Windmill Hill’s story
15 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Windmill Hill’s built-up area.
28% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Windmill HillEast Sussex
A village in East Sussex, South East, home to 633 people.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Janet Richardson · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
633
Census 2021 · Wealden council
Median home
£331K
30 sales in 3 years
Median age
55.7
34% are 65+ · East Sussex 22%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
4%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Windmill Hill a good place to live?
Windmill Hill is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. 4% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Its listed buildings number 15, with 0 at Grade I. Over-65s are 34% of the population.
What makes Windmill Hill stand out
The 3 things Windmill Hill does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
4% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
2 Grade II*, including The Windmill; 9.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
34% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Windmill Hill.
Who lives here
An older town: 34% of people in Windmill Hill are 65 or over, more than in East Sussex’s towns or England’s towns
6.3% of residents are aged 15 to 24. Children under 15 make up 13%, below East Sussex’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. The middle age in Windmill Hill is 55.7. Among adults, 31% have a degree.
55.7median age
Windmill HillEast SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
34%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Windmill Hill | East Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.3% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 34% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.5% | 4.9% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 36% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · East Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Windmill Hill: just 7% travel under 5 km, below East Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 25% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
3.1% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, above East Sussex’s towns (2.7%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. Driving is how 94% of commuters got to work at the census. Windmill Hill counts 0.4 jobs per working resident.
4%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving94%
On foot4%
Bicycle1%
7%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
25%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£57K
mean household income, before tax
3.1%
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 Windmill Hill than in East Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 10%
The owner-occupied share of households is 87%. 2% live in social housing, below East Sussex’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private rents average £1,262 a month across the Wealden council area.
£331Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Windmill Hill£331K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £447,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £330,500 | 14 |
| Terraced | £311,000 | 6 |
87%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,262
average private rent a month, Wealden council area
£2,677
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 Windmill Hill see less burglary and damage than in East Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 3.2 per 1,000 a year
Of all the crimes, 60% were violence and sexual offences. The violent crime rate is 12.1 per 1,000 residents a year. Over the year to August 2026, 10 offences were reported in Windmill Hill, along with 3 incidents of anti-social behaviour.
12.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual6
Public order2
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Anti-social3
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.
12.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
10
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
Fewer people in Windmill Hill live with a disability than in East Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 16%
The nearest A&E to Windmill Hill is Eastbourne District General Hospital, 7.5 miles away. Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 4.3% of the town. This East Sussex town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1 miles away.
80%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Windmill Hill | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.3% | 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 · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
History
More buildings in Windmill Hill are listed than in East Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 237 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes built before 1919 account for 28% of the housing. Grade II* covers 2 of them.
15listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*2
Grade II13
Among them · Grade II*
- The Windmill Grade II*
- Windmill Hill Place (Residential Tennis Centre) Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
28%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
237
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 Windmill Hill
12pages on Windmill Hill
The big questions
Safety12.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £331K · rent £1,262 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 months · busiest street Horseshoe PlaceSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.6 (men), 86.3 (women)Work & commute50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Windmill Hill’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HerstmonceuxHellinglyNinfieldHailshamWesthamPevensey BayStone CrossWindmill Hill
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windmill Hill | 633 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Herstmonceux | 1,221 | 0.8 | — | C+ | A− | A− |
| Hellingly | 2,616 | 3.4 | D− | C− | D | B+ |
| Ninfield | 1,296 | 3.7 | — | D | B− | A |
| Hailsham | 22,560 | 3.9 | D | C | C+ | C |
| Westham | 1,861 | 4.8 | — | C− | B+ | B |
| Pevensey Bay | 2,890 | 5 | C | C | A− | B− |
| Stone Cross | 5,036 | 5.2 | C | C− | B− | B |
Herstmonceux, Ninfield and Westham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Windmill Hill
How many listed buildings are there in Windmill Hill?
That is 9.7 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Windmill Hill?
Band D council tax in Windmill Hill is £2,677 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.
About Windmill Hill
Village in East Sussex, England
Windmill Hill is a built-up area of 633 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
- 633 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Wealden
- County
- East Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006424
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.