Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
284 residents make their home in this village in Essex, East of England.
Elmdon has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. 39 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. On the way to work, 13% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. 54% of adults are qualified to degree level.
The 3 things Elmdon does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 39 buildings inside Elmdon’s built-up area, 2 of them Grade II*, and 1 scheduled monument.
38% 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 Elmdon.
Half the people of Elmdon are older than 50.5. Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 8.8% of the town. Children under 15 make up 16%, below Essex’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%) alike.
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Elmdon | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.4% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 54% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 59% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, nearly three in five workers worked mainly from home. Household income came to £80K a year before tax, higher than both Essex’s towns (£63K) and England’s towns (£55K). Also worth knowing: 1.6% of people aged 16 to 64 were on unemployment benefits in 2026.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Home ownership stands at three quarters of households. 13% live in social housing, below Essex’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private rents average £1,289 a month across the Uttlesford council area.
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Of all the crimes, 44% were violence and sexual offences. Violence came to 14.1 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Essex’s towns (23) and England’s towns (22). Reported offences in Elmdon came to 16 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 1.
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 · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
87% of Elmdon’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above both Essex’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%). At the census, 3.8% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 4.7 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Elmdon | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.8% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 11% | 17% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Scaled to its population, Elmdon has 1,373 listed buildings per 10,000 people, above both Essex’s towns (52) and England’s towns (39). Grade II* covers 2 of them. The national list protects one ancient monument here.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmdon | 284 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Great Chesterford | 1,775 | 3.5 | — | B | A− | A+ |
| Duxford | 2,216 | 4.1 | — | B− | A | A+ |
| Fowlmere | 1,295 | 4.5 | — | B− | B+ | A |
| Newport | 2,945 | 4.9 | A+ | B | B | A+ |
| Saffron Walden | 16,609 | 5 | A+ | A− | B | A |
| Whittlesford | 1,608 | 5.2 | — | B− | B+ | A+ |
| Melbourn | 4,907 | 5.7 | A− | B+ | B | A− |
Great Chesterford, Duxford, Fowlmere and Whittlesford have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 56.3 times the typical UK town for its size. It also has 1 scheduled monument. 38% of Elmdon’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Band D council tax in Elmdon is £2,238 for 2026–27, less than in 81% 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
Elmdon is a built-up area of 284 people, in the Uttlesford 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.