Onley’s story
No listed buildings inside Onley’s built-up area
14% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →OnleyNorthamptonshire
The village, home to 1,667 people, lies in Northamptonshire, East Midlands.
Population
1,667
Census 2021 · West Northamptonshire council
Median age
37.9
10% are 65+ · Northamptonshire 17%
Degree level
20%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
30%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Onley a good place to live?
Onley’s strongest subject is walkability: 30% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Jobs & income is a strength too (B+): mean household income £54,628; 1.4% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Police record more crime here than in most towns: 60.6 violent and sexual offences and 3 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Against UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, it has more crime per resident than 96%. The rest of its grades are middling: B− for cost of living, B− for schools and B− for health.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · income and life expectancy, ONS · claimants, DWP · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Onley has its subject grades alone.
What makes Onley stand out
The 3 things Onley does most differently from other towns.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
Only 10% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Northamptonshire 29%.
Own outright
Housing
49% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
How Onley grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Onley is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityAmong the easiest places to get around without a carA+Open →SafetyAmong the weakest of the towns comparedDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workB+Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnB−Open →HealthLife expectancy 82 for men, 85.4 for womenB−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 24% of towns in England; secondary results beat 79% of towns in EnglandB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsC−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 2.3 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB−Open →Civic life1.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Onley.
Who lives here
Children make up only 2.4% of Onley, fewer than in both Northamptonshire’s towns and England’s towns
One in ten residents are 65 or over. Young adults of 15 to 24 are one in ten residents, below both Northamptonshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Onley has a median age of 37.9 years. Among adults, 20% have a degree.
37.9median age
OnleyNorthamptonshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
10%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level20%
Women and men · all residents
12% women, 88% men
About 13 women for every 100 men. Across England, 51% of residents are women. A large institution, such as a prison, barracks, boarding school, university or care home, can tilt a town’s split: the census counts the people living there as residents.
| Onley | Northamptonshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 2.4% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 50% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 9.7% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.9% | 6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 20% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Northamptonshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Work tends to be further away for Onley: 20% commute under 5 km, below Northamptonshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 49% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
49% of workers worked mainly from home, above Northamptonshire’s towns (26%) and England’s towns (31%) alike. About 12% of its commuters stay in Onley for work. There are 2.8 jobs in Onley for each resident in work.
30%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving62%
On foot25%
Bus2%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
20%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
49%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
1.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A+
Walkability: more walkable than 96% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
Burglary and damage are rarer in Onley than in Northamptonshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 3 per 1,000 residents a year
Over the year to August 2026, 177 offences were reported in Onley, along with 3 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 1.8 reports per 1,000, below Northamptonshire’s towns (9.5) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Violence and sexual offences made up 54% of the total.
60.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 4% 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 & sexual96
Other crime67
Public order8
Damage & arson3
Other theft1
Drugs1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social3
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.
60.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
177
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.
History
No listed buildings in Onley
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Onley has one scheduled monument. Homes from before 1919 make up 14% of the total. Historic England’s list has no building inside the town’s built-up area.
0listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
1
scheduled monument
0
registered parks and gardens
14%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B−
More households own their home in Onley than in Northamptonshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 82%
12% rent privately, below both Northamptonshire’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). Council and housing-body homes hold 5% of households. Private rents average £1,084 a month across the West Northamptonshire council area.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Onley£0K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £263,250 | 8 |
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,084
average private rent a month, West Northamptonshire council area
£2,516
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
Disability is more common in Onley than in Northamptonshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 31% of residents
8% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, higher than both Northamptonshire’s towns (4.5%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Self-reported good health: 72% of Onley’s residents. Men in Onley can expect to live to 82, women to 85.4 (2019–23). This Northamptonshire town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2 miles away.
72%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 72%Fair 20%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Onley | Northamptonshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 72% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 31% | 16% | 17% |
82
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Onley
13pages on Onley
The big questions
Out and about
Onley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
DunchurchBraunstonKilsbyRugbyCawstonClifton upon DunsmoreLong LawfordOnley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onley | 1,667 | — | — | B− | D | B− |
| Dunchurch | 2,603 | 2 | B+ | C+ | B− | A |
| Braunston | 1,519 | 2.9 | — | B− | A− | B+ |
| Kilsby | 1,341 | 3 | — | C | B | B |
| Rugby | 78,130 | 3.2 | B | B+ | C | C |
| Cawston | 6,475 | 3.3 | B | C+ | B+ | B+ |
| Clifton upon Dunsmore | 1,216 | 3.9 | — | B | A | B− |
| Long Lawford | 4,369 | 4.4 | B− | B | B− | C+ |
Braunston, Kilsby and Clifton upon Dunsmore have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Onley
Is Onley safe?
Burglary was rare, with 0 reports in the year.
Does Onley flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Onley
Village in Northamptonshire, England
Onley is a built-up area of 1,667 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
- 1,667 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Northamptonshire
- County
- Northamptonshire
- Region
- East Midlands
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003200
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.