Askern’s story
No listed buildings inside Askern’s built-up area
24% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
AskernSouth Yorkshire
5,439 people live in this town in South Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Ian S · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
5,439
Census 2021 · Doncaster council
Median home
£121K
166 sales in 3 years
Median age
36.1
14% are 65+ · South Yorkshire 18%
Degree level
18%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
17%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
D
#60 of 63 in South Yorkshire
Is Askern a good place to live?
Several subjects drag its grade down. Askern ranks #60 of 63 in South Yorkshire, with a D overall. It comes out better than a tenth of UK towns. Crime runs high: 63.6 violent and sexual offences and 31.8 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Cost of living is its strong suit — a typical home costs £121,000 and rent runs £694 a month. Jobs & income is weaker too (D−) — mean household income £42,218; 4.4% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Pupils here do less well than most: primary results beat 6% of towns in England; secondary results beat 12% of towns in England.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · income, ONS · claimants, DWP.
What makes Askern stand out
The 3 things Askern does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
56% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
South Yorkshire 27%.
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results trail 94%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 12%. Department for Education.
How Askern grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Askern is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentD−Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedD−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 6% of towns in England; secondary results beat 12% of towns in EnglandDOpen →Cost of livingMedian sale £121,000, 2.8 years of area incomeAOpen →HealthLife expectancy 78.3 for men, 81.3 for womenDOpen →Walkability17% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transportB+Open →Hazard risk0.1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildings; 24% of homes built before 1919C−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 8.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsBOpen →Civic life0.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 94% live within 1 km of a libraryB−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Askern.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Askern than in South Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 18% of adults
The middle age in Askern is 36.1. Children under 15 count for 21% of the people here. People 65 and over make up 14% of the town, lower than both South Yorkshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%).
36.1median age
AskernSouth YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
13%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications29%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level18%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Askern | South Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 21% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 13% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 27% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 29% | 22% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.1% | 6.2% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 18% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · South Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsD
Results at Askern’s schools trail 95% of towns in England
One of its 3 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Nearly half of pupils at the 4 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Some 536 pupils attend Askern’s three primaries.
DSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spa Academy AskernLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 253 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 3 schools →
Safety
Per resident, Askern sees more crime than 99% of UK towns
Police figures for Askern’s built-up area: 756 crimes and 109 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. There were 22.3 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), above both South Yorkshire’s towns (13.4) and England’s towns (7.8). 46% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
63.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearD−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 1% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual348
Other theft103
Damage & arson65
Public order60
Vehicle crime51
Other crime49
Shoplifting34
Burglary19
Anti-social109
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.
63.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
31.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
22.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
756
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.
HousingCost of living grade A
Fewer households own their home in Askern than in South Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 50%
Renting privately is how just over a quarter of households live. 23% live in social housing, above South Yorkshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Askern is the cheapest of the 63 towns in South Yorkshire: its median sale is £121,000.
£121Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Askern£121K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £200,000 | 23 |
| Semi-detached | £130,000 | 76 |
| Terraced | £100,000 | 65 |
50%
of households own their home · England 61%
26%
rent privately · England 21%
£694
average private rent a month, Doncaster council area
£2,236
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
Bad health is more common in Askern than in South Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 8.8% of residents
Nearly a quarter of residents have a disability, higher than both South Yorkshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (17%). Self-reported good health: three quarters of Askern’s residents. Women here live to 81.3 on average and men to 78.3 (2019–23). The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 0.3 miles away.
75%good or very good healthDHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 75%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 9%
| Census 2021 | Askern | South Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 75% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.8% | 6.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 21% | 17% |
78.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Askern keeps more of its old housing than South Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 24% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list has no building inside Askern’s built-up area.
0listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
24%
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
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Commuters in Askern travel far: only 19% go under 5 km, fewer than in South Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 11% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, just over one in ten workers worked mainly from home. Work in town: 7% of resident commuters. Driving is how 80% of commuters got to work at the census.
17%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving80%
On foot8%
Bus7%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
19%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
11%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£42K
mean household income, before tax
4.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B+
Walkability: more walkable than 65% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Askern
13pages on Askern
The big questions
SafetyD−63.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingAMedian home £121K · rent £694 a monthHousing55 sold in 12 months · busiest street Alfred RoadSchoolsD3 state schoolsHealthDLife expectancy 78.3 (men), 81.3 (women)Work & commuteD−33% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Askern’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
CampsallNortonAdwick le StreetToll BarArkseyBentleyKirk Sandall and EdenthorpeAskern
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Askern | 5,439 | — | D | A | D− | D |
| Campsall | 1,879 | 1.1 | — | A | C− | C− |
| Norton | 2,304 | 1.6 | — | A− | B | C− |
| Adwick le Street | 18,326 | 3 | C− | A | D− | D |
| Toll Bar | 1,213 | 3.2 | — | A | D− | D− |
| Arksey | 1,578 | 4.1 | — | A | A− | C− |
| Bentley | 12,044 | 4.7 | C− | A | D− | D− |
| Kirk Sandall and Edenthorpe | 13,090 | 5 | B | A− | C | C+ |
Campsall, Norton, Toll Bar and Arksey have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Askern
Is Askern expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £121,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £100,000, semi-detached houses £130,000 and detached houses £200,000.
Are schools in Askern good?
Askern has 3 state schools; places are handled by Doncaster council.
About Askern
Town in South Yorkshire, England
Askern is a built-up area of 5,439 people, in the Doncaster 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
- 5,439 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Doncaster
- County
- South Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001062
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.