Barford St Michael’s story
26 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Barford St Michael’s built-up area.
18% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Barford St MichaelOxfordshire
557 people live in this village in Oxfordshire, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Ian Rob · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
557
Census 2021 · Cherwell council
Median home
£473K
22 sales in 3 years
Median age
50
25% are 65+ · Oxfordshire 18%
Degree level
48%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Barford St Michael a good place to live?
Barford St Michael has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry just over one in ten commuters. 26 buildings are listed here, 1 at Grade I. The median sale price is £472,500.
What makes Barford St Michael stand out
The 3 things Barford St Michael does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Michael; 19.2 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.7 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Barford St Michael.
Work & commute
Work tends to be further away for Barford St Michael: 12% commute under 5 km, below Oxfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
11%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 40% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Household income came to £73K a year before tax, above Oxfordshire’s towns (£70K) and England’s towns (£55K) alike. Nearly nine in ten commuters drove to work at the census. Work in town: 4% of resident commuters. The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 0.9%.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot5%
Train3%
Bicycle2%
Underground, tram1%
12%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
40%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£73K
mean household income, before tax
0.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Most households in Barford St Michael own their home: 86%, more than in Oxfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
£473Kmedian sale
2% live in social housing, lower than both Oxfordshire’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Renting privately is how just over one in ten households live. Private rents average £1,304 a month across the Cherwell council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Barford St Michael£473K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £525,000 | 10 |
| Semi-detached | £442,500 | 6 |
| Terraced | £271,000 | 6 |
86%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,304
average private rent a month, Cherwell council area
£2,511
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Violence is recorded less often in Barford St Michael than in Oxfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.2 per 1,000 residents a year
4.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Over the year to August 2026, 6 offences were reported in Barford St Michael. Homes see 3 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 0.6 reports per 1,000, below Oxfordshire’s towns (4.8) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Also worth knowing: of all the crimes, 17% were violence and sexual offences.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Other theft2
Burglary2
Violence & sexual1
Public order1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social0
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.
4.2
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
0.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
6
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
Just 2% of people in Barford St Michael say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Oxfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
88%good or very good health
Asked at the census, 88% of residents of Barford St Michael said they were in good or very good health. At the census, 15% of people here had a disability, about level with Oxfordshire’s towns (15%) and below England’s towns (17%). The nearest A&E to Barford St Michael is Horton General Hospital, 4.6 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | Barford St Michael | Oxfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 86% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2% | 3.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
81.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More buildings in Barford St Michael are listed than in Oxfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 467 per 10,000 residents
26listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Barford St Michael’s listed buildings include the Church of St Michael, Grade I. Of the town’s land, 56% lies in conservation areas, above both Oxfordshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (7%). The pre-1919 share of homes is 18%. At the top of the list, 1 are Grade I and 1 Grade II*.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II24
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Michael Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
18%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
467
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Barford St Michael is a graduates’ town: 48% hold a degree, more than in Oxfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
50median age
People aged 15 to 24 are a tenth of the population. A quarter of residents are 65 or over, above Oxfordshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. The under-15s are 16% of the population here. Line up the people of Barford St Michael by age and the one in the middle is 50.
Barford St MichaelOxfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications8%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level48%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
About 108 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Barford St Michael | Oxfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 18% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 8.1% | 14% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.2% | 4.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 48% | 42% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Oxfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Barford St Michael
13pages on Barford St Michael
The big questions
Safety4.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £473K · rent £1,304 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street The GreenSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.6 (men), 85 (women)Work & commute54% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
About Barford St Michael
Village in Oxfordshire, England
Barford St Michael is a built-up area of 557 people, in the Cherwell 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
- 557 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Cherwell
- County
- Oxfordshire
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003978
Barford St Michael’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BloxhamDeddingtonAdderbury and TwyfordBodicoteMiddle BartonKings SuttonHook NortonBarford St Michael
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barford St Michael | 557 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bloxham | 3,681 | 1.9 | B+ | C | B− | A |
| Deddington | 1,769 | 1.9 | — | C− | A | A− |
| Adderbury and Twyford | 3,318 | 3.1 | B+ | C− | A | A− |
| Bodicote | 4,752 | 3.7 | A− | C+ | B+ | A |
| Middle Barton | 1,762 | 4.2 | — | C+ | A+ | A |
| Kings Sutton | 2,306 | 4.7 | — | C | A− | A− |
| Hook Norton | 2,188 | 5 | — | C− | A− | A+ |
Deddington, Middle Barton, Kings Sutton and Hook Norton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Barford St Michael
How many listed buildings are there in Barford St Michael?
That is 19.2 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Michael.
Is Barford St Michael expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £271,000, semi-detached houses £442,500 and detached houses £525,000.
How much is council tax in Barford St Michael?
Band D council tax in Barford St Michael is £2,511 for 2026–27, more than in 67% 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.
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.