Sandford’s story
3 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Sandford’s built-up area.
6% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SandfordDorset
A village of 2,004 in Dorset, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Squire · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,004
Census 2021 · Dorset council
Median home
£428K
70 sales in 3 years
Median age
52
29% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
13%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Sandford a good place to live?
Sandford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (A): 11.3 violent and sexual offences and 5.5 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is cost of living (D): median sale £427,500, 8.2 years of area income; rent £1,056 a month.
What makes Sandford stand out
The 3 things Sandford does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
13% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
33% of commuters travel under 5 km.
81%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
Less crime than 81%
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
29% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Sandford grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Sandford is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingDOpen →SafetyAOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £47,308; 3% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsCOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 7% of towns in England; secondary results beat 67% of towns in EnglandCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 82 for men, 85.5 for womenB+Open →WalkabilityB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History3 listed buildingsDOpen →Outdoors43% live within 400 m of a park; 41% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeBOpen →Civic life2.5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryCOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sandford.
Who lives here
An older town: 29% of people in Sandford are 65 or over, more than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns
That puts Sandford above both Dorset’s towns (25%) and England’s towns (18%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for 9.1% of residents. Sandford has a median age of 52.
52median age
SandfordDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
29%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Sandford | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.1% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.2% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC
Results at Sandford’s schools trail 67% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
CSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 342 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade D
Few households rent privately in Sandford: 9%, fewer than in Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
On this, Sandford is below both Dorset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). Owners make up 75% of households.
£428Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Sandford£428K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £475,000 | 44 |
| Semi-detached | £330,000 | 18 |
| Terraced | £310,000 | 7 |
75%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,056
average private rent a month, Dorset council area
£2,668
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
3 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Sandford has 3 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 6% of its homes were built before 1919.
3listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
6%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
15
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Sandford has less crime per resident than 90% of UK towns
Violent crime ran at 11.3 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Dorset’s towns (16.9) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 44 crimes inside Sandford’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 16 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 36% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
11.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 81% 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 & sexual16
Shoplifting5
Public order5
Other theft5
Burglary4
Vehicle crime3
Damage & arson2
Drugs1
Anti-social16
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.
11.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
44
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Life expectancy in Sandford is longer than in 78% of UK towns
Women here live to 85.5 on average and men to 82 (2019–23). The nearest A&E to Sandford is Poole Hospital, 5.6 miles away. One GP practice serves the town; 80% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
80%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Sandford | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 19% | 17% |
82
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Sandford than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 13%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 25% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
In the comparison, Sandford comes below both Dorset’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (27%). The car carried 85% of commuters at the census.
13%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving85%
On foot6%
Bicycle3%
Bus2%
Train2%
33%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
25%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£47K
mean household income, before tax
3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 47% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Wareham Town Museum and 2 more in and around Sandford
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Sandford. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumWareham Town Museum1.4 km outside town, to the southAttractionAttractionFarmer Palmer’s Farm Park2.3 km outside town, to the northAttractionAttractionPoole Harbour Canoe Club4.7 km outside town, to the east
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sandford
14pages on Sandford
The big questions
SafetyA11.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £428K · rent £1,056 a monthHousing22 sold in 12 months · busiest street Forest Edge RoadSchoolsC1 state schoolHealthB+Life expectancy 82 (men), 85.5 (women)Work & commuteC44% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Sandford’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WarehamLytchett MatraversUptonCorfe MullenWoolBere RegisPooleSandford
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandford | 2,004 | — | — | D | A | B+ |
| Wareham | 5,876 | 1.2 | C | D− | B− | B |
| Lytchett Matravers | 3,455 | 3.7 | A− | D− | A | A− |
| Upton | 8,401 | 3.7 | B− | D | B | C+ |
| Corfe Mullen | 10,036 | 5.6 | A− | D− | A | A |
| Wool | 5,044 | 5.6 | C | C− | B+ | C+ |
| Bere Regis | 1,320 | 6.3 | — | D | B | A− |
| Poole | 141,009 | 6.3 | C+ | D | C | C+ |
Bere Regis has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Sandford
How much is council tax in Sandford?
Band D council tax in Sandford is £2,668 for 2026–27, more than in 93% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Is Sandford expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £427,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £310,000, semi-detached houses £330,000 and detached houses £475,000.
About Sandford
Village in Dorset, England
Sandford is a built-up area of 2,004 people, in the Dorset 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
- 2,004 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dorset
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006737
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.