High Beech’s story
22 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside High Beech’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
19% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
High BeechEssex
A village of 186 in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Peter Trimming · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
186
Census 2021 · Epping Forest council
Median home
£900K
13 sales in 3 years
Median age
63
46% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
23%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
20%
of commuters · England 27%
Is High Beech a good place to live?
High Beech has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes High Beech stand out
The 3 things High Beech does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
3.2 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
46% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 48.5 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 High Beech.
Who lives here
High Beech skews older, with 46% of residents 65 or over, more than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns
Ages in High Beech split evenly at 63: half are older, half younger. 7% are under 15, below Essex’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 5.4% of the population.
63median age
High BeechEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
46%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications34%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar11%
Degree level23%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| High Beech | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 7% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 5.4% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 14% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 46% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 34% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.5% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 11% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 23% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Under 5 km to work: 14% in High Beech, fewer than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 45% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For every resident in work, High Beech has 1.7 jobs. Working mainly from home: 45% of workers, higher than both Essex’s towns (31%) and England’s towns (31%). 20% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census.
20%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving73%
Train12%
Underground, tram5%
On foot2%
14%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
45%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
4.9%
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 High Beech costs more than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns: the median sale is £900K
Nearly nine in ten households own their home. Social housing holds 2% of households, below both Essex’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Private tenants account for 8% of households.
£900Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
High Beech£900K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,055,000 | 9 |
89%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,844
average private rent a month, Epping Forest council area
£2,341
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
High Beech records more burglary and damage per resident than Essex’s towns or England’s towns, at 23.3 per 1,000 a year
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 12.5 reports per 1,000, above both Essex’s towns (4.6) and England’s towns (7.8). High Beech logged 9 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 3 complaints of anti-social conduct. The violent crime rate is 17.9 per 1,000 residents a year. 22% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
17.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual2
Damage & arson2
Burglary2
Drugs2
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
Anti-social3
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.
17.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
23.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
9
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
More people in High Beech say their health is bad than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 9.6%
High Beech has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.5 miles away. At the census, 71% of people in High Beech called their health good or very good, below both Essex’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%). Disability touches nearly a quarter of the town’s population. The nearest A&E to High Beech is North Middlesex University Hospital, 5 miles away.
71%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 71%Fair 20%Bad or very bad 10%
| Census 2021 | High Beech | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 71% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 9.6% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 17% | 17% |
78.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82
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
High Beech is rich in listed buildings: 1,183 per 10,000 residents, more than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns
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 19% of the total, above Essex’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. None of the 22 listed buildings reaches Grade II* or Grade I; all are Grade II. Also worth knowing: high Beech has one scheduled monument.
22listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II22
1
scheduled monument
0
registered parks and gardens
19%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
1,183
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills and 6 more in and around High Beech
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near High Beech. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryAbbey or prioryWaltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills4.1 km outside town, to the northwest
Historic houseCopped Hall3.7 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumEpping Forest District Museum2.7 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumThe Hirsch Family Adventure Gallery1 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionQueen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge1.9 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumRSA Interpretation Centre2.6 km outside town, to the northwest
Historic houseCopped Hall3.7 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumEpping Forest District Museum2.7 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumThe Hirsch Family Adventure Gallery1 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionQueen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge1.9 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumRSA Interpretation Centre2.6 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Copped Hall: Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Epping Forest District Museum: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about High Beech
13pages on High Beech
The big questions
Safety17.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £900K · rent £1,844 a monthHousingSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 78.2 (men), 82 (women)Work & commute61% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
High Beech’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
LoughtonWaltham AbbeyBuckhurst HillWaltham CrossTheydon BoisChigwellAbridgeHigh Beech
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Beech | 186 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Loughton | 33,338 | 2.1 | B | C− | C | B |
| Waltham Abbey | 18,645 | 2.1 | D | C | D | C− |
| Buckhurst Hill | 11,749 | 2.2 | B+ | D | C | A− |
| Waltham Cross | 11,936 | 3.1 | D | C− | D | C− |
| Theydon Bois | 3,540 | 3.5 | A− | D | B− | A− |
| Chigwell | 12,251 | 3.9 | B | D | C | B+ |
| Abridge | 1,651 | 4.2 | — | C− | B− | B+ |
Abridge has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about High Beech
Is High Beech expensive to live in?
Private rents in the Epping Forest council area averaged £1,844 a month in August 2026.
How many listed buildings are there in High Beech?
That is 48.5 times the typical UK town for its size. It also has 1 scheduled monument.
About High Beech
Village in Essex, England
High Beech is a built-up area of 186 people, in the Epping Forest 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
- 186 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Epping Forest
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004639
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.