Ninfield’s story
15 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Ninfield’s built-up area.
26% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
NinfieldEast Sussex
Over-65s are 28% of the population. Population 1,296: a village in East Sussex, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Julian P Guffogg · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,296
Census 2021 · Wealden council
Median home
£400K
61 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.5
28% are 65+ · East Sussex 22%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Ninfield a good place to live?
Ninfield’s best grade is for health (A) — life expectancy is 81.6 for men and 86.3 for women. Prices are high against local incomes: a typical home costs £400,000 and rent runs £1,262 a month. Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for safety and B for jobs & income. Hazard risk is lower than in most UK towns (A).
Figures: life expectancy and income, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · claimants, DWP · flood risk, Environment Agency. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Ninfield has its subject grades alone.
What makes Ninfield stand out
The 3 things Ninfield does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including The Parish Church of St Mary; 4.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
12% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
28% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Ninfield grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Ninfield is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingMedian sale £400,000, 6.8 years of area incomeDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 78% of towns in EnglandA−Open →WalkabilityMost errands need a carC+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £56,804BOpen →SafetyGraded on crime per residentB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History26% of homes built before 1919A−Open →Outdoors50% live within 400 m of a park; 50% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeC−Open →Civic life3.9 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryBOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ninfield.
Who lives here
Ninfield skews older, with 28% of residents 65 or over, more than in East Sussex’s towns and across England’s towns
The median resident of Ninfield is 50.5 years old. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 11% of the population. 31% of adults hold a degree, lower than both East Sussex’s towns (36%) and England’s towns (34%).
50.5median age
NinfieldEast SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
28%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level31%
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.
| Ninfield | East Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 28% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.2% | 4.9% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 36% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · East Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsA−
Exam results at Ninfield’s schools top 83% of towns in England
Key Stage 2 results at the 2 primary schools within 3 km: 67% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Below is its only school. 129 pupils attend Ninfield’s one primary school.
A−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ninfield Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 129 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade D
Most households in Ninfield own their home: 79%, more than in East Sussex’s towns and across England’s towns
12% rent privately, lower than both East Sussex’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (21%). Social housing holds 9% of households. Half of the 61 standard sales inside Ninfield’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £400,000.
£400Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Ninfield£400K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £510,000 | 31 |
| Semi-detached | £325,000 | 24 |
| Terraced | £205,000 | 5 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,262
average private rent a month, Wealden council area
£2,673
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
Bad health is less common in Ninfield than in East Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.2% of residents
There is no GP practice in Ninfield: the nearest is 2.6 miles off. 16% of residents have a disability, lower than both East Sussex’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%). Asked at the census, 83% of residents of Ninfield said they were in good or very good health. The nearest A&E to Ninfield is Conquest Hospital, 6.2 miles away.
83%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Ninfield | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.2% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 20% | 17% |
81.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.3
life expectancy at birth, women
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.
History
Ninfield keeps more of its old housing than East Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 26% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Ninfield’s 15 listed buildings on Historic England’s list, Grade I counts 1 and Grade II* 1. The town’s listed buildings include The Parish Church of St Mary, Grade I. Scaled to its population, that is 116 listed buildings for every 10,000 people here.
15listed buildingsA−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II13
Among them · Grade I
- The Parish Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
26%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
116
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Only 12% of commuters in Ninfield go to work without a car, fewer than in East Sussex’s towns and across England’s towns
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.
1.8% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, below East Sussex’s towns (2.7%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. Driving is how 86% of commuters got to work at the census. Work in town: 8% of resident commuters. Also worth knowing: for 15% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
12%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot9%
Train1%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
15%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
35%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£57K
mean household income, before tax
1.8%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 36% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
Per resident, Ninfield sees more crime than 55% of UK towns
Police figures for Ninfield’s built-up area: 68 crimes and 12 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence came to 23.7 per 1,000 residents a year, above East Sussex’s towns (17.6) and England’s towns (22) alike. For its size, Ninfield records more crime per resident than nearly three quarters of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people.
23.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 26% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual35
Damage & arson13
Public order6
Other theft3
Drugs3
Burglary2
Vehicle crime2
Weapons2
Anti-social12
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.
23.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
68
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ninfield
13pages on Ninfield
The big questions
SafetyB−23.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £400K · rent £1,262 a monthHousing22 sold in 12 months · busiest street Manchester RoadSchoolsA−1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 81.6 (men), 86.3 (women)Work & commuteB62% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Ninfield’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Bexhill-on-SeaBattleHerstmonceuxPevensey BayHastingsWesthamWestfieldNinfield
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ninfield | 1,296 | — | — | D | B− | A |
| Bexhill-on-Sea | 43,750 | 3.3 | C− | D− | C | C− |
| Battle | 5,326 | 3.4 | B− | D− | C+ | B+ |
| Herstmonceux | 1,221 | 4.5 | — | C+ | A− | A− |
| Pevensey Bay | 2,890 | 5.9 | C | C | A− | B− |
| Hastings | 91,497 | 6.4 | D | D− | D | D |
| Westham | 1,861 | 6.6 | — | C− | B+ | B |
| Westfield | 1,271 | 6.8 | — | D− | D | B |
Herstmonceux, Westham and Westfield have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Ninfield
How many listed buildings are there in Ninfield?
That is 4.7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is The Parish Church of St Mary.
How much is council tax in Ninfield?
Band D council tax in Ninfield is £2,673 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.
Are schools in Ninfield good?
Primary results beat 78% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by East Sussex council.
About Ninfield
Village in East Sussex, England
Ninfield is a built-up area of 1,296 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
- 1,296 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Wealden
- County
- East Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006412
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.