It has one public house, the Blacksmiths Arms and a small sub post office which also contains Naburn Reading Rooms where the parish council and local history society meet.
Naburn was the site of Naburn Hospital, a psychiatric hospital (formerly York City Asylum), until its closure in 1988. The site also included a maternity hospital.
Naburn was badly affected by the flooding of 2001 which resulted in several houses nearest to Howden Beck being flooded.
According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 470. Prior to 1996 it had been part of the Selby district.