Blackmore’s story
30 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Blackmore’s built-up area.
14% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BlackmoreEssex
Population 1,167: a village in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Kemp · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,167
Census 2021 · Brentwood council
Median home
£665K
41 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.9
27% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
17%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Blackmore a good place to live?
Blackmore’s strongest subject is health: life expectancy 81.3 for men, 84.9 for women. Safety is a strength too: 9.1 violent and sexual offences and 13.4 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Where it falls short is cost of living (C) — a typical home costs £665,000 and rent runs £1,620 a month. Schools are weaker too: primary results beat just over a third of towns in England.
Figures: life expectancy, ONS · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Blackmore has its subject grades alone.
What makes Blackmore stand out
The 3 things Blackmore does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Laurence; 10.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.4 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
27% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Blackmore grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Blackmore is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Blackmore has its subject grades alone.
HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesAOpen →SafetyLess crime than in most townsA−Open →Cost of livingMedian sale £665,000, 9.1 years of area incomeCOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 35% of towns in EnglandCOpen →Walkability17% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transportB+Open →Jobs & income2.3% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History14% of homes built before 1919B+Open →Outdoors75% live within 400 m of a park; 3.6 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC+Open →Civic life6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 100% live within 1 km of a libraryA+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Blackmore.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Blackmore than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 14% are under 15
Young adults of 15 to 24 are 9.8% of residents, below Essex’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. 27% of residents are 65 or over. Blackmore has a median age of 51.9 years. Among adults, 30% have a degree.
51.9median age
BlackmoreEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level30%
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.
| Blackmore | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.3% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC
Results at Blackmore’s schools trail 68% of towns in England
There is one school here; it is shown below. Nearly three in five pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town’s primary school has 166 pupils.
CSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackmore Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 166 | C+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Health
Just 3.3% of people in Blackmore say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
At the census, 14% of people here had a disability, below both Essex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). Asked at the census, 85% of residents of Blackmore said they were in good or very good health. There is no GP practice locally: the nearest is 1.9 miles off.
85%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Blackmore | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
81.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.9
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.
Safety
Fewer crimes per resident in Blackmore than in 76% of UK towns
Violence and sexual offences were 23% of the crimes. A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 40 offences in Blackmore and 4 cases of nuisance behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 2.3 reports per 1,000, below Essex’s towns (4.6) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
9.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 59% 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
Vehicle crime10
Violence & sexual9
Shoplifting8
Other theft4
Damage & arson2
Public order2
Burglary2
Other crime2
Anti-social4
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.
9.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
13.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
40
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 C
Most households in Blackmore own their home: 86%, more than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
Private renters make up 7% of households, lower than both Essex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%). 41 standard sales inside Blackmore’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £665,000.
£665Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Blackmore£665K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £855,000 | 22 |
| Semi-detached | £535,000 | 15 |
86%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,620
average private rent a month, Brentwood council area
£2,308
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
More buildings in Blackmore are listed than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 257 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Blackmore’s land, 23% lies in conservation areas, above Essex’s towns (3%) and England’s towns (7%) alike. The town’s listed buildings include the Church of St Laurence, Grade I. It has 30 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I.
30listed buildingsB+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II29
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Laurence Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
14%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
257
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
Long commutes are the norm in Blackmore: just 13% travel under 5 km, below Essex’s towns and 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.
Working mainly from home: 38% of workers, above both Essex’s towns (31%) and England’s towns (31%). Just over four in five commuters took the car to work at the census. About 9% of its commuters stay in Blackmore for work. Also worth knowing: the average household earns £70K a year before tax.
17%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving81%
On foot7%
Train5%
Bus2%
Underground, tram2%
Bicycle1%
13%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
38%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£70K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B+
Walkability: more walkable than 66% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Blackmore
13pages on Blackmore
The big questions
SafetyA−9.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £665K · rent £1,620 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 months · busiest street Orchard PieceSchoolsC1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 81.3 (men), 84.9 (women)Work & commuteB62% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB+0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Blackmore’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
DoddinghurstKelvedon HatchIngatestoneChipping OngarShelleyBrentwoodWrittleBlackmore
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackmore | 1,167 | — | — | C | A− | A |
| Doddinghurst | 4,067 | 1.8 | A− | C | A | A |
| Kelvedon Hatch | 2,493 | 2.6 | — | C | B | A− |
| Ingatestone | 5,411 | 3.2 | A | C | B− | A |
| Chipping Ongar | 3,922 | 3.2 | C+ | C− | C+ | B+ |
| Shelley | 2,405 | 3.7 | — | C | C | B− |
| Brentwood | 55,339 | 4.7 | A− | C+ | C | B |
| Writtle | 4,703 | 5.1 | A | C+ | B | A− |
Kelvedon Hatch and Shelley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Blackmore
Is Blackmore expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £665,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £535,000 and detached houses £855,000.
How many listed buildings are there in Blackmore?
That is 10.5 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Laurence.
Is Blackmore safe?
Against all UK towns, it grades A−.
About Blackmore
Village in Essex, England
Blackmore is a built-up area of 1,167 people, in the Brentwood 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
- 1,167 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Brentwood
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004559
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.