Bicknacre’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Bicknacre’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
4% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BicknacreEssex
The village, home to 2,277 people, lies in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Terryjoyce · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,277
Census 2021 · Chelmsford council
Median home
£440K
104 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.2
24% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Bicknacre a good place to live?
Where it does best is health — men here can expect to live to 82.1, women to 84.4. Households here earn well: mean household income £74,671; 2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Most journeys need a car: on the way to work, 8% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. A median £440,000 buys a home here, 6.5 times what households in the Chelmsford council area earn in a year. Its other grades sit near the middle: B for schools and B for hazard risk.
Figures: life expectancy and income, ONS · claimants, DWP · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · flood risk, Environment Agency. An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so Bicknacre is graded subject by subject only.
What makes Bicknacre stand out
The 3 things Bicknacre does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.6 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Household income, against UK towns
Work
Mean, before tax: higher than in 95% of UK towns
ONS small-area income estimates.
How Bicknacre grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Bicknacre is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so Bicknacre is graded subject by subject only.
WalkabilityIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesAOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work beat most townsA−Open →SafetyAbove the middle of the towns comparedB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 62% of towns in EnglandBOpen →Hazard risk0.1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaBOpen →Cost of livingAbout average among the towns comparedB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History1 listed building; 4% of homes built before 1919DOpen →Outdoors56% live within 400 m of a park; 1 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsDOpen →Civic life1.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bicknacre.
History
Bicknacre’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.
Bicknacre has 4 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. The national list protects one ancient monument in the town.
1listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
1
scheduled monument
0
registered parks and gardens
4%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
4
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
SchoolsB
School results in Bicknacre are better than in 65% of towns in England
At the 5 primary schools within 3 km, 64% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its only school is listed below.
BSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priory Primary School, BicknacreLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 153 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Under 5 km to work: 11% in Bicknacre, fewer than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 38% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 2%. Nine in ten commuters drove, above both Essex’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%). What’s more, at the census, 38% of workers worked mainly from home.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot4%
Train2%
Bus1%
11%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
38%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£75K
mean household income, before tax
2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 9% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Bad health is less common in Bicknacre than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.6% of residents
87% of Bicknacre’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above Essex’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. A disability affects 15% of people in the town. The nearest A&E to Bicknacre is Broomfield Hospital, 7.5 miles away. Women here live to 84.4 on average and men to 82.1 (2019–23).
87%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Bicknacre | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.6% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
82.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
Safety
Burglary and damage are rarer in Bicknacre than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 5.9 per 1,000 residents a year
Violence and sexual offences were 57% of the crimes. Over the year to August 2026, 63 offences were reported in Bicknacre, along with 5 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Violent crime runs at 18.2 per 1,000 residents a year. There were 2.5 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below both Essex’s towns (4.6) and England’s towns (7.8).
18.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 54% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual36
Damage & arson7
Vehicle crime7
Other theft5
Burglary4
Weapons1
Robbery1
Theft from person1
Anti-social5
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.
18.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
63
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.
HousingCost of living grade B−
More households own their home in Bicknacre than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 85%
9% rent privately, below both Essex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%). Council and housing-body homes hold 5% of households. Private rents average £1,439 a month across the Chelmsford council area.
£440Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bicknacre£440K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £521,250 | 56 |
| Semi-detached | £442,000 | 25 |
| Terraced | £340,000 | 23 |
85%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,439
average private rent a month, Chelmsford council area
£2,325
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Bicknacre than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 15% are under 15
Residents of Bicknacre have a median age of 48.2. People 65 and over make up 24% of the town, above both Essex’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). Among adults, 30% have a degree.
48.2median age
BicknacreEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Bicknacre | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →RHS Garden, Hyde Hall and 3 more in and around Bicknacre
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Bicknacre. Best known first.
Garden · RHSRHS Garden, Hyde Hall1.9 km outside town, to the south
Park or estate · National TrustBlakes Wood3.4 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumStow Maries Great War Aerodrome Museum2.9 km outside town, to the southeastZooZooCall of the Wild Zoo3.5 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- RHS Garden, Hyde Hall: Mrmatiko, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Blakes Wood: Malcolm Reid, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bicknacre
14pages on Bicknacre
The big questions
SafetyB+18.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £440K · rent £1,439 a monthHousing23 sold in 12 months · busiest street Hawthorn CloseSchoolsB1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 82.1 (men), 84.4 (women)Work & commuteA−55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Bicknacre’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
DanburySouth Woodham FerrersCold NortonGalleywoodBorehamMaldonHullbridgeBicknacre
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bicknacre | 2,277 | — | — | B− | B+ | A |
| Danbury | 6,196 | 1.7 | A | C | B+ | A |
| South Woodham Ferrers | 16,029 | 3.7 | A | B | B+ | A− |
| Cold Norton | 1,161 | 4.1 | — | C | A | B+ |
| Galleywood | 6,410 | 4.6 | A− | B | C+ | B+ |
| Boreham | 3,561 | 4.9 | A− | B− | C+ | A− |
| Maldon | 23,389 | 5 | C+ | B | C | B− |
| Hullbridge | 5,709 | 5.1 | B | C | B− | B |
Cold Norton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bicknacre
Is Bicknacre expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £440,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £340,000, semi-detached houses £442,000 and detached houses £521,250. Household incomes are higher than in 95% of UK towns, so cost of living still grades B−.
Is Bicknacre safe?
Against all UK towns, it grades B+.
How much is council tax in Bicknacre?
Band D council tax in Bicknacre is £2,325 for 2026–27, less than in 71% 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 Bicknacre
Village in Essex, England
Bicknacre is a built-up area of 2,277 people, in the Chelmsford 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
- 2,277 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chelmsford
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (1 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004545
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.