Cold Norton’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Cold Norton’s built-up area.
14% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Cold NortonEssex
Home to 1,161 people, this village lies in Essex, East of England. Over-65s are 24% of the population.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Julieanne Savage · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,161
Census 2021 · Maldon council
Median home
£543K
49 sales in 3 years
Median age
51
24% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
6%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Cold Norton a good place to live?
Crime is low: 10.9 violent and sexual offences and 7.5 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. It is hard to get around without a car (D−): on the way to work, 6% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Homes sell for a median £543,300, about 9.1 years of what households in the Maldon council area earn. Natural hazards are less of a worry than in most UK towns (A).
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS · flood risk, Environment Agency. An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so Cold Norton is graded subject by subject only.
What makes Cold Norton stand out
The 3 things Cold Norton does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
6% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
24% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Cold Norton grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Cold Norton is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityAmong the hardest places to get around without a carD−Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SafetyIn the top fifth of the towns comparedAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 27% of towns in EnglandC−Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workB+Open →Cost of livingRent £1,139 a monthCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 81.3 for men, 84 for womenB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsC−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 1.3 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsCOpen →Civic life2.6 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 Cold Norton.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Commuters in Cold Norton travel far: only 13% go under 5 km, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 39% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, just over nine in ten commuters went by car. Households had £64K a year before tax, close to Essex’s towns (£63K) and above England’s towns (£55K). 1.9% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. Work in town: 2% of resident commuters.
6%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
Train3%
On foot3%
13%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
39%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£64K
mean household income, before tax
1.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D−
Walkability: more walkable than 3% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsC−
Results at Cold Norton’s schools trail 77% of towns in England
Key Stage 2 results at the 3 primary schools within 3 km: 57% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Cold Norton Primary School’s results beat nearly nine in ten schools in England like it. Its only school is listed below.
C−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Norton Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 157 | A |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Per resident, Cold Norton sees less crime than 86% of UK towns
In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 37 crimes inside Cold Norton’s built-up area. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Cold Norton has less crime per resident than nearly three quarters of them. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 0.3 reports per 1,000, lower than both Essex’s towns (4.6) and England’s towns (7.8). Of all the crimes, 49% were violence and sexual offences.
10.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 74% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual18
Damage & arson6
Other theft4
Drugs4
Public order2
Vehicle crime2
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social0
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.
10.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
37
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.
History
All 2 of Cold Norton’s listed buildings are Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Relative to its size, Cold Norton keeps 17 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, lower than both Essex’s towns (52) and England’s towns (39). Before 1919: that is when 14% of homes were built.
2listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
14%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
17
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
Fewer children live in Cold Norton than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 14% are under 15
The middle age in Cold Norton is 51. 24% of residents are 65 or over, above both Essex’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). The share aged 15 to 24 is 10%.
51median age
Cold NortonEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 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.
| Cold Norton | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 34% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.4% | 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
HousingCost of living grade C
More households own their home in Cold Norton than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 87%
Private renters make up 7% of households, below both Essex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%). 6% of households rent from a council or housing body. Behind the median of £543,300: 49 standard sales inside Cold Norton’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£543Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Cold Norton£543K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £672,500 | 34 |
| Semi-detached | £416,500 | 6 |
| Flat or maisonette | £225,000 | 7 |
87%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,139
average private rent a month, Maldon council area
£2,346
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
Just 3.1% of people in Cold Norton say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
The nearest A&E to Cold Norton is Southend University Hospital, 8.1 miles away. At the census, 14% of people here had a disability, below Essex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. Women here live to 84 on average and men to 81.3 (2019–23).
86%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Cold Norton | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.1% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
81.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84
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.
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cold Norton
15pages on Cold Norton
The big questions
SafetyA10.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £543K · rent £1,139 a monthHousing11 sold in 12 months · busiest street Latchingdon RoadSchoolsC−1 state schoolHealthB+Life expectancy 81.3 (men), 84 (women)Work & commuteB+55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Cold Norton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
LatchingdonSouth Woodham FerrersMaylandHullbridgeBicknacreMaldonCanewdonCold Norton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Norton | 1,161 | — | — | C | A | B+ |
| Latchingdon | 1,140 | 2.3 | — | B− | C− | B− |
| South Woodham Ferrers | 16,029 | 3.2 | A | B | B+ | A− |
| Mayland | 3,740 | 3.9 | C+ | C+ | B | B |
| Hullbridge | 5,709 | 4.1 | B | C | B− | B |
| Bicknacre | 2,277 | 4.1 | — | B− | B+ | A |
| Maldon | 23,389 | 4.2 | C+ | B | C | B− |
| Canewdon | 1,216 | 4.8 | — | B− | A− | C− |
Latchingdon, Bicknacre and Canewdon have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Cold Norton
Is Cold Norton expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £543,300, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £225,000, semi-detached houses £416,500 and detached houses £672,500.
Are schools in Cold Norton good?
Primary results trail 73% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Essex council.
About Cold Norton
Village in Essex, England
Cold Norton is a built-up area of 1,161 people, in the Maldon 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
- 1,161 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Maldon
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004600
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.