Hurst’s story
10 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Hurst’s built-up area.
23% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HurstBerkshire
A village of 1,009 in Berkshire, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Brendan and Ruth McCartney · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,009
Census 2021 · Wokingham council
Median home
£782K
29 sales in 3 years
Median age
47.1
18% are 65+ · Berkshire 15%
Degree level
52%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Hurst a good place to live?
Hurst has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is jobs & income (A+): mean household income £82,673; 1.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Its weakest is hazard risk (C): 0.9% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. The median home sold for £782,000 in the last three years, 10 times what households in the Wokingham council area earn in a year.
What makes Hurst stand out
The 3 things Hurst does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.8 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Hurst Lodge; 4.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
12% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
How Hurst grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Hurst is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Jobs & incomeA+Open →HealthLife expectancy 82 for men, 86.3 for womenA+Open →SafetyAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 66% of towns in England; secondary results beat 93% of towns in EnglandA−Open →Hazard riskCOpen →Walkability12% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transportC+Open →Cost of livingrent £1,466 a monthB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBOpen →Outdoors68% live within 400 m of a park; 5.1 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hurst.
Health
Just 0.9% of people in Hurst say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Berkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Men in Hurst can expect to live to 82, women to 86.3 (2019–23). Disability touches 10% of the town’s population. At the census, 91% of people in Hurst called their health good or very good, above both Berkshire’s towns (87%) and England’s towns (82%). Seeing a GP means leaving Hurst: the nearest practice is 1.5 miles away.
91%good or very good healthA+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 91%Fair 8%Bad or very bad 1%
| Census 2021 | Hurst | Berkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 91% | 87% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 0.9% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 10% | 13% | 17% |
82
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.3
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.
SchoolsA−
Exam results at Hurst’s schools top 84% of towns in England
Below is its only school. St Nicholas Church of England Primary, Hurst’s results beat 77% of schools in England like it. GCSE results at the 4 secondary schools within 3 km: 64% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 55.3.
A−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Nicholas Church of England Primary, HurstLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 138 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Violent crime runs low in Hurst: 10.2 per 1,000 residents a year, under Berkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Burglary and damage came to 7.3 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Berkshire’s towns (9.3) and England’s towns (9.4). The 12 months to August 2026 brought 23 recorded crimes inside Hurst’s built-up area, and 2 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences made up 52% of the total.
10.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 78% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual12
Damage & arson3
Public order3
Weapons2
Other theft1
Burglary1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social2
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.
10.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
23
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
Commuters in Hurst travel far: only 18% go under 5 km, fewer than in Berkshire’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 59% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Working mainly from home: 59% of workers, higher than both Berkshire’s towns (41%) and England’s towns (31%). At the census, 88% of commuters went by car. About 2% of its commuters stay in Hurst for work. The town counts 0.8 jobs per working resident.
12%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot5%
Train4%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
18%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
59%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£83K
mean household income, before tax
1.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 36% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
More of the land in Hurst is conservation area than in Berkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 100%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up nearly a quarter of the total. Per 10,000 residents, Hurst counts 99 listed buildings, above both Berkshire’s towns (34) and England’s towns (39). Historic England’s list names 10 listed buildings in the town: 1 Grade II*.
10listed buildingsBHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II9
Among them · Grade II*
- Hurst Lodge Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
23%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
99
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B−
Few households rent privately in Hurst: 9%, fewer than in Berkshire’s towns and England’s towns
79% of households own their home. Social housing holds 12% of households, below Berkshire’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. 29 standard sales inside Hurst’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £782,000.
£782Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Hurst£782K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £985,000 | 15 |
| Semi-detached | £585,000 | 9 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,466
average private rent a month, Wokingham council area
£2,472
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Degrees are more common in Hurst than in Berkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 52% of adults
Typical age in Hurst: 47.1, the median. The 15-to-24 age group: 10%, lower than both Berkshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Children under 15 make up 18% of residents.
47.1median age
HurstBerkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
18%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications8%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level52%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Hurst | Berkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 29% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 35% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 18% | 15% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 7.6% | 14% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 4.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 52% | 40% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Berkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hurst
15pages on Hurst
The big questions
SafetyA10.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £782K · rent £1,466 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street Sawpit RoadSchoolsA−1 state schoolHealthA+Life expectancy 82 (men), 86.3 (women)Work & commuteA+69% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC0.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Hurst’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
TwyfordCharvilWoodleyWinnershSonningWargraveBinfieldHurst
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurst | 1,009 | — | — | B− | A | A+ |
| Twyford | 8,072 | 1.3 | A+ | B+ | A− | A+ |
| Charvil | 3,158 | 1.7 | A+ | B− | A | A+ |
| Woodley | 28,019 | 2.1 | A+ | A− | B+ | B+ |
| Winnersh | 8,904 | 2.3 | A+ | B+ | B | B+ |
| Sonning | 1,615 | 2.3 | — | B− | A | A− |
| Wargrave | 2,896 | 3 | A+ | B− | A− | A+ |
| Binfield | 4,851 | 3.5 | A | C+ | A− | A |
Sonning has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Hurst
Is Hurst expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £782,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £585,000 and detached houses £985,000. Household incomes are higher than in 99% of UK towns, so cost of living still grades B−.
How many listed buildings are there in Hurst?
That is 4.1 times the typical UK town for its size.
Are schools in Hurst good?
Secondary schools stand out: GCSE results beat 93% of towns in England. Primary results are closer to the middle, beating 66%. One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Wokingham council.
About Hurst
Village in Berkshire, England
Hurst is a built-up area of 1,009 people, in the Wokingham 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
- 1,009 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Wokingham
- County
- Berkshire
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.9 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005042
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.