Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
12,971 people call this town in West Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber home.
Todmorden’s weakest is safety (D) — police record 52.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 17.2 home and vehicle crimes. Set beside UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people, its crime per resident is higher than in 88%. Natural hazards weigh more here (D−): just over a quarter of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Prices are modest for what you get: a typical home costs £165,000 and rent runs £756 a month. Walkability is a strength too: on the way to work, 27% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. All told, that adds up to a C− overall and a rank of #78 of 91 in West Yorkshire. It comes out better than nearly a quarter of UK towns. Health outcomes fall short of most towns: life expectancy 76.1 for men, 81.1 for women.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021 · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · flood risk, Environment Agency · life expectancy, ONS.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Todmorden is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The 3 things Todmorden does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 135 buildings inside Todmorden’s built-up area, 2 of them Grade I.
58% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →135 listed buildings in Todmorden, 2 of them Grade I.
The Unitarian Church: Photo: Alexander P Kapp · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Bean Hole Head Farmhouse and Attached Barn: Photo: Humphrey Bolton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Lobb Mill Bridge: Photo: David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Canal Bridge: Photo: Vauxhall Bridgefoot · CC BY-SA 4.0
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Todmorden.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Todmorden’s land, 14% lies in conservation areas, lower than West Yorkshire’s towns (96%) yet higher than England’s towns (7%). The town’s listed buildings include The Unitarian Church, Grade I. Listed buildings per head: 104 for every 10,000 residents of the town. Historic England’s list names 135 listed buildings here: 2 Grade I, 4 Grade II*.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Between them, five primaries teach 765 pupils in Todmorden. Shade Primary School’s results beat 79% of schools in England like it. Below are two of its 5 schools, each with why it was picked. At the town’s 5 primary schools, 55% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferney Lee Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 219 | D |
| Shade Primary SchoolTop results in townPrimary | Primary | 178 | A− |
Todmorden logged 1,251 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 131 complaints of anti-social conduct. Violence and sexual offences accounted for half of recorded crime. There were 8.5 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), higher than both West Yorkshire’s towns (6.8) and England’s towns (7.8).
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.
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.
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 29% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
There are 0.5 jobs in Todmorden for each resident in work. 31% of commuters who live in Todmorden also work there. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 35%, below West Yorkshire’s towns (46%) and England’s towns (45%) alike. Household income averages £43K a year before tax.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
The nearest A&E to Todmorden is Calderdale Royal Hospital, 9.9 miles away. 21% of residents have a disability, higher than both West Yorkshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). Self-reported good health: nearly four fifths of the town’s residents. Men in Todmorden can expect to live to 76.1, women to 81.1 (2019–23).
| Census 2021 | Todmorden | West Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.2% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
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.
15% live in social housing, below both West Yorkshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). From September 2023 to August 2026, 607 homes sold inside Todmorden’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £165,000. Private renters make up just over a fifth of households.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £390,500 | 43 |
| Semi-detached | £260,000 | 91 |
| Terraced | £150,000 | 434 |
| Flat or maisonette | £136,000 | 39 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Just over a third of adults hold a degree, above West Yorkshire’s towns (30%) and close to England’s towns (34%). Those 65 and older account for a fifth of residents. Todmorden has a median age of 43.4 years.
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Todmorden | West Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.8% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.1% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
36 notable people were born in Todmorden.
John Cockcroft: Nobel foundation, Public domain · Geoffrey Wilkinson: Smokefoot, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Keith Emerson: Mari Kawaguchi, CC BY-SA 3.0 · John Helliwell: File:John Helliwell at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre 2011.jpg: Shayne Kaye derivative work: Mathonius, CC BY 2.0 · Rebecca Taylor: Keith Edkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
Town in West Yorkshire, England
Todmorden is a built-up area of 12,971 people, in the Calderdale 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
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Todmorden | 12,971 | — | C− | A | D | D |
| Summit | 1,728 | 3.7 | — | C− | — | C− |
| Weir | 1,290 | 4.1 | — | C | B | C− |
| Hebden Bridge | 5,230 | 4.1 | B | B | C | B |
| Bacup | 13,559 | 4.2 | C− | B | D | D |
| Wardle | 2,112 | 4.6 | — | D | — | B− |
| Littleborough | 12,164 | 4.8 | — | D | — | C |
| Whitworth | 6,713 | 4.8 | C− | B− | C− | C− |
Summit, Weir and Wardle have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Summit, Wardle and Littleborough have no Safety Grade: Greater Manchester Police doesn’t publish to police.uk. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
That is 4.3 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include The Unitarian Church.
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £165,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £136,000, terraced houses £150,000, semi-detached houses £260,000 and detached houses £390,500.
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.