West Hanningfield’s story
8 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside West Hanningfield’s built-up area.
8% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
West HanningfieldEssex
It is a village of 422 residents in Essex, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Trevor Harris · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
422
Census 2021 · Chelmsford council
Median home
£620K
19 sales in 3 years
Median age
47.4
27% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is West Hanningfield a good place to live?
West Hanningfield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry nearly one in ten commuters. 8 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. The median sale price is £620,000.
What makes West Hanningfield stand out
The 3 things West Hanningfield does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Mary and St Edward; 7.8 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.2 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in West Hanningfield.
Work & commute
Only 7% of West Hanningfield’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
9%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 46% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims came to 2.1% of 16 to 64s in 2026, lower than both Essex’s towns (2.5%) and England’s towns (2.3%). About 2% of its commuters stay in West Hanningfield for work. Working from home was the norm for 46% of workers at the census.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot5%
Bus2%
Train2%
7%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
46%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£66K
mean household income, before tax
2.1%
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
Schools
The schools around West Hanningfield
Two thirds of pupils at the one primary school within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Below is its only school. 100 pupils attend West Hanningfield’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Peter's Church of England Primary Academy, West HanningfieldLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 100 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
More households own their home in West Hanningfield than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 81%
£620Kmedian sale
Private renters make up nearly one in ten households. 8% live in social housing, lower than both Essex’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). That is the middle of 19 standard sales inside West Hanningfield’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
West Hanningfield£620K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £825,000 | 12 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,439
average private rent a month, Chelmsford council area
£2,303
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
West Hanningfield records less violent crime per resident than Essex’s towns or England’s towns, at 11.1 per 1,000 a year
11.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Homes saw 6.3 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, below Essex’s towns (10.6) and England’s towns (9.4) alike. A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 14 offences in West Hanningfield and 1 cases of nuisance behaviour. Of all the crimes, 43% were violence and sexual offences.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual6
Drugs3
Public order1
Other theft1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social1
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.
11.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
14
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
Bad health is less common in West Hanningfield than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.9% of residents
86%good or very good health
The nearest A&E to West Hanningfield is Broomfield Hospital, 7.4 miles away. 86% of the town’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above Essex’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. Disability touches 14% of the town’s population. Seeing a GP means leaving West Hanningfield: the nearest practice is 2.3 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | West Hanningfield | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
80.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.9
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
West Hanningfield is rich in listed buildings: 190 per 10,000 residents, more than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
8listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
8% of its homes were built before 1919, lower than both Essex’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (16%).
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II7
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Mary and St Edward Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
8%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
190
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Children make up only 15% of West Hanningfield, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
47.4median age
West Hanningfield has a median age of 47.4 years. The 65-and-over age group makes up 27% of residents. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 7.6% of residents, below Essex’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Just over a third of adults hold a degree.
West HanningfieldEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| West Hanningfield | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.6% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.7% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about West Hanningfield
12pages on West Hanningfield
The big questions
Safety11.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £620K · rent £1,439 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street Church RoadSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 80.6 (men), 85.9 (women)Work & commute57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
About West Hanningfield
Village in Essex, England
West Hanningfield is a built-up area of 422 people, in the Chelmsford 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
- 422 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chelmsford
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004609
West Hanningfield’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
GalleywoodStockRamsden HeathRunwellBicknacreWickfordBillericayWest Hanningfield
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Hanningfield | 422 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Galleywood | 6,410 | 2.2 | A− | B | C+ | B+ |
| Stock | 1,573 | 2.4 | — | C | C+ | A− |
| Ramsden Heath | 1,949 | 2.7 | — | C | A− | A− |
| Runwell | 8,086 | 3.4 | C+ | B− | C− | C+ |
| Bicknacre | 2,277 | 3.8 | — | B− | B+ | A |
| Wickford | 27,533 | 4.4 | B | C− | B− | B |
| Billericay | 34,068 | 4.4 | A | D | B+ | A |
Stock, Ramsden Heath and Bicknacre have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about West Hanningfield
Is West Hanningfield expensive to live in?
Private rents in the Chelmsford council area averaged £1,439 a month in August 2026.
How many listed buildings are there in West Hanningfield?
That is 7.8 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in West Hanningfield?
Band D council tax in West Hanningfield is £2,303 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.
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.