Elmstead Market’s story
10 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Elmstead Market’s built-up area.
7% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Elmstead MarketEssex
Population 1,767: a village in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Roger W Haworth · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,767
Census 2021 · Tendring council
Median home
£393K
160 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.4
26% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
25%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Elmstead Market a good place to live?
Natural hazards are few (A). Buying in is costly: homes sell for a median £392,500, about 8.8 times local household income. Its other grades sit near the middle: C+ for schools, B for health and B for jobs & income. Police record more crime here than in most towns: 30 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 10.6 home and vehicle crimes. Among UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, it has less crime per resident than 17%.
Figures: flood risk, Environment Agency · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · life expectancy and income, ONS · claimants, DWP · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Elmstead Market has subject grades but no overall one.
What makes Elmstead Market stand out
The 3 things Elmstead Market does most differently from other towns.
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
0 Grade II*; 2.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Rent against income, UK towns
Renting
£1,053 a month
Average private rent, 28% of what households in the area earn: more than in 92% of UK towns
ONS private rents, Tendring council area.
How Elmstead Market grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Elmstead Market is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingRent £1,053 a monthD−Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →WalkabilityBehind most towns comparedCOpen →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentCOpen →Jobs & income1.5% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 43% of towns in EnglandC+Open →HealthLife expectancy 79.8 for men, 85.1 for womenBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryLess recorded history than most townsCOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 1.1 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life3.4 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Elmstead Market.
HousingCost of living grade D−
Most households in Elmstead Market own their home: 81%, more than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
Private tenants account for 10% of households. 8% live in social housing, below both Essex’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Behind the median of £392,500: 160 standard sales inside Elmstead Market’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£393Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Elmstead Market£393K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £457,000 | 110 |
| Semi-detached | £300,000 | 28 |
| Terraced | £290,000 | 19 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,053
average private rent a month, Tendring council area
£2,301
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
SchoolsC+
On exam results, Elmstead Market’s schools trail 58% of towns in England
Key Stage 2 results at the 5 primary schools within 3 km: 60% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one primary school teaches 211 pupils.
C+School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elmstead Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 211 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
History
Elmstead Market has 10 listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
The pre-1919 share of homes is 7%. One registered park or garden lies in Elmstead Market. Per 10,000 residents, Elmstead Market counts 57 listed buildings.
10listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II10
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
7%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
57
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Under 5 km to work: 21% in Elmstead Market, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 26% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Household income averages £59K a year before tax. 11% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train at the census, below both Essex’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (27%). Also worth knowing: the 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 1.5%.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot7%
Train2%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
21%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
26%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£59K
mean household income, before tax
1.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 34% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
For a town of its size, Elmstead Market records a lot of crime: more per resident than four in five of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
The 12 months to August 2026 brought 121 recorded crimes inside Elmstead Market’s built-up area, and 20 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 52% of the crimes. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 5.7 reports per 1,000, above Essex’s towns (4.6) but below England’s towns (7.8).
30violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearCSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 17% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual63
Public order13
Damage & arson11
Other theft8
Shoplifting7
Vehicle crime6
Burglary5
Other crime4
Anti-social20
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.
30
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
121
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 Elmstead Market say their health is good than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 79%
A disability affects 20% of people in Elmstead Market. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.3 miles away. 5.6% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, above both Essex’s towns (4.8%) and England’s towns (5.2%).
79%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Elmstead Market | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.6% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
79.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · 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.
Who lives here
Elmstead Market skews older, with 26% of residents 65 or over, more than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
The median resident of Elmstead Market is 48.4 years old. Nearly one in ten residents are 15 to 24, below Essex’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. One measure of family life: 16% of residents are under 15.
48.4median age
Elmstead MarketEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level25%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 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.
| Elmstead Market | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.5% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 26% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.9% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 25% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Beth Chatto Gardens and 3 more in and around Elmstead Market
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Elmstead Market. Best known first.
GardenBeth Chatto Gardens100 m outside town, to the southeastArt galleryArt galleryESCALA Gallery2.7 km outside town, to the westTheme parkTheme parkWyvernwood2.7 km outside town, to the southAttractionAttractionThorrington Tide Mill4 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Beth Chatto Gardens: Grahamec, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Elmstead Market
14pages on Elmstead Market
The big questions
SafetyC30 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingD−Median home £393K · rent £1,053 a monthHousing33 sold in 12 months · busiest street Pine WaySchoolsC+2 state schoolsHealthBLife expectancy 79.8 (men), 85.1 (women)Work & commuteB51% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Elmstead Market’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WivenhoeAlresfordRowhedgeArdleighThorringtonGreat BentleyBerechurchElmstead Market
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmstead Market | 1,767 | — | — | D− | C | B |
| Wivenhoe | 7,354 | 2 | A | B+ | B+ | A |
| Alresford | 2,462 | 2 | — | D− | B+ | B− |
| Rowhedge | 2,492 | 2.7 | — | B+ | A− | C− |
| Ardleigh | 1,042 | 2.9 | — | D− | C+ | B |
| Thorrington | 1,427 | 3.4 | — | D− | A+ | B− |
| Great Bentley | 1,746 | 3.5 | — | D− | C+ | B− |
| Berechurch | 7,702 | 4 | C+ | A | D | D |
Alresford, Rowhedge, Ardleigh, Thorrington and Great Bentley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Elmstead Market
How many listed buildings are there in Elmstead Market?
That is 2.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Elmstead Market expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £392,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £290,000, semi-detached houses £300,000 and detached houses £457,000.
About Elmstead Market
Village in Essex, England
Elmstead Market is a built-up area of 1,767 people, in the Tendring 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
- 1,767 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Tendring
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (1 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004119
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.