Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Walking, cycling and public transport carry 15% of commuters. 2,253 people live in this village in East Sussex, South East.
People here tend to be in good health: life expectancy 84.3 for men, 86.9 for women. Recorded crime is low (A): 9.8 violent and sexual offences and 5.2 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Buying in is costly: homes sell for a median £465,000, about 7.9 times local household income. Its schools fall short: primary results beat 38% of towns in England.
Figures: life expectancy, ONS · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Mayfield has subject grades but no overall one.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Mayfield is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The 3 things Mayfield does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Mayfield’s built-up area.
44% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Mayfield.
Disability touches 16% of Mayfield’s population; what’s more, 3.3% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, below both East Sussex’s towns (5.6%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Asked at the census, 85% of residents of Mayfield said they were in good or very good health. One GP practice serves the town; 91% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
| Census 2021 | Mayfield | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.3% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 20% | 17% |
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.
59% of pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below. 133 pupils attend Mayfield’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayfield Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 133 | C+ |
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Mayfield’s listed buildings include Middle House Hotel, Grade I. Of the town’s 89 listed buildings on Historic England’s list, Grade I counts 3 and Grade II* 3. 44% of its homes were built before 1919, higher than both East Sussex’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (16%).
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
61% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Police figures for Mayfield’s built-up area: 36 crimes and 14 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Mayfield has less crime per resident than 87% of them. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 3.4 reports per 1,000, lower than both East Sussex’s towns (9.6) and England’s towns (7.8).
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.
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.
9% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up 17% of households, lower than both East Sussex’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (21%). From September 2023 to August 2026, 81 homes sold inside Mayfield’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £465,000.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £841,500 | 28 |
| Semi-detached | £455,000 | 26 |
| Terraced | £390,000 | 15 |
| Flat or maisonette | £255,000 | 12 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 48% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Household income averages £65K a year before tax. 84% of commuters drove, above both East Sussex’s towns (66%) and England’s towns (70%), and on top of that the census counted 48% of workers working mainly from home. Work in town: 14% of resident commuters.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Children under 15 make up 16%, higher than East Sussex’s towns (15%) yet lower than England’s towns (18%). Just over one in ten residents are aged 15 to 24. The age that splits Mayfield in two is 50.7. Among adults, 43% have a degree.
54% women, 46% men
About 85 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.
| Mayfield | East Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.2% | 4.9% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 43% | 36% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · East Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Village in East Sussex, England
Mayfield is a built-up area of 2,253 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
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayfield | 2,253 | — | — | D | A | A+ |
| Rotherfield | 1,219 | 2.5 | — | D | A | A+ |
| Broad Oak (Wealden) | 1,097 | 3.1 | — | C− | A | A− |
| Heathfield | 7,663 | 3.8 | A− | C | B+ | A− |
| Wadhurst | 3,408 | 4.2 | B+ | D | B | A+ |
| Crowborough | 21,990 | 4.7 | B+ | D | B+ | A |
| Burwash | 1,335 | 5.6 | — | D− | B+ | B+ |
| Buxted | 1,616 | 5.8 | — | D | A− | A+ |
Rotherfield, Broad Oak (Wealden), Burwash and Buxted have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 16.2 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Middle House Hotel.
Band D council tax in Mayfield is £2,705 for 2026–27, more than in 96% 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.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £465,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £255,000, terraced houses £390,000, semi-detached houses £455,000 and detached houses £841,500.
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.