Oundle, #1 on this list · Photo: Jonathan Thacker · CC BY-SA 2.0

Northamptonshire rankings · Walkability

Most walkable towns in Northamptonshire

Oundle ranks first on walkability among Northamptonshire’s 31 towns of 2,500+; 3 of the 31 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland sits beside each letter. How grades work

Oundle

6,252 people

Better than 92% of UK towns·#250 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Northampton

243,527 people

A⁻

Better than 82% of UK towns·#607 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Kettering

63,149 people

A⁻

Better than 75% of UK towns·#826 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

All 31 towns, ranked

Walkability grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland links to the national list.

Every town in Northamptonshire →

Find a town

31 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Oundle6,252 peopleA#250 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

2Northampton243,527 peopleA⁻#607 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 82% of UK towns

3Kettering63,149 peopleA⁻#826 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 75% of UK towns

4Daventry27,783 peopleB⁺#932 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 72% of UK towns

5Wellingborough54,421 peopleB⁺#1,145 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 66% of UK towns

6Corby68,164 peopleB#1,240 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 63% of UK towns

7Towcester11,333 peopleB⁻#1,517 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 53% of UK towns

8Brackley16,180 peopleB⁻#1,656 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 48% of UK towns

9Rushden31,689 peopleB⁻#1,666 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 48% of UK towns

10Wollaston3,564 peopleB⁻#1,722 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 46% of UK towns

11Long Buckby3,821 peopleB⁻#1,744 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 45% of UK towns

12Thrapston7,239 peopleC⁺#1,835 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 42% of UK towns

13Desborough11,899 peopleC⁺#1,896 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 39% of UK towns

14Moulton4,953 peopleC⁺#1,908 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 39% of UK towns

15Brixworth5,769 peopleC⁺#1,925 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 38% of UK towns

16Middleton Cheney4,127 peopleC⁺#1,960 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 37% of UK towns

17Raunds10,231 peopleC⁺#1,993 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 35% of UK towns

18Irthlingborough9,308 peopleC#2,018 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 34% of UK towns

19Burton Latimer10,440 peopleC#2,036 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 33% of UK towns

20Bugbrooke3,040 peopleC#2,051 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 33% of UK towns

21Rothwell8,623 peopleC#2,142 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 28% of UK towns

22Earls Barton6,067 peopleC#2,144 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 28% of UK towns

23Weedon Bec2,856 peopleC#2,162 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 27% of UK towns

24Higham Ferrers8,825 peopleC#2,184 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 26% of UK towns

25Woodford Halse4,288 peopleC#2,200 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 25% of UK towns

26Finedon4,554 peopleC⁻#2,238 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 23% of UK towns

27Deanshanger4,128 peopleC⁻#2,329 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 17% of UK towns

28Roade3,571 peopleD#2,393 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 13% of UK towns

29Irchester4,543 peopleD#2,425 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 10% of UK towns

30Weldon3,042 peopleD#2,452 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 8% of UK towns

31Silverstone2,542 peopleD⁻#2,495 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 3% of UK towns

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the most walkable town in Northamptonshire?

Oundle ranks first on walkability among 31 towns, with an A: better than 92% of UK towns. Northampton and Kettering follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers Northamptonshire’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in Northamptonshire is on the county page.

Go deeper

More Northamptonshire lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Northamptonshire rankings →

Best places to live31 towns · #1 Brixworth Best small towns20 towns · #1 Brixworth Most affordable towns31 towns · #1 Northampton Safest towns31 towns · #1 Middleton Cheney Towns with the best schools31 towns · #1 Brixworth Healthiest towns31 towns · #1 Silverstone Best towns for jobs & income31 towns · #1 Brackley Towns with the lowest flood risk31 towns · #1 Brixworth and 8 more Best towns for the outdoors31 towns · #1 Irthlingborough Most historic towns31 towns · #1 Oundle Towns with the most civic life31 towns · #1 Long Buckby Towns with the highest household incomes31 towns · #1 SilverstoneDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax31 towns · #1 DesboroughDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters31 towns · #1 Higham Ferrers and IrthlingboroughDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers31 towns · #1 Higham Ferrers and IrthlingboroughDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers31 towns · #1 Desborough and RothwellDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts31 towns · #1 NorthamptonDescribed, no letters Driest towns31 towns · #1 OundleDescribed, no letters Wettest towns31 towns · #1 Middleton CheneyDescribed, no letters

Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · 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.