Broadley Common’s story
10 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Broadley Common’s built-up area.
27% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Broadley CommonEssex
The village has 390 residents and lies in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Bikeboy · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
390
Census 2021 · Epping Forest council
Median home
£565K
17 sales in 3 years
Median age
48
19% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
19%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Broadley Common a good place to live?
Broadley Common has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 10% of commuters. 10 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. The median sale price is £565,000.
What makes Broadley Common stand out
The 3 things Broadley Common does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% 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*; 10.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2 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 Broadley Common.
Work & commute
Broadley Common is a driving town: 86% of commuters go by car, above Essex’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 29% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims came to 2.8% of 16 to 64s in 2026, higher than both Essex’s towns (2.5%) and England’s towns (2.3%). 33% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. Walking ranked second among ways to work, at 6%.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot6%
Train3%
Underground, tram1%
33%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
29%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£61K
mean household income, before tax
2.8%
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
More households own their home in Broadley Common than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 81%
4% live in social housing, lower than both Essex’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,844 a month across the Epping Forest council area. That is the middle of 17 standard sales inside Broadley Common’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
£565Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Broadley Common£565K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £662,500 | 10 |
| Semi-detached | £480,000 | 5 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
15%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,844
average private rent a month, Epping Forest council area
£2,243
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
Burglary and damage hit Broadley Common harder than Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 28.2 per 1,000 residents a year
Reported offences in Broadley Common came to 30 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 6. Each year, 41 violent crimes are recorded per 1,000 residents. Violence and sexual offences made up 60% of the total. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 10.3 reports per 1,000, higher than both Essex’s towns (4.6) and England’s towns (7.8).
41violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual18
Other crime3
Damage & arson2
Burglary2
Vehicle crime2
Public order1
Other theft1
Weapons1
Anti-social6
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.
41
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
28.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
30
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 Broadley Common live with a disability than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 13%
At the census, 87% of people in Broadley Common called their health good or very good, above both Essex’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%). There is no GP practice locally: the nearest is 1.4 miles off. The nearest A&E to Broadley Common is The Princess Alexandra Hospital, 2.1 miles away.
87%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 9%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Broadley Common | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
81.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.5
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.
History
Broadley Common is rich in listed buildings: 256 per 10,000 residents, more than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
27% of its homes were built before 1919, higher than both Essex’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (16%). Conservation areas cover 63% of Broadley Common’s land, above Essex’s towns (3%) and England’s towns (7%) alike.
10listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II10
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
27%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
256
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
Degrees are less common in Broadley Common than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 19% of adults
Children under 15 make up 13%, lower than both Essex’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). Residents of Broadley Common have a median age of 48. Those aged 15 to 24 account for one in ten residents.
48median age
Broadley CommonEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
19%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications28%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level19%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
About 109 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Broadley Common | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 34% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 19% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 28% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 19% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Harlow Town Park and 2 more in and around Broadley Common
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Broadley Common. Best known first.
GardenHarlow Town Park4.1 km outside town, to the northeast
CastleRye House Gatehouse4.2 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumLowewood Museum4.7 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Harlow Town Park: Roger McLachlan, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rye House Gatehouse: Robert Edwards, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lowewood Museum: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Broadley Common
13pages on Broadley Common
The big questions
Safety41 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £565K · rent £1,844 a monthHousing2 sold in 12 months · busiest street Epping RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.3 (men), 86.5 (women)Work & commute59% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Broadley Common’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
RoydonLower NazeingHarlowHoddesdonThornwood CommonStanstead AbbottsEppingBroadley Common
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadley Common | 390 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Roydon | 1,587 | 1.7 | — | C− | C | B+ |
| Lower Nazeing | 3,631 | 2.2 | B− | D | B− | B+ |
| Harlow | 93,570 | 2.4 | D | C− | D | C− |
| Hoddesdon | 40,615 | 3.2 | B− | D | C | B |
| Thornwood Common | 1,030 | 3.6 | — | D | B− | B |
| Stanstead Abbotts | 3,754 | 3.7 | A− | B− | B− | A− |
| Epping | 10,693 | 4.1 | B+ | D | C− | B |
Roydon and Thornwood Common have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Broadley Common
How many listed buildings are there in Broadley Common?
That is 10.5 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Broadley Common expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £480,000 and detached houses £662,500.
How much is council tax in Broadley Common?
Band D council tax in Broadley Common is £2,243 for 2026–27, less than in 80% 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 Broadley Common
Village in Essex, England
Broadley Common is a built-up area of 390 people, in the Epping Forest 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
- 390 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Epping Forest
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004444
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.