Barnston’s story
5 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Barnston’s built-up area.
27% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BarnstonEssex
Population 926: a village in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: John Salmon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
926
Census 2021 · Uttlesford council
Median home
£518K
36 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.9
24% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Barnston a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Barnston is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. 7% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 5 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. Homes change hands at a median £517,500.
What makes Barnston stand out
The 3 things Barnston does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 2.2 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.9 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Barnston.
Work & commute
More commuters in Barnston drive than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 92%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Average household income comes to £70K a year before tax. 24% of commuters travelled under 5 km, below Essex’s towns (41%) and England’s towns (45%) alike. The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 1.6%.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot3%
Bus2%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
24%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£70K
mean household income, before tax
1.6%
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
Most households in Barnston own their home: 76%, more than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
The private rented sector houses 10% of households. 13% live in social housing, lower than both Essex’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,289 a month across the Uttlesford council area.
£518Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Barnston£518K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £745,000 | 20 |
| Semi-detached | £387,500 | 14 |
76%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,289
average private rent a month, Uttlesford council area
£2,280
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
Violence is recorded less often in Barnston than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 11.2 per 1,000 residents a year
Barnston logged 16 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 2 complaints of anti-social conduct. Burglary and damage came to 5.8 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Essex’s towns (10.6) and England’s towns (9.4). Violence and sexual offences made up just over four fifths of the total.
11.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual13
Other theft1
Burglary1
Drugs1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social2
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.
11.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
16
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
Is Barnston a healthy place? 86% of its people say their health is good, above Essex’s towns and England’s towns
At the census, 14% of people here had a disability, below both Essex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). 3.8% of residents report bad or very bad health. There is no GP practice in Barnston: the nearest is 1.6 miles off.
86%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Barnston | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.8% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
82.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.3
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
Barnston keeps more of its old housing than Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 27% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Per 10,000 residents, Barnston counts 54 listed buildings, near Essex’s towns (52) and higher than England’s towns (39).
5listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II5
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
27%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
54
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
An older town: 24% of people in Barnston are 65 or over, more than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
Nearly one in ten residents are 15 to 24, lower than both Essex’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Children under 15 make up 17% of residents. Half of Barnston is older than 48.9, half younger. Graduates make up 31% of adults.
48.9median age
BarnstonEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Barnston | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.5% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.9% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Barnston
12pages on Barnston
The big questions
Safety11.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £518K · rent £1,289 a monthHousing16 sold in 12 months · busiest street Rayfield CloseSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.3 (men), 84.3 (women)Work & commute52% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Barnston’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Little DunmowGreat DunmowFelstedStebbingTakeley and Little CanfieldRayneGreat LeighsBarnston
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnston | 926 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Little Dunmow | 2,644 | 1.3 | B+ | B+ | B | A |
| Great Dunmow | 10,395 | 1.8 | A− | B+ | C+ | A− |
| Felsted | 1,233 | 2.2 | — | B− | B+ | A− |
| Stebbing | 1,061 | 3.3 | — | B+ | A+ | A |
| Takeley and Little Canfield | 5,553 | 4.8 | A− | B+ | C− | B+ |
| Rayne | 2,169 | 5.4 | — | B− | B | A |
| Great Leighs | 2,968 | 5.5 | A | C+ | B+ | A− |
Felsted, Stebbing and Rayne have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Barnston
How many listed buildings are there in Barnston?
That is 2.2 times the typical UK town for its size. 27% of Barnston’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Is Barnston expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £387,500 and detached houses £745,000.
How much is council tax in Barnston?
Band D council tax in Barnston is £2,280 for 2026–27, less than in 78% 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 Barnston
Village in Essex, England
Barnston is a built-up area of 926 people, in the Uttlesford 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
- 926 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Uttlesford
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004216
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.