Five Ash Down’s story
17 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Five Ash Down’s built-up area.
18% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Five Ash DownEast Sussex
1,060 people call this village in East Sussex, South East home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: The Voice of Hassocks · Public domain
Population
1,060
Census 2021 · Wealden council
Median home
£426K
50 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.4
29% are 65+ · East Sussex 22%
Degree level
32%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Five Ash Down a good place to live?
Five Ash Down’s strongest subject is health — men here can expect to live to 83.1, women to 85.8. Homes are dear: a typical home costs £426,250 and rent runs £1,262 a month. It also trails on walkability — one in ten commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B for schools and B for jobs & income.
Figures: life expectancy and income, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021 · claimants, DWP. An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so Five Ash Down is graded subject by subject only.
How Five Ash Down grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Five Ash Down is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so Five Ash Down is graded subject by subject only.
HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedA+Open →Cost of livingMedian sale £426,250, 7.3 years of area incomeDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SafetyBetter than most of the towns comparedB+Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesCOpen →Jobs & income2.4% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 59% of towns in England; secondary results beat 54% of towns in EnglandBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryMore history than most townsB+Open →Outdoors0% live within 400 m of a park; 43% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeB+Open →Civic life2.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Five Ash Down stand out
The 3 things Five Ash Down does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 6.6 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
29% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Five Ash Down.
Who lives here
Five Ash Down skews older, with 29% of residents 65 or over, more than in East Sussex’s towns and across England’s towns
49.4median age
One measure of family life: 18% of residents are under 15. 8.2% of residents are 15 to 24, below East Sussex’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. The middle age in Five Ash Down is 49.4.
Five Ash DownEast SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
29%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level32%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 84 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.
| Five Ash Down | East Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.2% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.3% | 4.9% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 32% | 36% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · East Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Health
Lifespans in Five Ash Down run longer than in 89% of UK towns
84%good or very good healthA+Health Grade
Five Ash Down has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.3 miles away. 84% of people in Five Ash Down rate their own health good or very good. The nearest A&E to Five Ash Down is Princess Royal Hospital, 8.4 miles away. At the census, 4.4% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, lower than both East Sussex’s towns (5.6%) and England’s towns (5.2%).
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Five Ash Down | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.4% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 20% | 17% |
83.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
HousingCost of living grade D
Most households in Five Ash Down own their home: 80%, more than in East Sussex’s towns and across England’s towns
£426Kmedian sale
9% rent privately, below East Sussex’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. Social housing holds 8% of households. Behind the median of £426,250: 50 standard sales inside Five Ash Down’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Five Ash Down£426K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £610,000 | 21 |
| Semi-detached | £350,000 | 13 |
| Terraced | £340,000 | 11 |
| Flat or maisonette | £240,000 | 5 |
80%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,262
average private rent a month, Wealden council area
£2,659
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
Homes in Five Ash Down see less burglary and damage than in East Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 5.7 per 1,000 a year
17.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB+Safety Grade
There were 13.2 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), above East Sussex’s towns (9.4) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Police figures for Five Ash Down’s built-up area: 34 crimes and 27 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 44% of recorded crime.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 56% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual15
Public order9
Damage & arson4
Burglary2
Other theft1
Drugs1
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Anti-social27
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.
17.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
13.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
34
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 B
Commuters in Five Ash Down travel far: only 25% go under 5 km, fewer than in East Sussex’s towns and across England’s towns
10%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 35% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Household income came to £63K a year before tax, above both East Sussex’s towns (£56K) and England’s towns (£55K). The car carried 88% of commuters at the census. Also worth knowing: 3% of commuters who live in Five Ash Down also work there. There are 0.6 jobs in Five Ash Down for each resident in work.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot6%
Bus2%
Train1%
25%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
35%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£63K
mean household income, before tax
2.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 26% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
More buildings in Five Ash Down are listed than in East Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 160 per 10,000 residents
17listed buildingsB+History Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list names 17 listed buildings in Five Ash Down, every one Grade II. 18% of its homes were built before 1919, between East Sussex’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (16%).
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II17
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
18%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
160
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Five Ash Down
14pages on Five Ash Down
The big questions
SafetyB+17.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £426K · rent £1,262 a monthHousing17 sold in 12 months · busiest street Olives Pit LaneSchoolsBHealthA+Life expectancy 83.1 (men), 85.8 (women)Work & commuteB49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
About Five Ash Down
Village in East Sussex, England
Five Ash Down is a built-up area of 1,060 people, in the Wealden 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
- 1,060 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Wealden
- County
- East Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006176
Five Ash Down’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MaresfieldBuxtedUckfieldNutleyNewickCrowboroughNorth ChaileyFive Ash Down
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Five Ash Down | 1,060 | — | — | D | B+ | A+ |
| Maresfield | 1,369 | 0.9 | — | D | A− | A+ |
| Buxted | 1,616 | 1.6 | — | D | A− | A+ |
| Uckfield | 15,037 | 1.6 | B | D | B | B |
| Nutley | 1,218 | 3.2 | — | D | A | A |
| Newick | 2,689 | 4.3 | B+ | D− | A+ | A+ |
| Crowborough | 21,990 | 4.9 | B+ | D | B+ | A |
| North Chailey | 1,008 | 5.2 | — | D− | A− | A |
Maresfield, Buxted, Nutley and North Chailey have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Five Ash Down
How many listed buildings are there in Five Ash Down?
That is 6.6 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Five Ash Down?
Band D council tax in Five Ash Down is £2,659 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 Five Ash Down expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £426,250, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £240,000, terraced houses £340,000, semi-detached houses £350,000 and detached houses £610,000.
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.