Southend’s story
4 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Southend’s built-up area.
23% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SouthendBerkshire
A village of 707 in Berkshire, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Michael FORD · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
707
Census 2021 · West Berkshire council
Median home
£683K
16 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.3
22% are 65+ · Berkshire 15%
Degree level
43%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
16%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Southend a good place to live?
Southend has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Southend stand out
The 3 things Southend does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.5 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 2.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Berkshire 40%.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Southend.
Who lives here
Children make up only 15% of Southend, fewer than in both Berkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Retirement age and beyond: 22% of residents are 65 or older. 9.7% of the population is aged 15 to 24, lower than both Berkshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Southend has a median age of 50.3 years. Degrees are held by 43% of adults.
50.3median age
SouthendBerkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level43%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Southend | Berkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 29% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 35% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 15% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 14% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 4.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 43% | 40% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Berkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Southend
There is one school here; it is shown below. Bradfield C.E. Primary School’s results beat 92% of schools in England like it. Key Stage 2 results at the 4 primary schools within 3 km: 58% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradfield C.E. Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 156 | A |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Southend work nearby than in Berkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 28% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 43% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims came to 1.3% of 16 to 64s in 2026, below Berkshire’s towns (2.1%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. At the census, 82% of commuters went by car. Households take home £75K a year before tax, on average.
16%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving82%
On foot11%
Train4%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
28%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
43%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£75K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Buying in Southend costs more than in both Berkshire’s towns and England’s towns: the median sale is £683K
Private renters make up 6% of households, lower than both Berkshire’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (21%). 12% of households rent from a council or housing body. The owner-occupied share of households is 81%.
£683Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Southend£683K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £802,500 | 8 |
| Semi-detached | £538,750 | 6 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
6%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,338
average private rent a month, West Berkshire council area
£2,438
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Violence is recorded less often in Southend than in Berkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 8 per 1,000 residents a year
Reported offences in Southend came to 16 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 8. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 38% of recorded crime. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 5.2 reports per 1,000, below both Berkshire’s towns (6.4) and England’s towns (7.8).
8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual6
Damage & arson4
Other theft3
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Anti-social8
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.
8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
16
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.
Health
Just 2.1% of people in Southend say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in both Berkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Just over one in ten residents in Southend live with a disability. At the census, 88% of people in Southend called their health good or very good, above both Berkshire’s towns (87%) and England’s towns (82%). There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 1.2 miles off.
88%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | Southend | Berkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 87% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.1% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 11% | 13% | 17% |
83
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
88
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Old homes shape Southend: 23% were built before 1919, more than in both Berkshire’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Its heritage register entries (4 listed buildings) are all Grade II. Per 10,000 residents, Southend counts 57 listed buildings.
4listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II4
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
23%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
57
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Englefield House and 3 more in and around Southend
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Southend. Best known first.
Historic houseEnglefield House2.3 km outside town, to the northeast
Abbey or prioryDouai Abbey2.4 km outside town, to the southwest
ZooBucklebury Farm Park3.7 km outside town, to the westHistoric houseHistoric housePadworth College4.4 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Englefield House: BabelStone, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Douai Abbey: Pjposullivan, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bucklebury Farm Park: Pam Brophy, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Southend
13pages on Southend
The big questions
Safety8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £683K · rent £1,338 a monthHousing5 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 83 (men), 88 (women)Work & commute62% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Southend’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ThealeUpper BuckleburyUpper BasildonBurghfield CommonPangbourneMortimerThatchamSouthend
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southend | 707 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Theale | 3,053 | 2.9 | B+ | B+ | C | B− |
| Upper Bucklebury | 1,036 | 3.6 | — | C | B− | A |
| Upper Basildon | 1,074 | 3.8 | — | C | A | A+ |
| Burghfield Common | 6,216 | 4.2 | A− | C+ | B− | B+ |
| Pangbourne | 3,279 | 4.3 | A− | C | B− | A+ |
| Mortimer | 2,932 | 5 | B+ | C+ | C | A− |
| Thatcham | 25,537 | 5.3 | B | B+ | C+ | B− |
Upper Bucklebury and Upper Basildon have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Southend
Is Southend expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £538,750 and detached houses £802,500. Private rents in the West Berkshire council area averaged £1,338 a month in August 2026.
How many listed buildings are there in Southend?
That is 2.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
About Southend
Village in Berkshire, England
Southend is a built-up area of 707 people, in the West Berkshire 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
- 707 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Berkshire
- County
- Berkshire
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005099
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.