Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A village of 812 in Essex, East of England.
Dedham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
The 3 things Dedham does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 68 buildings inside Dedham’s built-up area, 4 of them Grade I.
31% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Dedham.
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.
That puts Dedham below both Essex’s towns (41%) and England’s towns (45%). At the census, 15% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 202 | A− |
On this, Dedham is above both Essex’s towns (£400K) and England’s towns (£308K). 22% of households live in social housing.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £952,500 | 10 |
| Semi-detached | £445,000 | 13 |
| Flat or maisonette | £259,750 | 6 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Police recorded 37 crimes inside Dedham’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 15 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 30% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking, so it runs higher than U.S. “violent crime”.
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.
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
83% of Dedham’s residents described their health as good or very good in 2021, against 83% across Essex’s towns. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
| Census 2021 | Dedham | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
In the comparison, Dedham comes above both Essex’s towns (52) and England’s towns (39). Dedham’s listed buildings include Old Grammar School and Well House, Grade I. Dedham has 68 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 4 Grade I, 14 Grade II*.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
For Dedham, that is above both Essex’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). 8.3% of residents are aged 15 to 24. Dedham has a median age of 48.8.
54% women, 46% men
About 86 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.
| Dedham | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 28% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.6% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Dedham. Best known first.
MuseumThe Munnings Art Museumin town
Historic house · National TrustThorington Hall4.7 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttraction · National TrustFlatford Mill1.5 km outside town, to the eastAbbey or prioryAbbey or prioryDodnash Priory5 km outside town, to the northeastRuinsRuins · English HeritageMistley Towers5 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumManningtree Museum4 km outside town, to the eastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
9 notable people were born in Dedham.
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dedham | 812 | — | — | — | — | — |
| East Bergholt | 2,211 | 1.8 | — | B− | B+ | A |
| Ardleigh | 1,042 | 2.1 | — | D− | C+ | B |
| Lawford | 4,488 | 2.5 | B+ | D− | B | B |
| Brantham | 2,081 | 2.9 | — | B+ | A− | A |
| Manningtree | 1,676 | 2.9 | — | D− | C | B− |
| Capel St Mary | 2,992 | 3.9 | A | B+ | A | A+ |
| Mistley | 1,827 | 4 | — | D− | C | B |
East Bergholt, Ardleigh, Brantham, Manningtree and Mistley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 34.4 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Old Grammar School and Well House. 31% of Dedham’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
By type: flats £259,750, semi-detached houses £445,000 and detached houses £952,500. Private rents in the Colchester council area averaged £1,197 a month in August 2026.
Band D council tax in Dedham is £2,288 for 2026–27, less than in 77% 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.
Village in Essex, England
Dedham is a built-up area of 812 people, in the Colchester 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
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.
