Sandleheath’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Sandleheath’s built-up area.
18% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SandleheathHampshire
Over-65s are 31% of the population. In Hampshire, South East, this village has 1,546 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Peter Facey · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,546
Census 2021 · New Forest council
Median home
£420K
64 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.7
31% are 65+ · Hampshire 20%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Sandleheath a good place to live?
Crime is low: 8.8 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 8.4 home and vehicle crimes. Add jobs & income to its strengths (A−): the mean household earns £61,048 a year. Buying in is costly: the median home sold for £420,000, 7.4 years of area income. Hazard risk is lower than in most UK towns (A).
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · income, ONS · claimants, DWP · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · flood risk, Environment Agency. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Sandleheath has its subject grades alone.
What makes Sandleheath stand out
The 3 things Sandleheath does most differently from other towns.
How Sandleheath grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Sandleheath is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →Cost of livingRent £1,244 a monthDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentA−Open →HealthLife expectancy 82.7 for men, 85.1 for womenA−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 59% of towns in England; secondary results beat 86% of towns in EnglandA−Open →Walkability11% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transportCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsC−Open →Outdoors0% live within 400 m of a park; 52% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeC−Open →Civic life4.5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 24% live within 1 km of a libraryA−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sandleheath.
Who lives here
Sandleheath skews older, with 31% of residents 65 or over, more than in Hampshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Children under 15 make up 16%, about level with Hampshire’s towns (17%) and below England’s towns (18%). People aged 15 to 24 make up 8.5% of the town. Half the people of Sandleheath are older than 52.7.
52.7median age
SandleheathHampshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Sandleheath | Hampshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.5% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.6% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 33% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Hampshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Safety
Crime per resident in Sandleheath is lower than in 89% of UK towns
Violence and sexual offences were nearly two fifths of the crimes. Police recorded 28 crimes inside Sandleheath’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 3 reports of anti-social behaviour. For its size, Sandleheath records less crime per resident than 79% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 1.3 reports per 1,000, below both Hampshire’s towns (5.4) and England’s towns (7.8).
8.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 79% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual11
Other theft4
Burglary4
Vehicle crime4
Damage & arson2
Public order2
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social3
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.
8.8
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
1.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
28
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.
HousingCost of living grade D
More households own their home in Sandleheath than in Hampshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 87%
3% live in social housing, lower than both Hampshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). Private renters make up 11% of households. 64 standard sales inside Sandleheath’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £420,000.
£420Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Sandleheath£420K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £510,000 | 41 |
| Semi-detached | £385,000 | 17 |
| Terraced | £305,000 | 5 |
87%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,244
average private rent a month, New Forest council area
£2,399
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
People in Sandleheath live longer lives than in 79% of UK towns
The nearest A&E to Sandleheath is Salisbury District Hospital, 8 miles away. At the census, 85% of people in Sandleheath called their health good or very good, higher than both Hampshire’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%). There is no GP practice locally: the nearest is 0.7 miles off.
85%good or very good healthA−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Sandleheath | Hampshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.4% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 17% | 17% |
82.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.1
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
All 2 of Sandleheath’s listed buildings are Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes built before 1919 account for 18% of the housing. Sandleheath has 13 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents.
2listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
18%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
13
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Fewer commuters in Sandleheath work nearby than in Hampshire’s towns or England’s towns: 27% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 36% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
About 7% of its commuters stay in Sandleheath for work. The car took 87% of commuters, above both Hampshire’s towns (75%) and England’s towns (70%). In 2026, 1.3% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot8%
Bicycle2%
27%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
36%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£61K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 34% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Breamore House and 4 more in and around Sandleheath
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Sandleheath. Best known first.
Historic houseBreamore House4.2 km outside town, to the north
MuseumRockbourne Roman Villa1.8 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumFordingbridge Museum700 m outside town, to the eastWater parkWater parkNew Forest Water Park3.2 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumBreamore House and Countryside Museum3.9 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Breamore House: Mike Searle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rockbourne Roman Villa: Nigel Freeman, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sandleheath
14pages on Sandleheath
The big questions
SafetyA8.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £420K · rent £1,244 a monthHousing19 sold in 12 months · busiest street Station RoadSchoolsA−HealthA−Life expectancy 82.7 (men), 85.1 (women)Work & commuteA−54% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Sandleheath’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
FordingbridgeAlderholtVerwoodDowntonRedlynch and WoodfallsRingwoodThree Legged CrossSandleheath
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandleheath | 1,546 | — | — | D | A | A− |
| Fordingbridge | 4,947 | 0.8 | C+ | C− | C | B+ |
| Alderholt | 2,868 | 1.6 | B | D | A− | A |
| Verwood | 13,706 | 4.7 | A− | D | A | A− |
| Downton | 2,952 | 5.1 | A | B | B | A |
| Redlynch and Woodfalls | 2,446 | 5.4 | — | C+ | A | A |
| Ringwood | 12,789 | 5.7 | B− | C− | C | B+ |
| Three Legged Cross | 1,129 | 6.3 | — | D | C− | B− |
Redlynch and Woodfalls and Three Legged Cross have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Sandleheath
Are schools in Sandleheath good?
Secondary schools stand out: GCSE results beat 86% of towns in England. Primary results are closer to the middle, beating 59%. Places are handled by Hampshire council.
Is Sandleheath expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £420,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £305,000, semi-detached houses £385,000 and detached houses £510,000.
About Sandleheath
Village in Hampshire, England
Sandleheath is a built-up area of 1,546 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
- 1,546 (Census 2021)
- Council
- New Forest
- County
- Hampshire
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (1.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006361
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.