Shalford’s story
10 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Shalford’s built-up area.
25% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ShalfordEssex
356 people call this village in Essex, East of England home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robin Webster · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
356
Census 2021 · Braintree council
Median home
£360K
20 sales in 3 years
Median age
58.8
37% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Shalford a good place to live?
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Shalford has none; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 7% of commuters. 10 buildings are listed here, 1 at Grade I. People aged 65 and over make up 37% of residents.
What makes Shalford stand out
The 3 things Shalford does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Parish Church of St Andrew; 11.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
37% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Shalford.
Who lives here
Children make up only 8.5% of Shalford, fewer than in Essex’s towns and England’s towns
Graduates make up 28% of adults. 7.3% of the population is aged 15 to 24, below both Essex’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Ages in Shalford split evenly at 58.8: half are older, half younger.
58.8median age
ShalfordEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
37%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level28%
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.
| Shalford | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 8.5% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 37% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.8% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Shalford: just 13% travel under 5 km, below Essex’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 30% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Average household income comes to £64K a year before tax. 90% of commuters drove, higher than both Essex’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%). Also worth knowing: the 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 1.9%. Of the commuters living in Shalford, 2% work in the town itself.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
Train3%
On foot2%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
Underground, tram1%
13%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
30%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£64K
mean household income, before tax
1.9%
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
Most households in Shalford own their home: 85%, more than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns
Private renters make up 7% of households, below both Essex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%). 20 standard sales inside Shalford’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £360,000.
£360Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Shalford£360K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £517,500 | 5 |
| Semi-detached | £360,000 | 11 |
85%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,213
average private rent a month, Braintree council area
£2,290
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
Shalford records less violent crime per resident than Essex’s towns or England’s towns, at 8.4 per 1,000 a year
Of all the crimes, 43% were violence and sexual offences. 7 crimes and 4 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Shalford’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. There were 3.8 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below both Essex’s towns (4.6) and England’s towns (7.8).
8.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual3
Public order2
Vehicle crime1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Anti-social4
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.
8.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
7
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
Good or very good health: 80% of Shalford’s residents
Disability touches 15% of Shalford’s population. This Essex town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.1 miles away. The nearest A&E to Shalford is Broomfield Hospital, 11.2 miles away.
80%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Shalford | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.7% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
81.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.7
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.
History
More buildings in Shalford are listed than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 281 per 10,000 residents
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. Shalford’s listed buildings include the Parish Church of St Andrew, Grade I. 25% of its homes were built before 1919, higher than both Essex’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (16%).
10listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II9
Among them · Grade I
- Parish Church of St Andrew Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
25%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
281
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Shalford
14pages on Shalford
The big questions
Safety8.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £360K · rent £1,213 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 months · busiest street BarryfieldsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.7 (men), 85.7 (women)Work & commute46% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.6% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Shalford’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Great BardfieldGosfieldRayneBraintreeSible HedinghamStebbingGreat NotleyShalford
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shalford | 356 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Great Bardfield | 1,372 | 2.8 | — | C | A− | A |
| Gosfield | 1,453 | 3.9 | — | C− | A+ | B |
| Rayne | 2,169 | 4.2 | — | B− | B | A |
| Braintree | 43,179 | 4.6 | C+ | B | C− | C |
| Sible Hedingham | 4,261 | 4.8 | B− | B | B− | B+ |
| Stebbing | 1,061 | 4.8 | — | B+ | A+ | A |
| Great Notley | 7,659 | 5.3 | A | C | A− | A |
Great Bardfield, Gosfield, Rayne and Stebbing have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Shalford
How many listed buildings are there in Shalford?
That is 11.5 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Parish Church of St Andrew.
Is Shalford expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £360,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £360,000 and detached houses £517,500. Private rents in the Braintree council area averaged £1,213 a month in August 2026.
About Shalford
Village in Essex, England
Shalford is a built-up area of 356 people, in the Braintree 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
- 356 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Braintree
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004036
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.