Peacehaven’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Peacehaven’s built-up area.
0% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
PeacehavenEast Sussex
This town in East Sussex, South East has a population of 15,705.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: MortimerCat · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
15,705
Census 2021 · Lewes council
Median home
£345K
738 sales in 3 years
Median age
46.2
24% are 65+ · East Sussex 22%
Degree level
24%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
24%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
D
#21 of 26 in East Sussex
Is Peacehaven a good place to live?
Several subjects drag its grade down. The weak point is cost of living — the median home sold for £345,000, 6.2 years of area income. Schools are weaker too: primary results beat 10% of towns in England; secondary results beat 14% of towns in England. Walking, cycling and public transport work well here: on the way to work, 24% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Overall, that makes a D, good for #21 of 26 in East Sussex. Nationally, it does better than a tenth of UK towns.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years.
What makes Peacehaven stand out
The 3 things Peacehaven does most differently from other towns.
Rent against income, UK towns
Renting
£1,333 a month
Average private rent, 29% of what households in the area earn: more than in 93% of UK towns
ONS private rents, Lewes council area.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
24% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results trail 90%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 14%. Department for Education.
How Peacehaven grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Peacehaven is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingRent £1,333 a monthDOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 10% of towns in England; secondary results beat 14% of towns in EnglandDOpen →WalkabilityAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →Hazard riskGraded on exposure to natural hazardsAOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work trail most townsC−Open →HealthLife expectancy 79.7 for men, 83 for womenCOpen →SafetyNear typical for the towns comparedC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History1 listed buildingD−Open →Outdoors51% live within 400 m of a park; 44% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeB+Open →Civic life1.1 local charities per 1,000 residents; 72% live within 1 km of a libraryB−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Peacehaven.
History
Peacehaven’s one listed building is Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
0% of Peacehaven’s homes date from before 1919, and Historic England’s list holds 1 listed building inside its built-up area.
1listed buildingsD−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
0%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
1
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
SchoolsD
Exam results at Peacehaven’s schools trail 92% of towns in England
Two of its 3 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. Just over half of pupils at the town’s 2 primary schools met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Peacehaven’s two primaries and one secondary have 1,678 pupils between them.
DSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian Community Primary School and NurseryLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 449 | D |
| Peacehaven Community SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 890 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 3 schools →
HousingCost of living grade D
Peacehaven is a town of owners: 70% of households own their home, above East Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
One in ten households rent from a council or housing body. Private renters make up 18% of households, below both East Sussex’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (21%). The median sale, £345,000, comes from 738 standard sales inside Peacehaven’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
£345Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Peacehaven£345K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £395,000 | 289 |
| Semi-detached | £347,000 | 233 |
| Terraced | £300,000 | 113 |
| Flat or maisonette | £208,000 | 103 |
70%
of households own their home · England 61%
18%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,333
average private rent a month, Lewes council area
£2,801
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−
Only 29% of Peacehaven’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in East Sussex’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 26% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, 73% of commuters went by car. Unemployment benefit claims came to 4.1% of 16 to 64s in 2026, higher than both East Sussex’s towns (2.7%) and England’s towns (2.3%). Also worth knowing: households take home £47K a year before tax, on average. Of the commuters living in Peacehaven, 12% work in the town itself.
24%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving73%
Bus13%
On foot7%
Bicycle1%
Train1%
29%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
26%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£47K
mean household income, before tax
4.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A
Walkability: more walkable than 87% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
Fewer people in Peacehaven hold a degree than in East Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 24%
Children under 15 make up 16%, above East Sussex’s towns (15%) but below England’s towns (18%). Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 9.2% of the town. The age that splits Peacehaven in two is 46.2.
46.2median age
PeacehavenEast SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level24%
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.
| Peacehaven | East Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.2% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 4.9% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 24% | 36% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · East Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Health
Only 78% of people in Peacehaven say their health is good or very good, fewer than in East Sussex’s towns and across England’s towns
6.7% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, higher than both East Sussex’s towns (5.6%) and England’s towns (5.2%). A disability affects just over a fifth of people in Peacehaven. The nearest A&E to Peacehaven is Royal Sussex County Hospital, 5.5 miles away. One GP practice serves the town; 74% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
78%good or very good healthCHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Peacehaven | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.7% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 20% | 17% |
79.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
Safety
Violence is recorded more often in Peacehaven than in East Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 26.8 per 1,000 residents a year
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 15 reports per 1,000, higher than both East Sussex’s towns (9.4) and England’s towns (7.8). Police recorded 864 crimes inside Peacehaven’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 311 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences made up 47% of the total. Among the 645 UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people, Peacehaven has less crime per resident than 71% of them.
26.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 71% of the 645 UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual408
Public order90
Damage & arson83
Shoplifting80
Other theft48
Other crime39
Drugs36
Vehicle crime26
Anti-social311
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.
26.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
15
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
864
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.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Monk's House and 5 more in and around Peacehaven
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Peacehaven. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustMonk's House3 km outside town, to the north
MuseumNewhaven Fort1.8 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumNewhaven Local & Maritime Museum2 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumRottingdean Museum3.5 km outside town, to the westWater parkWater parkSaltdean Lido2.4 km outside town, to the westAttractionAttractionSt Peter's2.1 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Monk's House: Oliver Mallinson Lewis from Oxford, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Newhaven Fort: Michael Coppins, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Peacehaven
15pages on Peacehaven
The big questions
SafetyC+26.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £345K · rent £1,333 a monthHousing220 sold in 12 months · busiest street South Coast RoadSchoolsD3 state schoolsHealthCLife expectancy 79.7 (men), 83 (women)Work & commuteC−52% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Peacehaven’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Telscombe CliffsEast SaltdeanNewhavenSeafordLewesRingmerBrighton and HovePeacehaven
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peacehaven | 15,705 | — | D | D | C+ | C |
| Telscombe Cliffs | 4,237 | 0.8 | C | D | B− | B− |
| East Saltdean | 2,892 | 1.4 | B | D− | A | B |
| Newhaven | 12,857 | 2 | D | D | D | C |
| Seaford | 23,865 | 4.8 | B− | D− | B+ | B− |
| Lewes | 16,066 | 5.5 | C+ | D− | C− | B |
| Ringmer | 3,221 | 6.9 | B | D− | B | A− |
| Brighton and Hove | 277,096 | 7 | C− | D− | C− | C+ |
People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Peacehaven
Are schools in Peacehaven good?
Peacehaven has 3 state schools; places are handled by East Sussex council.
How much is council tax in Peacehaven?
Band D council tax in Peacehaven is £2,801 for 2026–27, more than in 99% 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 Peacehaven safe?
Against all UK towns, most of them smaller, it grades C+.
About Peacehaven
Town in East Sussex, England
Peacehaven is a built-up area of 15,705 people, in the Lewes 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
- 15,705 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Lewes
- County
- East Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi (3.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006603
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.