Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
904 people call this village in Essex, East of England home.
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Hatfield Broad Oak has none; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry just over one in ten commuters. 55 buildings are listed here, 1 at Grade I. Homes change hands at a median £580,000.
The 3 things Hatfield Broad Oak does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 55 buildings inside Hatfield Broad Oak’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade I, and 1 scheduled monument.
36% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
The archive holds 2 old photos and postcards going back to 1900.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hatfield Broad Oak.
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.
1.9% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, below Essex’s towns (2.5%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. At the census, 11% of commuters got to work without a car. About 8% of its commuters stay in Hatfield Broad Oak for work. The car carried 86% of commuters at the census.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Its only school is listed below. 66% of pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town’s primary school has 49 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Hatfield Broad OakLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 49 | C− |
Owners make up 73% of households, above Essex’s towns (67%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. Social housing holds 12% of households. Private rents average £1,289 a month across the Uttlesford council area.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £833,750 | 24 |
| Semi-detached | £501,750 | 10 |
| Terraced | £405,000 | 9 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Over the year to August 2026, 21 offences were reported in Hatfield Broad Oak. There were 1.5 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below Essex’s towns (4.6) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 62% of recorded 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 · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
The nearest A&E to Hatfield Broad Oak is The Princess Alexandra Hospital, 7.8 miles away. At the census, 4% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, lower than both Essex’s towns (4.8%) and England’s towns (5.2%). There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 1.9 miles off.
| Census 2021 | Hatfield Broad Oak | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Relative to its size, Hatfield Broad Oak keeps 608 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, higher than both Essex’s towns (52) and England’s towns (39). The town’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Grade I. The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Half of Hatfield Broad Oak is older than 50.6, half younger. People 65 and over make up 25% of the town. Also worth knowing: a third of adults hold a degree, higher than Essex’s towns (27%) and near England’s towns (34%).
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Hatfield Broad Oak | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 33% | 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 Hatfield Broad Oak. Best known first.
Historic houseDown Hall3.8 km outside town, to the southwestPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustHatfield Forest3.3 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumShell House3 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Village in Essex, England
Hatfield Broad Oak is a built-up area of 904 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
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatfield Broad Oak | 904 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hatfield Heath | 1,789 | 1.9 | — | B− | B+ | A |
| Little Hallingbury | 1,434 | 3.1 | — | B− | A− | A |
| Takeley and Little Canfield | 5,553 | 3.2 | A− | B+ | C− | B+ |
| Sawbridgeworth | 10,471 | 4.3 | A− | C+ | C+ | B+ |
| Bishop's Stortford | 40,916 | 4.7 | A | C+ | C | A |
| Stansted Mountfitchet | 8,629 | 5.6 | A+ | B+ | B+ | A |
| Great Dunmow | 10,395 | 5.9 | A− | B+ | C+ | A− |
Hatfield Heath 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 25 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary the Virgin. It also has 1 scheduled monument. 36% of Hatfield Broad Oak’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
By type: terraced houses £405,000, semi-detached houses £501,750 and detached houses £833,750.
At the 2021 Census, 11% of Hatfield Broad Oak’s 904 residents were 15 to 24 and 25% were 65 or over, against 12% and 18% across England’s towns.
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.