Wheldrake’s story
24 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Wheldrake’s built-up area.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WheldrakeNorth Yorkshire
A village of 1,955 in North Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Pauline E · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,955
Census 2021 · York council
Median home
£425K
74 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.3
25% are 65+ · North Yorkshire 22%
Degree level
47%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
15%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Wheldrake a good place to live?
Wheldrake has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (A+): 8.4 violent and sexual offences and 2.1 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is cost of living (D): median sale £425,000, 8 years of area income; rent £1,199 a month.
What makes Wheldrake stand out
The 3 things Wheldrake does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
24 listed buildings
1 Grade I, including Church of Saint Helen; 5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
96%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
Less crime than 96%
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
15% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
How Wheldrake grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Wheldrake is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyA+Open →Cost of livingDOpen →Jobs & income0.9% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsA−Open →HealthLife expectancy 81.5 for men, 83.2 for womenA−Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 54% of towns in EnglandBOpen →WalkabilityB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBOpen →Outdoors72% live within 400 m of a park; 1.4 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsD−Open →Civic life5.6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Wheldrake.
Safety
Per resident, Wheldrake sees less crime than 98% of UK towns
Wheldrake logged 16 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 4 complaints of anti-social conduct. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 2.7 reports per 1,000, below North Yorkshire’s towns (10.4) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Also worth knowing: 63% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
8.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 96% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual10
Public order2
Damage & arson1
Burglary1
Drugs1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Other theft0
Anti-social4
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.
8.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
16
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.
SchoolsB
Wheldrake’s schools outperform 56% of towns in England on results
Its one school is below. 62% of pupils at the 3 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). 161 pupils attend Wheldrake’s one primary school.
BSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheldrake with Thorganby Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 161 | C+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade D
Wheldrake is a town of owners: 89% of households own their home, above North Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Council and housing-body homes hold 5% of households. 7% rent privately, lower than both North Yorkshire’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). 74 standard sales inside Wheldrake’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £425,000.
£425Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Wheldrake£425K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £470,000 | 55 |
| Semi-detached | £300,000 | 15 |
89%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,199
average private rent a month, York council area
£2,320
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
Just 2.8% of people in Wheldrake say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in both North Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
86% of Wheldrake’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above North Yorkshire’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. Disability touches 14% of the town’s population. There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 2.1 miles off.
86%good or very good healthA−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Wheldrake | North Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.8% | 5.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 19% | 17% |
81.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.2
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
More of the land in Wheldrake is conservation area than in North Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 29%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them. Wheldrake’s listed buildings include the Church of Saint Helen, Grade I. Per 10,000 residents, Wheldrake counts 123 listed buildings, higher than both North Yorkshire’s towns (58) and England’s towns (39). 11% of homes were built before 1919.
24listed buildingsBHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II23
Among them · Grade I
- Church of Saint Helen Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
11%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
123
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Fewer commuters in Wheldrake work nearby than in North Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 15% travel under 5 km
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.
Households had £62K a year before tax, higher than both North Yorkshire’s towns (£52K) and England’s towns (£55K). 82% of commuters drove to work at the census. Of the commuters living in Wheldrake, 9% work in the town itself. The census counted 44% of workers working mainly from home.
15%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving82%
On foot8%
Bicycle5%
Bus1%
15%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
44%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£62K
mean household income, before tax
0.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 54% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
Degrees are more common in Wheldrake than in North Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 47% of adults
25% of residents have reached 65. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 9.8% of residents, below both North Yorkshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%). Half the people of Wheldrake are older than 48.3.
48.3median age
WheldrakeNorth YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level47%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 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.
| Wheldrake | North Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.8% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.9% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 47% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · North Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wheldrake
14pages on Wheldrake
The big questions
SafetyA+8.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £425K · rent £1,199 a monthHousing21 sold in 12 months · busiest street Main StreetSchoolsB1 state schoolHealthA−Life expectancy 81.5 (men), 83.2 (women)Work & commuteA−58% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB+0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Wheldrake’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ElvingtonHeslingtonDunningtonWilberfossNorth DuffieldOsbaldwickBishopthorpeWheldrake
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheldrake | 1,955 | — | — | D | A+ | A− |
| Elvington | 1,271 | 2.1 | — | C− | A+ | A− |
| Heslington | 1,787 | 4.7 | — | B | A+ | A− |
| Dunnington | 3,256 | 4.7 | A+ | D | A+ | B+ |
| Wilberfoss | 2,015 | 4.8 | — | B+ | A | B+ |
| North Duffield | 1,305 | 4.9 | — | B− | A+ | A− |
| Osbaldwick | 2,313 | 5 | — | C− | B | B− |
| Bishopthorpe | 3,333 | 5.7 | A | D | A+ | A |
Elvington, Heslington, Wilberfoss, North Duffield and Osbaldwick have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Wheldrake
How many listed buildings are there in Wheldrake?
That is 5 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of Saint Helen.
Is Wheldrake expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £425,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £300,000 and detached houses £470,000.
About Wheldrake
Village in North Yorkshire, England
Wheldrake is a built-up area of 1,955 people, in the York 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
- 1,955 (Census 2021)
- Council
- York
- County
- North Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000670
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.