According to the 2021 United Kingdom census, High Wycombe's built up area has a population of 127,856, making it the largest town in the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire.

[7] High Wycombe remained a mill town through Medieval and Tudor times, manufacturing lace and linen cloth.

[8] Many terraced workers' houses were built to the east and west of town to accommodate those working in the furniture factories.

A slum clearance scheme was initiated by the council in 1932, whereby many areas were completely demolished and the residents rehoused in new estates that sprawled above the town on the valley slopes.

Two shopping centres were built (the Octagon in 1970 and the Chilterns' in the 1980s) along with many new multi-storey car parks, office blocks, flyovers and roundabouts.

High Wycombe comprises a number of suburbs including Booker, Bowerdean, Castlefield, Cressex, Daws Hill, Green Street, Holmers Farm, Micklefield, Sands, Terriers, Totteridge, Downley and Wycombe Marsh, as well as some nearby villages: Hazlemere and Tylers Green.

Although situated in the county of Buckinghamshire, which is one of the most affluent parts of the country,[12] Wycombe contains some considerably deprived areas.

[30][31] The situation was partially simplified in 1880 when the local board was abolished and the borough boundaries were extended to cover the more built-up parts of Chepping Wycombe parish.

At the beginning and end of each year of service, the mayor is weighed in full view of the public to see whether or not he or she has gained weight, presumably at the taxpayers' expense.

High Wycombe has been featured in the national media in recent years for a number of different reasons, including seasonal coverage of the local library's refusal to display a Christmas carol service poster[42] and other stories such as the triple shooting[43] of three young Asian men, a small-scale riot between feuding families and gangs in which knives, metal poles, and an axe were used[44] whilst a gunman sprayed bullets; and the shooting and murder of Natasha Derby at point-blank range in the middle of a busy dance floor at a town centre venue.

King's Wood to the north of the town was cordoned off for four months to be searched by police, and many suspicious items were allegedly found including explosives, detonators, weapons and hate tapes.

On 21 December 2009, heavy snowfall hit the town, paralysing its road network (which is mainly on steep hills), and causing major disruption to refuse services for several weeks.

Staff and customers of the John Lewis department store were stranded overnight, leading to national news reports and interviews from GMTV and other radio stations on the morning of 22 December.

Major destinations include Reading, Slough, Aylesbury, Heathrow Airport, Maidenhead, Amersham, Chesham, Uxbridge, Beaconsfield Gerrards Cross and Hemel Hempstead.

Services run to the town centre, passing the railway station, High Wycombe Coachway which is served by coach services such as: the Airline, Harlequin Travel, Countryside Coaches and Apple Travel which go to places like Maidenhead, Oxford, Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport and Farnham .

The High Street (pedestrianised in the early 1990s) has a number of 18th and 19th century buildings, and ends at the colonnaded Guildhall that was built in 1757 by Henry Keene, funded by the Earl of Shelburne, and renovated in 1859.

There is a museum on Priory Avenue in the town centre situated on its own grounds and including a Norman castle mound.

Construction work was due to start in September 2008, on what would have become England's third and largest indoor real snow ski centre.

[92] Hughenden Manor borders the northern urban fringe of High Wycombe, approximately two miles (three kilometres) from the centre of town.

The three-floor mansion is situated in its own extensive grounds with beautifully landscaped gardens which back into the attractive Chiltern countryside.

Since its installation, the lion has been replaced several times and has had to undergo extensive repair due to damage from both the elements and human interference.

Another notable landmark is the ruins of the Hospital of St John the Baptist,[93] which is located on Easton Street, just east of the town centre opposite the Rye parkland, and dates to the 12th century.

The River Wye runs through the valley, where beech trees were cut down by the chair industry to forming the town centre (circa 1700), with housing along the slopes (some areas are still surrounded by woods).

The two largest sites belong to the companies Swan (tobacco papers, filters and matches) and Verco (office furniture), who until 2004 sponsored the local football team, Wycombe Wanderers.

Hollywell Mead, an open swimming pool site in the town's Rye Park, closed in March 2009 due to high running costs[96] and was mothballed.

[99] There is a large leisure centre to the south of town at the top of Marlow Hill, close to the Handy Cross roundabout.

There are many different housing areas within the town, some of which such as the Castlefield district have gained a bad reputation for crime and drug-related problems.

They have been managed by a number of high-profile football figures, including Martin O'Neill, Lawrie Sanchez, Tony Adams, and Gareth Ainsworth.

The Wasps rugby union team also played at Adams Park for home games between the 2002–03 season and December 2014, the club's most successful spell.

[110] The club has a significant success record, with 9 Home Counties Premier Cricket League championship titles to their name.