Ashley’s story
6 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Ashley’s built-up area.
6% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
AshleyHampshire
The town has 7,730 residents and lies in Hampshire, South East. 48% of households own their home outright.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Pasicles · CC0
Population
7,730
Census 2021 · New Forest council
Median home
£391K
276 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.2
30% are 65+ · Hampshire 20%
Degree level
26%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
C+
#65 of 76 in Hampshire
Is Ashley a good place to live?
Housing is expensive: homes sell for a median £390,750, about 6.9 times local household income. At C+ overall, Ashley is better than 38% of UK towns and ranks #65 of 76 in Hampshire. It lags on jobs & income as well (C+) — households earn a mean £47,958 a year, and 2.5% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Where it does best is safety: police record 22 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 7 home and vehicle crimes. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for schools, B for health and C+ for hazard risk.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · income and life expectancy, ONS · claimants, DWP · flood risk, Environment Agency.
WeakestC−Cost of living
What makes Ashley stand out
The 3 things Ashley does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
12% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
44% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
30% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Own outright
Housing
48% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
How Ashley grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Ashley is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingRent £1,244 a monthC−Open →Jobs & incomeBehind most towns comparedC+Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesC+Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentBOpen →HealthLife expectancy 81.7 for men, 85.6 for womenBOpen →Hazard risk0.4% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 82% of towns in England; secondary results beat 12% of towns in EnglandB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →Outdoors53% live within 400 m of a park; 47% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeBOpen →Civic life1.2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryDOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ashley.
Who lives here
Ashley skews older, with 30% of residents 65 or over, more than Hampshire’s towns or England’s towns
Children under 15 make up 14% of residents. People aged 15 to 24 make up nearly a tenth of the town, below Hampshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Half of Ashley is older than 51.2, half younger. Degrees are held by 26% of adults.
51.2median age
AshleyHampshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
30%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level26%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 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.
| Ashley | Hampshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.3% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.8% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 26% | 33% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Hampshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsB−
Ashley’s schools fall behind 54% of towns in England on results
Attainment 8 at the one secondary school within 3 km averages 40.4, and 31% of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths. One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. At the 7 primary schools within 3 km, just over two thirds of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
B−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Junior SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 230 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
History
Ashley’s listed buildings: 6, all Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
6% of its homes are older than 1919.
6listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II6
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
6%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
8
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C−
Few households rent privately in Ashley: 10%, fewer than in Hampshire’s towns and England’s towns
75% of households are owner-occupiers. Social housing holds 14% of households. The £390,750 median rests on 276 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£391Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Ashley£391K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £475,000 | 148 |
| Semi-detached | £370,000 | 57 |
| Terraced | £287,500 | 50 |
| Flat or maisonette | £140,000 | 21 |
75%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,244
average private rent a month, New Forest council area
£2,416
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Only 12% of commuters in Ashley go to work without a car, fewer than in Hampshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 24% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
85% of commuters drove to work at the census. About 5% of its commuters stay in Ashley for work. For every resident in work, Ashley has 0.3 jobs.
12%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving85%
On foot8%
Bicycle3%
Train1%
Bus1%
24%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 38% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
Fewer crimes per resident in Ashley than in 58% of UK towns
273 crimes and 19 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Ashley’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 56% of recorded crime. Among the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, Ashley has less crime per resident than 62% of them.
22violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 62% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual153
Public order25
Damage & arson24
Other theft14
Other crime14
Vehicle crime13
Shoplifting10
Burglary10
Anti-social19
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.
22
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
273
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
Only 80% of people in Ashley say their health is good or very good, fewer than in Hampshire’s towns and England’s towns
There is no GP practice in Ashley: the nearest is 1 miles off. At the census, 20% of people here had a disability, above both Hampshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). Women here live to 85.6 on average and men to 81.7 (2019–23). The nearest A&E to Ashley is The Royal Bournemouth Hospital, 8.1 miles away.
80%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Ashley | Hampshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.4% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
81.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Sammy Miller Museum and 2 more in and around Ashley
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Ashley. Best known first.
MuseumSammy Miller Museum1.1 km outside town, to the west
Historic houseHinton Admiral4.3 km outside town, to the west
MuseumSaint Barbe Museum and Art Gallery4.9 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Sammy Miller Museum: Colin Babb, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hinton Admiral: Peter Beaven, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Saint Barbe Museum and Art Gallery: Jaggery, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ashley
15pages on Ashley
The big questions
SafetyB22 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £391K · rent £1,244 a monthHousing87 sold in 12 months · busiest street Floriston GardensSchoolsB−2 state schoolsHealthBLife expectancy 81.7 (men), 85.6 (women)Work & commuteC+47% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC+0.4% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Ashley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
New MiltonHordleBarton on SeaSwayEvertonMilford on SeaLymingtonAshley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley | 7,730 | — | C+ | C− | B | B |
| New Milton | 11,872 | 1.1 | C | C | C− | C+ |
| Hordle | 1,158 | 1.2 | — | D | A | A |
| Barton on Sea | 6,763 | 1.8 | B+ | D | A | A− |
| Sway | 2,437 | 2.3 | — | D | B | A |
| Everton | 1,615 | 2.3 | — | D | A+ | A+ |
| Milford on Sea | 4,364 | 2.9 | A | D | A− | A+ |
| Lymington | 14,870 | 3.8 | B | D | C+ | A− |
Hordle, Sway and Everton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Ashley
Is Ashley expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £390,750, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £140,000, terraced houses £287,500, semi-detached houses £370,000 and detached houses £475,000.
Is Ashley safe?
About the middle for its size: 38% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people report less crime per resident. Against all UK towns, it grades B.
About Ashley
Town in Hampshire, England
Ashley is a built-up area of 7,730 people, in the New 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
- 7,730 (Census 2021)
- Council
- New Forest
- County
- Hampshire
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi (2.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006672
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.