Hartwell’s story
9 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Hartwell’s built-up area.
9% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HartwellNorthamptonshire
The village has 1,493 residents and lies in Northamptonshire, East Midlands.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: John Eggins · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,493
Census 2021 · West Northamptonshire council
Median home
£305K
53 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.7
20% are 65+ · Northamptonshire 17%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Hartwell a good place to live?
Schools are its strong suit (A+): primary results beat 93% of towns in England. Few people walk, cycle or take the bus to work: one in ten commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Homes sell for a median £305,000, about 5.4 years of what households in the West Northamptonshire council area earn. The rest of its grades are middling: C+ for safety and B− for health.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes and life expectancy, ONS · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so Hartwell is graded subject by subject only.
What makes Hartwell stand out
The 3 things Hartwell does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% 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 John the Baptist; 2.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results beat 93%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Department for Education.
How Hartwell grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Hartwell is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 93% of towns in EnglandA+Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carC−Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work beat most townsB+Open →SafetyAbout average among the towns comparedC+Open →HealthLife expectancy 81 for men, 84.8 for womenB−Open →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryLess recorded history than most townsCOpen →Outdoors59% live within 400 m of a park; 1.2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life0.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryD−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hartwell.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Work tends to be further away for Hartwell: 14% commute under 5 km, below Northamptonshire’s towns and 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.
The car took 88% of commuters, above Northamptonshire’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Household income averages £64K a year before tax. Of the commuters living in Hartwell, 9% work in the town itself. Unemployment benefit claims reached 1.4% of 16 to 64s in 2026.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot7%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
14%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
36%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£64K
mean household income, before tax
1.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 24% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
The Church of St John the Baptist (Grade II*) heads Hartwell’s short list of listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Hartwell has 9 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade II*. 9% of its homes were built before 1919.
9listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II8
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St John the Baptist Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
9%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
60
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Violent crime runs high in Hartwell: 28.8 per 1,000 residents a year, above Northamptonshire’s towns and England’s towns
Homes see 6.9 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 62 crimes inside Hartwell’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 24 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 71% of the crimes. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Hartwell has more crime per resident than 76% of them.
28.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 24% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual44
Other theft6
Public order3
Damage & arson2
Drugs2
Vehicle crime2
Shoplifting1
Theft from person1
Anti-social24
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.
28.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
62
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
Disability is more common in Hartwell than in Northamptonshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 19% of residents
The nearest A&E to Hartwell is Northampton General Hospital, 6.2 miles away. Seeing a GP means leaving Hartwell: the nearest practice is 3.3 miles away. Men in Hartwell can expect to live to 81, women to 84.8 (2019–23).
82%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Hartwell | Northamptonshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.4% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
81
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
HousingCost of living grade B−
Most households in Hartwell own their home: 82%, more than in Northamptonshire’s towns or across England’s towns
9% live in social housing, below both Northamptonshire’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,084 a month across the West Northamptonshire council area. The median sale, £305,000, comes from 53 standard sales inside Hartwell’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
£305Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Hartwell£305K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £445,000 | 21 |
| Semi-detached | £274,000 | 26 |
| Terraced | £249,000 | 6 |
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,084
average private rent a month, West Northamptonshire council area
£2,523
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Hartwell has fewer young adults than Northamptonshire’s towns or England’s towns: 7.7% are 15 to 24
Half of Hartwell is older than 44.7, half younger. People 65 and over make up 20% of the town, above both Northamptonshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Degrees are held by 30% of adults.
44.7median age
HartwellNorthamptonshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Hartwell | Northamptonshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.7% | 6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Northamptonshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →The Canal Museum and 2 more in and around Hartwell
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Hartwell. Best known first.
MuseumThe Canal Museum3.8 km outside town, to the westAttractionAttractionGo Ape800 m outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumPiddington Roman Villa museum3.9 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- The Canal Museum: Chris Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hartwell
14pages on Hartwell
The big questions
SafetyC+28.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £305K · rent £1,084 a monthHousing11 sold in 12 months · busiest street StonewaySchoolsA+HealthB−Life expectancy 81 (men), 84.8 (women)Work & commuteB+56% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Hartwell’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
RoadeHanslopeCastlethorpeBlisworthYardley GobionCollingtree and Milton MalsorPotterspuryHartwell
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartwell | 1,493 | — | — | B− | C+ | B− |
| Roade | 3,571 | 2 | A | B− | B+ | B |
| Hanslope | 2,161 | 2.5 | — | C+ | C | A− |
| Castlethorpe | 1,112 | 4 | — | C+ | B+ | A− |
| Blisworth | 1,603 | 4 | — | C+ | B+ | B |
| Yardley Gobion | 1,283 | 4 | — | C | A+ | B |
| Collingtree and Milton Malsor | 1,514 | 4.4 | — | C | C− | A− |
| Potterspury | 1,637 | 5 | — | C+ | B− | B+ |
Hanslope, Castlethorpe, Blisworth, Yardley Gobion, Collingtree and Milton Malsor and Potterspury have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Hartwell
Are schools in Hartwell good?
Primary results beat 93% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). Places are handled by West Northamptonshire council.
How many listed buildings are there in Hartwell?
That is 2.5 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Hartwell safe?
Burglary was rare, with 0 reports in the year.
About Hartwell
Village in Northamptonshire, England
Hartwell is a built-up area of 1,493 people, in the West Northamptonshire 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
- 1,493 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Northamptonshire
- County
- Northamptonshire
- Region
- East Midlands
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003590
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.