Beech’s story
Old homes in Beech: 36% built before 1919
Historic England lists 4 buildings inside Beech’s built-up area.
36% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BeechHampshire
A village of 456 in Hampshire, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Michael Ford · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
456
Census 2021 · East Hampshire council
Median home
£925K
16 sales in 3 years
Median age
55.1
28% are 65+ · Hampshire 20%
Degree level
53%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Beech a good place to live?
Beech has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Beech stand out
The 3 things Beech does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
3.3 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 3.6 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 Beech.
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Beech walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Hampshire’s towns or England’s towns: 8%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 53% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
That puts Beech below both Hampshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (27%). For 31% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving85%
On foot4%
Train4%
Underground, tram1%
31%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
53%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£77K
mean household income, before tax
1.4%
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 Beech costs more than in Hampshire’s towns or across England’s towns: the median sale is £925K
On this, Beech is above both Hampshire’s towns (£415K) and England’s towns (£308K). 91% of households own their home.
£925Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Beech£925K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £925,000 | 15 |
91%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,262
average private rent a month, East Hampshire council area
£2,296
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
Beech records less burglary and damage per resident than Hampshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 2.2 per 1,000 a year
In the comparison, Beech comes below both Hampshire’s towns (8.6) and England’s towns (9.4). Violent crime runs at 7.3 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 4 crimes inside Beech’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 0 reports of anti-social behaviour.
7.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual3
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Anti-social0
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.
7.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
4
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Fewer people in Beech live with a disability than in Hampshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 13%
For Beech, that is below both Hampshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). Beech has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.1 miles away. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
88%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Beech | Hampshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.9% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
83
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
History
Beech keeps more of its old housing than Hampshire or England’s towns: 36% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Beech sits above both Hampshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (16%) on this measure. Beech has 88 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. Beech has 4 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
4listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II4
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
36%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
88
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 11% of Beech, fewer than in Hampshire’s towns and England’s towns
Under-15s account for 11% of the population. People 65 and over make up 28% of the town, above both Hampshire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). People aged 15 to 24 make up 9.2% of the town.
55.1median age
BeechHampshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
28%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications6%
Apprenticeship3%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level53%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Beech | Hampshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.2% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 38% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 28% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 6% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 53% | 33% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Hampshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Jane Austen's House Museum and 4 more in and around Beech
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Beech. Best known first.
MuseumJane Austen's House Museum1.6 km outside town, to the southeast
Historic houseChawton House2 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumCurtis Museum2.3 km outside town, to the east
MuseumGliding Heritage Centre4.3 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumThe Allen Gallery2.2 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 (4)
- Jane Austen's House Museum: Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chawton House: Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Curtis Museum: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gliding Heritage Centre: Mike Burdett from CROMER, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Beech
13pages on Beech
The big questions
Safety7.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £925K · rent £1,262 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 months · busiest street Wellhouse RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 83 (men), 86.5 (women)Work & commute66% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Beech’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
AltonFour MarksHolybourneBentleyWhitehillBordonLindfordBeech
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beech | 456 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alton | 17,883 | 1.9 | B+ | A− | C | B− |
| Four Marks | 5,613 | 2.7 | A+ | B− | A− | A+ |
| Holybourne | 1,304 | 3.3 | — | B | A | A− |
| Bentley | 1,406 | 6.8 | — | C+ | A | A− |
| Whitehill | 5,178 | 6.8 | B+ | A | B | B |
| Bordon | 9,349 | 7 | C+ | A | C− | C |
| Lindford | 2,740 | 7.5 | C+ | B+ | C+ | C+ |
Holybourne and Bentley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Beech
Is Beech expensive to live in?
Private rents in the East Hampshire council area averaged £1,262 a month in August 2026.
How many listed buildings are there in Beech?
That is 3.6 times the typical UK town for its size. 36% of Beech’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
How much is council tax in Beech?
Band D council tax in Beech is £2,296 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.
About Beech
Village in Hampshire, England
Beech is a built-up area of 456 people, in the East Hampshire 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
- 456 (Census 2021)
- Council
- East Hampshire
- County
- Hampshire
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005870
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.