Sopley’s story
Sopley: 35% of homes built before 1919
Historic England lists 21 buildings inside Sopley’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade II*.
35% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SopleyHampshire
Population 287: a village in Hampshire, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Mike Faherty · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
287
Census 2021 · New Forest council
Median age
39.2
20% are 65+ · Hampshire 20%
Degree level
29%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
20%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Sopley a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Sopley has no grades; its figures are still real. It has 21 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. It skews young: one resident in 4 is 15 to 24. 43% of households own their home with no mortgage.
What makes Sopley stand out
The 3 things Sopley does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Michael and All Angels; 30 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents aged 15 to 24
Who lives here
1 in 4 is 15 to 24
26% of residents, against 12% across England’s towns
Own outright
Housing
43% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Christchurch Castle and 13 more in and around Sopley
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Sopley. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageChristchurch Castle3.1 km outside town, to the south
CastleHighcliffe Castle4.7 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumBournemouth Aviation Museum4.1 km outside town, to the west
Historic houseHinton Admiral4 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumRed House Museum3.2 km outside town, to the south
Theme parkAdventure Wonderland4.3 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Christchurch Castle: Ulli1105, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Highcliffe Castle: Dave Pape, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Bournemouth Aviation Museum: Nimbus227, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Hinton Admiral: Peter Beaven, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Red House Museum: Ykraps, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Adventure Wonderland: Mike Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sopley.
Who lives here
Students and young workers shape Sopley: 26% are 15 to 24, above Hampshire’s towns and England’s towns
Degrees are held by 29% of adults, below Hampshire’s towns (33%) and England’s towns (34%) alike. Line up the people of Sopley by age and the one in the middle is 39.2. A fifth of residents have reached 65.
39.2median age
SopleyHampshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications9%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar35%
Degree level29%
Women and men · all residents
55% women, 45% men
About 82 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. A large institution, such as a prison, barracks, boarding school, university or care home, can tilt a town’s split: the census counts the people living there as residents.
| Sopley | Hampshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 26% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 14% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 9.2% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.6% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 35% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 29% | 33% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Hampshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Sopley
The town has one school, shown below. Attainment 8 at the one secondary school within 3 km averages 39.8, and 33% of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths. Key Stage 2 results at the 7 primary schools within 3 km: 64% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sopley Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 71 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Sopley: just 15% travel under 5 km, below Hampshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 39% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
39% of workers worked mainly from home, higher than both Hampshire’s towns (32%) and England’s towns (31%). Income per household averages £68K a year, before tax. About 7% of its commuters stay in Sopley for work. In 2026, 1.5% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits.
20%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving75%
On foot17%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
15%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
39%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£68K
mean household income, before tax
1.5%
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
Most households in Sopley own their home: 81%, more than in Hampshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Private rents average £1,244 a month across the New Forest council area. 19% of households are private tenants. That is the middle of 8 standard sales inside Sopley’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Sopley£0K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £736,777 | 8 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
19%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,244
average private rent a month, New Forest council area
£2,381
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
Sopley records less violent crime per resident than Hampshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 12.8 per 1,000 a year
Homes saw 11.6 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, above Hampshire’s towns (8.6) and England’s towns (9.4) alike. Police recorded 7 crimes inside Sopley’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. 43% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
12.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual3
Public order1
Other theft1
Burglary1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Drugs0
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.
12.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
7
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
In Sopley, 84% say their health is good or very good
Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 5.6% of the town. Seeing a GP means leaving Sopley: the nearest practice is 1.9 miles away. 18% of residents have a disability, above Hampshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%) alike.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Sopley | Hampshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.6% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
84.1
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 · 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.
History
Sopley keeps more of its old housing than Hampshire’s towns or England’s towns: 35% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Sopley’s land, 87% lies in conservation areas, higher than both Hampshire’s towns (4%) and England’s towns (7%). The town has 732 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. Grade II* covers 1 of them.
21listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II20
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Michael and All Angels Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
35%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
732
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sopley
13pages on Sopley
The big questions
Famous people from Sopley
3 notable people were born in Sopley.
H
Henry VeitchEnglish cricketer and clergyman (1833-1903)Photo credits
George Willis: printed by Maclure & Macdonald, after William Punderson Glaisby, Public domain
Sopley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BransgoreChristchurchBournemouthWest ParleyHightownAshley HeathNew MiltonSopley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sopley | 287 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bransgore | 3,688 | 1.9 | B | D | A | A |
| Christchurch | 48,973 | 2.3 | B− | D− | B | B |
| Bournemouth | 196,453 | 4.3 | C | D | D | C− |
| West Parley | 3,665 | 4.8 | A | D− | A | A |
| Hightown | 1,296 | 4.8 | — | D | A+ | A |
| Ashley Heath | 7,151 | 5 | B | D− | A− | A |
| New Milton | 11,872 | 5.3 | C | C | C− | C+ |
Hightown has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Sopley
How many listed buildings are there in Sopley?
That is 30 times the typical UK town for its size. 35% of Sopley’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
How much is council tax in Sopley?
Band D council tax in Sopley is £2,381 for 2026–27, less than in 61% 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 Sopley
Village in Hampshire, England
Sopley is a built-up area of 287 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
- 287 (Census 2021)
- Council
- New Forest
- County
- Hampshire
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006665
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.