Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
In Hampshire, South East, this village has 142 residents.
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Rockbourne has no grades; its figures are still real. 6% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Pre-1919 homes make up 48% of the housing. People aged 65 and over make up 39% of residents.
The 3 things Rockbourne does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Rockbourne’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
48% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Rockbourne.
4.3% of residents are 15 to 24, below Hampshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Rockbourne has a median age of 57.3 years. Among adults, 42% have a degree.
55% women, 45% men
About 82 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.
| Rockbourne | Hampshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.4% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 4.3% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 39% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.7% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 42% | 33% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Hampshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Its one school is below. Two thirds of pupils at the one primary school within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town’s primary school has 160 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Downland Church of England Aided Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 160 | B |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 49% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Household income averages £61K a year before tax. The car took 94% of commuters, above Hampshire’s towns (75%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Home was the main workplace for 49% of workers at the census. 4% of commuters who live in Rockbourne also work there.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Owners make up nearly four in five households, above both Hampshire’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). Private rents average £1,244 a month across the New Forest council area. That is the middle of 4 standard sales inside Rockbourne’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 2.4 reports per 1,000, lower than both Hampshire’s towns (5.3) and England’s towns (7.8). The 12 months to August 2026 brought 8 recorded crimes inside Rockbourne’s built-up area, and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences accounted for a quarter of recorded crime.
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.
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.
Rockbourne has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.1 miles away. At the census, 14% of people here had a disability, below Hampshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. The nearest A&E to Rockbourne is Salisbury District Hospital, 6 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Rockbourne | Hampshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 93% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 0% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Rockbourne’s listed buildings include the Barn Formerly Chapel 20 Metres East of Manor House, Grade I. For its size, Rockbourne has 3,451 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above both Hampshire’s towns (25) and England’s towns (39). It counts 49 listed buildings on the national list (Historic England): 4 Grade I.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Rockbourne. Best known first.
Historic houseBreamore House3.7 km outside town, to the east
MuseumRockbourne Roman Villa700 m outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumBreamore House and Countryside Museum3.6 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumFordingbridge Museum4.6 km outside town, to the southeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockbourne | 142 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sandleheath | 1,546 | 2.6 | — | D | A | A− |
| Fordingbridge | 4,947 | 3 | C+ | C− | C | B+ |
| Alderholt | 2,868 | 3.5 | B | D | A− | A |
| Downton | 2,952 | 4.5 | A | B | B | A |
| Redlynch and Woodfalls | 2,446 | 5.4 | — | C+ | A | A |
| Verwood | 13,706 | 6.2 | A− | D | A | A− |
| Whaddon | 2,283 | 7.2 | — | B− | A | A+ |
Sandleheath, Redlynch and Woodfalls and Whaddon have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 141.6 times the typical UK town for its size. It also has 1 scheduled monument.
Band D council tax in Rockbourne is £2,375 for 2026–27, less than in 63% 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.
Village in Hampshire, England
Rockbourne is a built-up area of 142 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
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.