Lea’s story
3 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Lea’s built-up area.
30% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
LeaHerefordshire
A village of 501 in Herefordshire, West Midlands. 6% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Jonathan Billinger · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
501
Census 2021 · Herefordshire council
Median home
£443K
24 sales in 3 years
Median age
38.2
19% are 65+ · Herefordshire 24%
Degree level
37%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
6%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Lea a good place to live?
Lea has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Lea stand out
The 3 things Lea does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
6% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
3 listed buildings
0 Grade II*; 2.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
£443K median home
1.6 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lea.
Work & commute
Work tends to be further away for Lea: 9% commute under 5 km, below Herefordshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
2% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. The car took 92% of commuters, above Herefordshire’s towns (75%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Working from home was the norm for just over a third of workers at the census.
6%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot4%
Bus1%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
9%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
2%
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
Schools
The schools around Lea
At the 3 primary schools within 3 km, 66% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below. Its one primary school teaches 95 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lea CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 95 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Social housing is more common in Lea than in Herefordshire’s towns or across England’s towns, at 32% of households
8% rent privately, lower than both Herefordshire’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). Private rents average £821 a month across the Herefordshire, County of council area. From September 2023 to August 2026, 24 homes sold inside Lea’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £443,250.
£443Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Lea£443K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £490,000 | 17 |
59%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£821
average private rent a month, Herefordshire, County of council area
£2,541
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
Crime recorded by police in Lea
Violence and sexual offences accounted for 48% of recorded crime. 29 crimes and 4 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Lea’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. There were 9.5 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), above both Herefordshire’s towns (7.1) and England’s towns (7.8).
26.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual14
Other theft4
Damage & arson3
Vehicle crime3
Robbery2
Burglary1
Drugs1
Other crime1
Anti-social4
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.
26.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
29
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
81% of people in Lea rate their health good or very good
The nearest A&E to Lea is Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, 11.2 miles away. Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 4.6% of the town. 17% of residents have a disability, lower than Herefordshire’s towns (19%) and near England’s towns (17%). Seeing a GP means leaving Lea: the nearest practice is 1.9 miles away.
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Lea | Herefordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 19% | 17% |
82
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · 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.
History
Lea keeps more of its old housing than Herefordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 30% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
For its size, Lea has 60 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, between Herefordshire’s towns (134) and England’s towns (39). None of the 3 listed buildings reaches Grade II* or Grade I; all are Grade II.
3listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
30%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
60
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
A town of families: 23% of people in Lea are under 15, more than in Herefordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Young adults of 15 to 24 are one in ten residents, near Herefordshire’s towns (9.7%) and lower than England’s towns (12%). Retirement age and beyond: nearly a fifth of residents are 65 or older. Half of Lea is older than 38.2, half younger. Among adults, 37% have a degree.
38.2median age
LeaHerefordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
19%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level37%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Lea | Herefordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 23% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.6% | 9.7% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 19% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Herefordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lea
13pages on Lea
The big questions
Safety26.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £443K · rent £821 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 months · busiest street Willow WalkSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82 (men), 84.9 (women)Work & commute48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards5.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Lea’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MitcheldeanDrybrookRuardeanHuntleyRoss-on-WyeNewentCinderfordLea
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lea | 501 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mitcheldean | 2,163 | 2 | — | B+ | C+ | C |
| Drybrook | 2,572 | 3 | C | B | C+ | C+ |
| Ruardean | 1,195 | 3.7 | — | A− | B+ | C+ |
| Huntley | 1,152 | 3.8 | — | C+ | A | B+ |
| Ross-on-Wye | 10,993 | 4.2 | B− | C+ | C+ | C |
| Newent | 5,360 | 4.3 | C | B | C− | B |
| Cinderford | 8,778 | 4.9 | C | A− | C− | C− |
Mitcheldean, Ruardean and Huntley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Lea
How many listed buildings are there in Lea?
3 on Historic England’s list. That is 2.5 times the typical UK town for its size. 30% of Lea’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
How much is council tax in Lea?
Band D council tax in Lea is £2,541 for 2026–27, more than in 74% 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 Lea
Village in Herefordshire, England
Lea is a built-up area of 501 people, in the Herefordshire 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
- 501 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Herefordshire
- County
- Herefordshire
- Region
- West Midlands
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004178
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.