 1919 make up 39% of the total, above North Yorkshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. The top grade, Grade I, goes to 2 of them.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near West Tanfield. Best known first.
Theme parkLightwater Valley3.4 km outside town, to the southeast
GardenHackfall3.4 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionTheakston Brewery Visitor Centre4.5 km outside town, to the northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Tanfield | 275 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Masham | 1,112 | 3 | — | C | B | A |
| Bedale | 3,289 | 5.5 | A− | B | C | B |
| Ripon | 16,593 | 5.6 | A− | A− | B− | C+ |
| Aiskew | 1,759 | 6.1 | — | B | B+ | B |
| Leeming | 1,712 | 6.7 | — | B+ | A+ | A |
| Leeming Bar | 1,063 | 7 | — | A− | C− | B+ |
| Dishforth | 1,266 | 8 | — | A− | A | A− |
Masham, Aiskew, Leeming, Leeming Bar and Dishforth have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 23.9 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Church of St Nicholas. It also has 1 scheduled monument.
Band D council tax in West Tanfield is £2,526 for 2026–27, more than in 70% 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.
Village in North Yorkshire, England
West Tanfield is a built-up area of 275 people, in the Hambleton 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
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.