Essendon’s story
23 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Essendon’s built-up area.
36% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
EssendonHertfordshire
661 people live in this village in Hertfordshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Sealman · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
661
Census 2021 · Welwyn Hatfield council
Median home
£623K
15 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.5
26% are 65+ · Hertfordshire 17%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
16%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Essendon a good place to live?
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Essendon has none; the figures on this page are still real. 23 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. The median sale price is £622,500. Over-65s are just over a quarter of the population.
What makes Essendon stand out
The 3 things Essendon does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Mary the Virgin; 14.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.2 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
26% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Hatfield House and 1 more in and around Essendon
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Essendon. Best known first.
Historic houseHatfield House3.1 km outside town, to the west
MuseumMill Green Museum & Working Mill2.9 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Hatfield House: Allan Engelhardt, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mill Green Museum & Working Mill: Alexander Curtis, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Essendon.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Essendon: 26% are 65 or over, above Hertfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
Degrees are held by just over a third of adults, below Hertfordshire’s towns (39%) and close to England’s towns (34%). Under-15s account for 16% of the population. At 49.5, the median resident of Essendon sits in the middle of the age range. Those aged 15 to 24 account for 9.4% of residents.
49.5median age
EssendonHertfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About 106 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Essendon | Hertfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.4% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 26% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.1% | 4.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 39% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Hertfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Essendon
At the 2 primary schools within 3 km, 60% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one school is below. The town’s primary school has 77 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essendon CofE (VC) Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 77 | D− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Only 19% of Essendon’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in both Hertfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 43% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 82% of commuters, above both Hertfordshire’s towns (73%) and England’s towns (70%). Among 16 to 64s, 3% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. The average household earns £64K a year before tax.
16%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving82%
On foot5%
Train5%
Bus2%
Underground, tram2%
Bicycle1%
19%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
43%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£64K
mean household income, before tax
3%
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
Few households rent privately in Essendon: 8%, fewer than in both Hertfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
Owners make up 73% of households, higher than both Hertfordshire’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). From September 2023 to August 2026, 15 homes sold inside Essendon’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £622,500. Private rents average £1,512 a month across the Welwyn Hatfield council area.
£623Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Essendon£623K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £622,500 | 5 |
73%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,512
average private rent a month, Welwyn Hatfield council area
£2,572
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
Essendon records less violent crime per resident than Hertfordshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 14.1 per 1,000 a year
Burglary and damage came to 7.1 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Hertfordshire’s towns (11.3) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 16 crimes inside Essendon’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 7 reports of anti-social behaviour. 56% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
14.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual9
Burglary2
Shoplifting1
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Drugs0
Anti-social7
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.
14.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
16
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
Fewer people in Essendon live with a disability than in Hertfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 12%
Essendon has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.3 miles away. At the census, 86% of people in Essendon called their health good or very good, about level with Hertfordshire’s towns (85%) and above England’s towns (82%). The nearest A&E to Essendon is Barnet General Hospital, 7.9 miles away.
86%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 9%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Essendon | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 85% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 12% | 14% | 17% |
79.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.2
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
Essendon is rich in listed buildings: 348 per 10,000 residents, more than in both Hertfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 36% of the total, higher than both Hertfordshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (16%). Grade II* covers 1 of them.
23listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II22
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Mary the Virgin Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
36%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
348
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 Essendon
14pages on Essendon
The big questions
Safety14.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £623K · rent £1,512 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 79.9 (men), 84.2 (women)Work & commute62% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Famous people from Essendon
3 notable people were born in Essendon.
Essendon’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Brookmans ParkWelham GreenWelwyn Garden CityHatfieldCuffleyGoff's OakColney HeathEssendon
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essendon | 661 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Brookmans Park | 4,033 | 3 | A | D | B | A+ |
| Welham Green | 2,962 | 3 | C+ | C− | C+ | B |
| Welwyn Garden City | 51,504 | 3.2 | B− | C | C | C+ |
| Hatfield | 41,561 | 3.3 | C | C+ | D | C |
| Cuffley | 4,350 | 3.7 | A | D | B | A+ |
| Goff's Oak | 3,503 | 4.2 | B+ | D | C | A |
| Colney Heath | 1,059 | 4.3 | — | C | C+ | B |
Colney Heath has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Essendon
How many listed buildings are there in Essendon?
That is 14.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
About Essendon
Village in Hertfordshire, England
Essendon is a built-up area of 661 people, in the Welwyn Hatfield 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
- 661 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Welwyn Hatfield
- County
- Hertfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004423
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.