Downham’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Downham’s built-up area.
20% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DownhamEssex
A village of 359 in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Glyn Baker · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
359
Census 2021 · Chelmsford council
Median home
£1.1M
10 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.6
24% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
23%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Downham a good place to live?
Downham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Downham stand out
The 3 things Downham does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
3.8 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
2 listed buildings
0 Grade II*; 2.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Downham.
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Downham: just 16% travel under 5 km, below Essex’s towns and 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.
Household income came to £66K a year before tax, higher than both Essex’s towns (£63K) and England’s towns (£55K). 11% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census. The car carried 86% of commuters at the census.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
Train7%
On foot3%
Underground, tram2%
16%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
39%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£66K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
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
Buying in Downham costs more than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns: the median sale is £1.1M
Owners make up 80% of households, above Essex’s towns (67%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. 1% of households rent from a council or housing body. Private rents average £1,439 a month across the Chelmsford council area.
£1.1Mmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Downham£1.1M
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,080,000 | 9 |
80%
of households own their home · England 61%
20%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,439
average private rent a month, Chelmsford council area
£2,347
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
Violent crime runs low in Downham: 6.5 per 1,000 residents a year, under Essex’s towns and England’s towns
Reported offences in Downham came to 6 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 2. 33% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. There were 9.3 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), above Essex’s towns (4.6) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
6.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual2
Damage & arson2
Public order1
Burglary1
Shoplifting0
Other theft0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social2
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.
6.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
6
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
Disability is less common in Downham, 13% of residents, than in Essex’s towns and England’s towns
There is no GP practice in Downham: the nearest is 2.1 miles off. At the census, 88% of people in Downham called their health good or very good, above both Essex’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%). Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 3.9% of the town. The nearest A&E to Downham is Basildon University Hospital, 5.8 miles away.
88%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 9%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Downham | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
80.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Young towns look healthier on these answers, which aren’t adjusted for age; the Health Grade uses measures that are, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
All 2 of Downham’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.
Homes from before 1919 make up a fifth of the total, above both Essex’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (16%). For its size, Downham has 56 listed buildings per 10,000 residents.
2listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
20%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
56
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
Children make up only 15% of Downham, fewer than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns
Degrees are held by 23% of adults. 24% of residents are 65 or over, above both Essex’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). The median resident of Downham is 48.6 years old.
48.6median age
DownhamEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level23%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Downham | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 34% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.6% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 23% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Barleylands Farm Museum and 2 more in and around Downham
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Downham. Best known first.
MuseumBarleylands Farm Museum5 km outside town, to the southwestWildlife parkWildlife parkBarleylands Farm Park4.8 km outside town, to the southwestZooZooImperial Birds of Prey Academy4.9 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Barleylands Farm Museum: John Winfield, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Downham
13pages on Downham
The big questions
Safety6.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £1.1M · rent £1,439 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 months · busiest street School RoadSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 80.6 (men), 85.9 (women)Work & commute57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Downham’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Ramsden HeathRunwellWickfordCrays HillStockBillericayGalleywoodDownham
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downham | 359 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ramsden Heath | 1,949 | 0.8 | — | C | A− | A− |
| Runwell | 8,086 | 1.6 | C+ | B− | C− | C+ |
| Wickford | 27,533 | 2.5 | B | C− | B− | B |
| Crays Hill | 1,218 | 2.7 | — | D | C+ | B+ |
| Stock | 1,573 | 2.7 | — | C | C+ | A− |
| Billericay | 34,068 | 3.1 | A | D | B+ | A |
| Galleywood | 6,410 | 4.2 | A− | B | C+ | B+ |
Ramsden Heath, Crays Hill and Stock have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Downham
How many listed buildings are there in Downham?
2 on Historic England’s list. That is 2.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Downham?
Band D council tax in Downham is £2,347 for 2026–27, less than in 67% 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 Downham
Village in Essex, England
Downham is a built-up area of 359 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
- 359 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chelmsford
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004680
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.