Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,414 in Essex, East of England.
Elsenham grades A overall against UK towns: better than 91% of UK towns, and #9 of 81 in Essex. Its strongest subject is health (A): life expectancy 82.9 for men, 85.1 for women. Its weakest is walkability (C+): 12% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £465,000 in the last three years, 6.6 times what households in the Uttlesford council area earn in a year.
The 3 things Elsenham does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Elsenham is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Historic England lists 28 buildings inside Elsenham’s built-up area.
8% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
The archive holds 1 old photo or postcard going back to 1935.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Elsenham.
At the census, 88% of people in Elsenham called their health good or very good, above Essex’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. 13% of residents in Elsenham live with a disability. Women here live to 85.1 on average and men to 82.9 (2019–23). The nearest A&E to Elsenham is The Princess Alexandra Hospital, 11.7 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Elsenham | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
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.
72% of pupils at the 5 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). There is one school here; it is shown below. Attainment 8 at the one secondary school within 3 km averages 42.8, and just over two in five pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elsenham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 403 | A |
73% of households are owner-occupiers. Private rents average £1,289 a month across the Uttlesford council area. Council and housing-body homes hold 14% of households.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £550,000 | 162 |
| Semi-detached | £397,500 | 60 |
| Terraced | £340,000 | 31 |
| Flat or maisonette | £155,750 | 10 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 36% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
24% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. Unemployment benefit claims came to 1.9% of 16 to 64s in 2026, below Essex’s towns (2.5%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. Average household income comes to £71K a year before tax.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Elsenham logged 191 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 38 complaints of anti-social conduct. Violence and sexual offences were 50% of the crimes. Violent crime ran at 20.5 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Essex’s towns (23.1) and England’s towns (22).
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.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Among adults, 30% have a degree. Young adults of 15 to 24 are nearly one in ten residents, below both Essex’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Add to that, 16% of residents have reached 65. The median resident of Elsenham is 38.6 years old.
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Elsenham | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 21% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.4% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 30% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 16% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.9% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 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 Elsenham. Best known first.
CastleStansted Mountfitchet Castle1.6 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumHouse on the Hill Museum1.7 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumPrior's Hall Barn4.2 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elsenham | 3,414 | — | A | B+ | B | A |
| Henham | 1,046 | 1.3 | — | B− | A | A+ |
| Stansted Mountfitchet | 8,629 | 1.6 | A+ | B+ | B+ | A |
| Takeley and Little Canfield | 5,553 | 4 | A− | B+ | C− | B+ |
| Bishop's Stortford | 40,916 | 4.5 | A | C+ | C | A |
| Newport | 2,945 | 4.7 | A+ | B | B | A+ |
| Thaxted | 3,111 | 5.8 | B+ | B+ | C+ | A |
| Little Hallingbury | 1,434 | 5.9 | — | B− | A− | A |
Henham and Little Hallingbury have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 3.4 times the typical UK town for its size.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £465,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £155,750, terraced houses £340,000, semi-detached houses £397,500 and detached houses £550,000. Household incomes are higher than in 91% of UK towns, so cost of living still grades B+.
Band D council tax in Elsenham is £2,300 for 2026–27, less than in 75% 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.
Town in Essex, England
Elsenham is a built-up area of 3,414 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.