Fairlight’s story
5 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Fairlight’s built-up area.
9% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
FairlightEast Sussex
With 1,561 residents, it is a village in East Sussex, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Oast House Archive · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,561
Census 2021 · Rother council
Median home
£425K
79 sales in 3 years
Median age
63.9
48% are 65+ · East Sussex 22%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
6%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Fairlight a good place to live?
Fairlight’s strongest subject is safety (A+): 4.9 violent and sexual offences and 2.4 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Housing is expensive: the median home sold for £425,000, 8.3 years of area income. Hazard risk is lower than in most UK towns (A). Walkability is weaker too: on the way to work, 6% walk, cycle or take a bus or train.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · flood risk, Environment Agency · commuting, Census 2021. An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so Fairlight is graded subject by subject only.
What makes Fairlight stand out
The 3 things Fairlight does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
6% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
48% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
99%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
How Fairlight grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Fairlight is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyVery little crime by comparisonA+Open →Cost of livingRent £1,165 a monthD−Open →WalkabilityIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedD−Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →HealthLife expectancy 80.6 for men, 85.6 for womenB+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £54,318C+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 83% of towns in England; secondary results beat 6% of towns in EnglandC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBased on listed places, the town’s age and notable peopleC−Open →Outdoors50% live within 400 m of a park; 42% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA+Open →Civic life4.5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryBOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Hastings Castle and 11 more in and around Fairlight
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Fairlight. Best known first.
CastleHastings Castle4.4 km outside town, to the west
Art galleryHastings Contemporary3.9 km outside town, to the southwest
AquariumBlue Reef Aquarium3.7 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumHastings Fishermen's Museum3.8 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumShipwreck Museum3.7 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionSmugglers Adventure3.9 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Hastings Castle: Kreepin Deth, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hastings Contemporary: yellow book, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Blue Reef Aquarium: N Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hastings Fishermen's Museum: The Voice of Hassocks, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fairlight.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Fairlight than in East Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 6.6% are under 15
Retirement age and beyond: 48% of residents are 65 or older. 4.6% of residents are 15 to 24, below East Sussex’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Typical age in Fairlight: 63.9, the median. Degrees are held by 31% of adults.
63.9median age
FairlightEast SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
48%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications22%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar12%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 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.
| Fairlight | East Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 6.6% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 4.6% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 10% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 48% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 22% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.8% | 4.9% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 12% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 36% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · East Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Safety
Crime per resident in Fairlight is lower than in 100% of UK towns
Reported offences in Fairlight came to 19 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 4. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Fairlight has less crime per resident than 99% of them. Violence and sexual offences were 42% of the crimes. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 2.8 reports per 1,000, below East Sussex’s towns (9.6) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
4.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 99% 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 & sexual8
Public order4
Other theft2
Burglary2
Damage & arson1
Vehicle crime1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social4
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.
4.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
19
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.
HousingCost of living grade D−
More households own their home in Fairlight than in East Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 93%
Social housing holds 1% of households. 7% rent privately, below East Sussex’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. The median sale, £425,000, comes from 79 standard sales inside Fairlight’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
£425Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Fairlight£425K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £477,500 | 64 |
| Semi-detached | £382,500 | 6 |
| Flat or maisonette | £182,000 | 7 |
93%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,165
average private rent a month, Rother council area
£2,675
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Under 5 km to work: 9% in Fairlight, fewer than in East Sussex’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 41% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, 90% of commuters went by car. Of the commuters living in Fairlight, 2% work in the town itself. The census counted just over two in five workers working mainly from home. 2.2% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, below both East Sussex’s towns (2.7%) and England’s towns (2.3%).
6%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot3%
Train2%
Bus1%
9%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
41%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£54K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D−
Walkability: more walkable than 4% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Much of Fairlight is a conservation area: 99% of its land, more than East Sussex’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II covers all 5 listed buildings that Historic England records here. Before 1919: that is when nearly one in ten homes were built. For its size, Fairlight has 32 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, below both East Sussex’s towns (70) and England’s towns (39).
5listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II5
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
9%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
32
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Only 75% of people in Fairlight say their health is good or very good, fewer than in East Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
23% of residents in Fairlight live with a disability. There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 2.3 miles off. At the census, 6.1% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, above East Sussex’s towns (5.6%) and England’s towns (5.2%) alike.
75%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 75%Fair 19%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Fairlight | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 75% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.1% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 20% | 17% |
80.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.6
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.
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Fairlight
14pages on Fairlight
The big questions
SafetyA+4.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingD−Median home £425K · rent £1,165 a monthHousing26 sold in 12 months · busiest street Waites LaneSchoolsC+HealthB+Life expectancy 80.6 (men), 85.6 (women)Work & commuteC+61% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Fairlight’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Winchelsea BeachHastingsWestfieldRyeCamberBattleBexhill-on-SeaFairlight
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairlight | 1,561 | — | — | D− | A+ | B+ |
| Winchelsea Beach | 1,027 | 4 | — | D− | C+ | B− |
| Hastings | 91,497 | 4.1 | D | D− | D | D |
| Westfield | 1,271 | 4.5 | — | D− | D | B |
| Rye | 4,888 | 5.9 | D− | D− | D | B− |
| Camber | 1,132 | 7 | — | D− | D− | C+ |
| Battle | 5,326 | 8.3 | B− | D− | C+ | B+ |
| Bexhill-on-Sea | 43,750 | 8.7 | C− | D− | C | C− |
Winchelsea Beach, Westfield and Camber have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Fairlight
How much is council tax in Fairlight?
Band D council tax in Fairlight is £2,675 for 2026–27, more than in 94% 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 Fairlight expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £425,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £182,000, semi-detached houses £382,500 and detached houses £477,500.
About Fairlight
Village in East Sussex, England
Fairlight is a built-up area of 1,561 people, in the Rother 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
- 1,561 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Rother
- County
- East Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (1.1 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006429
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.