Lower Dicker’s story
4 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Lower Dicker’s built-up area.
47% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Lower DickerEast Sussex
Home to 453 people, this village lies in East Sussex, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
453
Census 2021 · Wealden council
Median home
£350K
14 sales in 3 years
Median age
46.3
24% are 65+ · East Sussex 22%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Lower Dicker a good place to live?
There are no grades for Lower Dicker: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry one in ten commuters. Pre-1919 homes make up 47% of the housing.
What makes Lower Dicker stand out
The 3 things Lower Dicker 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%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Own outright
Housing
47% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lower Dicker.
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Lower Dicker: just 20% travel under 5 km, below East Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 28% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
87% of commuters drove, higher than both East Sussex’s towns (66%) and England’s towns (70%). In 2026, 2% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits. There are 1.4 jobs in Lower Dicker for each resident in work.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
Bus3%
Train3%
On foot3%
Bicycle1%
20%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
28%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£56K
mean household income, before tax
2%
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
Private renting is less common in Lower Dicker than in East Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 9%
The middle sale price: £350K, between East Sussex’s towns (£404K) and England’s towns (£308K). Owners make up just over four in five households. Private rents average £1,262 a month across the Wealden council area.
£350Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Lower Dicker£350K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £480,000 | 6 |
| Semi-detached | £305,750 | 6 |
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,262
average private rent a month, Wealden council area
£2,698
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
Violent crime runs high in Lower Dicker: 49.3 per 1,000 residents a year, above East Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
Burglary and damage add up to 21.3 per 1,000 residents each year. 51 crimes and 11 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Lower Dicker’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. There were 16.9 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), higher than both East Sussex’s towns (9.5) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences accounted for 53% of recorded crime.
49.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual27
Shoplifting7
Damage & arson3
Burglary3
Public order2
Other theft2
Drugs2
Other crime2
Anti-social11
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.
49.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
21.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
16.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
51
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
Bad health is less common in Lower Dicker than in East Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.3% of residents
Seeing a GP means leaving Lower Dicker: the nearest practice is 1.8 miles away. The nearest A&E to Lower Dicker is Eastbourne District General Hospital, 6.8 miles away. 18% of residents have a disability, about level with England’s towns (17%) and below East Sussex’s towns (20%).
82%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Lower Dicker | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.3% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 20% | 17% |
81.5
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 · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
Lower Dicker keeps more of its old housing than East Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 47% built before 1919
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. For its size, Lower Dicker has 88 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, higher than both East Sussex’s towns (70) and England’s towns (39).
4listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II4
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
47%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
88
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Lower Dicker has fewer young adults than East Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 8.9% are 15 to 24
24% of residents have reached 65. The age that splits Lower Dicker in two is 46.3. Among adults, 31% have a degree.
46.3median age
Lower DickerEast SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Lower Dicker | East Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.9% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.6% | 4.9% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 36% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · East Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Michelham Priory and 4 more in and around Lower Dicker
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Lower Dicker. Best known first.
Historic houseMichelham Priory1.6 km outside town, to the south
MuseumFarleys Barn Gallery1.5 km outside town, to the northwestTheme parkTheme parkKnockhatch Adventure Park1.5 km outside town, to the southTheme parkTheme parkBlackberry Farm Park4 km outside town, to the northwestZooZooBede's Zoo1.5 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Michelham Priory: Michael Haslam, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Farleys Barn Gallery: PAUL FARMER, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lower Dicker
13pages on Lower Dicker
The big questions
Safety49.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £350K · rent £1,262 a monthHousing3 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.5 (men), 85.8 (women)Work & commute51% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Lower Dicker’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HailshamHellinglyHoramPolegateHerstmonceuxLower WillingdonStone CrossLower Dicker
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Dicker | 453 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hailsham | 22,560 | 1.8 | D | C | C+ | C |
| Hellingly | 2,616 | 1.8 | D− | C− | D | B+ |
| Horam | 1,797 | 3.8 | — | C− | C+ | B+ |
| Polegate | 10,067 | 4.2 | C | C | B | C |
| Herstmonceux | 1,221 | 4.5 | — | C+ | A− | A− |
| Lower Willingdon | 6,126 | 5.1 | B− | C− | A− | A− |
| Stone Cross | 5,036 | 5.5 | C | C− | B− | B |
Horam and Herstmonceux have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Lower Dicker
How many listed buildings are there in Lower Dicker?
That is 3.6 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Lower Dicker?
Band D council tax in Lower Dicker is £2,698 for 2026–27, more than in 95% 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 Lower Dicker expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £305,750 and detached houses £480,000.
About Lower Dicker
Village in East Sussex, England
Lower Dicker is a built-up area of 453 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
- 453 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Wealden
- County
- East Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006436
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.