Roydon’s story
36 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Roydon’s built-up area.
14% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
RoydonEssex
Some 1,587 people live in this village, in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Peter S · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,587
Census 2021 · Epping Forest council
Median home
£490K
47 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.3
22% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
34%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
20%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Roydon a good place to live?
Roydon is easy to get around without a car: a fifth of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Health is another plus (B+) — men here can expect to live to 81.3, women to 86.5. Cost of living is its weak spot (C−): a typical home costs £490,000 and rent runs £1,844 a month. Schools are weaker too (C) — primary results beat 46% of towns in England; secondary results beat 14% of towns in England.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · life expectancy, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Roydon has its subject grades alone.
What makes Roydon stand out
The 3 things Roydon does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Peter; 9.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.8 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Rent against income, UK towns
Renting
£1,844 a month
Average private rent, 34% of what households in the area earn: more than in 99% of UK towns
ONS private rents, Epping Forest council area.
How Roydon grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Roydon is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingMedian sale £490,000, 7.6 years of area incomeC−Open →Hazard risk2.3% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC−Open →WalkabilityEasier than most to get around on footA−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 46% of towns in England; secondary results beat 14% of towns in EnglandCOpen →HealthBetter than most of the towns comparedB+Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentCOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £61,300BOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History14% of homes built before 1919B+Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 3.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsAOpen →Civic life3.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryBOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Roydon.
HousingCost of living grade C−
Few households rent privately in Roydon: 7%, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
Owners make up four in five households, above Essex’s towns (67%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. 13% of households live in social housing. 47 standard sales inside Roydon’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £490,000.
£490Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Roydon£490K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £565,000 | 17 |
| Semi-detached | £490,000 | 17 |
| Terraced | £400,000 | 11 |
80%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,844
average private rent a month, Epping Forest council area
£2,243
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
Exam results at Roydon’s schools trail 74% of towns in England
Just over three in five pupils at the 12 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The one school in town appears below. GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: 35% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 40.1.
CSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roydon Primary AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 173 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
More people aged 16 to 64 in Roydon claim unemployment benefits than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 3.5%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 39% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
A third of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. About 4% of its commuters stay in Roydon for work. There are 0.6 jobs in Roydon for each resident in work. The car took 78% of commuters, above both Essex’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%).
20%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving78%
Train8%
On foot6%
Underground, tram3%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
33%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
39%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£61K
mean household income, before tax
3.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A−
Walkability: more walkable than 77% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Roydon is rich in listed buildings: 227 per 10,000 residents, more than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them. Roydon’s listed buildings include the Church of St Peter, Grade I. It has 36 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I. Conservation areas cover 17% of the town’s land, higher than both Essex’s towns (3%) and England’s towns (7%).
36listed buildingsB+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II35
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Peter Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
14%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
227
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Fewer people in Roydon live with a disability than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 14%
85% of people in Roydon rate their own health good or very good. This Essex town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.1 miles away. Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 4.4% of the town.
85%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Roydon | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
81.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
Safety
Burglary and damage hit Roydon harder than Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 19.3 per 1,000 residents a year
Roydon logged 92 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 5 complaints of anti-social conduct. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Roydon has more crime per resident than 85% of them. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 37% of recorded crime.
23.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearCSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 15% 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 & sexual34
Damage & arson11
Shoplifting10
Vehicle crime10
Other theft9
Burglary7
Public order5
Drugs2
Anti-social5
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.
23.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
19.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
92
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.
Who lives here
Children make up only 15% of Roydon, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
Nearly one in ten residents are aged 15 to 24. People 65 and over make up just over a fifth of the town, above Essex’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Half of Roydon is older than 48.3, half younger. Graduates make up 34% of adults.
48.3median age
RoydonEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level34%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Roydon | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.4% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Harlow Town Park and 3 more in and around Roydon
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Roydon. Best known first.
GardenHarlow Town Park3.5 km outside town, to the east
CastleRye House Gatehouse1.9 km outside town, to the west
MuseumLowewood Museum3.4 km outside town, to the westWater parkWater parkAqua Splash Redricks Lakes4.9 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Harlow Town Park: Roger McLachlan, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rye House Gatehouse: Robert Edwards, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lowewood Museum: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Roydon
15pages on Roydon
The big questions
SafetyC23.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £490K · rent £1,844 a monthHousing14 sold in 12 months · busiest street ParkfieldsSchoolsC1 state schoolHealthB+Life expectancy 81.3 (men), 86.5 (women)Work & commuteB57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC−2.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Roydon’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Stanstead AbbottsHoddesdonLower NazeingHarlowGreat AmwellHertford HeathWareRoydon
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roydon | 1,587 | — | — | C− | C | B+ |
| Stanstead Abbotts | 3,754 | 2 | A− | B− | B− | A− |
| Hoddesdon | 40,615 | 2.4 | B− | D | C | B |
| Lower Nazeing | 3,631 | 2.5 | B− | D | B− | B+ |
| Harlow | 93,570 | 3 | D | C− | D | C− |
| Great Amwell | 1,017 | 3.2 | — | C− | A− | A |
| Hertford Heath | 2,830 | 3.7 | A+ | C+ | A− | A− |
| Ware | 19,631 | 4.4 | B+ | C+ | C+ | B |
Great Amwell has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Roydon
How many listed buildings are there in Roydon?
That is 9.3 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Peter.
Is Roydon expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £490,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £400,000, semi-detached houses £490,000 and detached houses £565,000.
Does Roydon flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Roydon
Village in Essex, England
Roydon is a built-up area of 1,587 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
- 1,587 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Epping Forest
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004406
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.