Aylesham’s story
No listed buildings inside Aylesham’s built-up area
2% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
AyleshamKent
A town of 5,788 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Chris Whippet · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
5,788
Census 2021 · Dover council
Median home
£270K
276 sales in 3 years
Median age
33.2
12% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
26%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
15%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
C−
#69 of 87 in Kent
Is Aylesham a good place to live?
Aylesham grades C− overall against UK towns: better than 16% of UK towns, and #69 of 87 in Kent. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (A): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is schools (D): primary results beat 15% of towns in England. The median home sold for £270,000 in the last three years, 5.2 times what households in the Dover council area earn in a year.
What makes Aylesham stand out
The 2 things Aylesham does most differently from other towns.
How Aylesham grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Aylesham is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 15% of towns in EnglandDOpen →Hazard riskAOpen →HealthLife expectancy 79.8 for men, 83.1 for womenC−Open →SafetyCOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £55,138; 3.2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsCOpen →WalkabilityBOpen →Cost of livingrent £1,021 a monthB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsD−Open →Outdoors76% live within 400 m of a park; 33% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeC+Open →Civic life0.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 82% live within 1 km of a libraryC+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Aylesham.
History
Much of Aylesham is a conservation area: 100% of its land, more than Kent’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Conservation areas cover 100% of Aylesham’s land, above both Kent’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (7%). 2% of homes were built before 1919.
0listed buildingsD−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
2%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
SchoolsD
Results at Aylesham’s schools trail 90% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
DSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aylesham Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 382 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Health
83% of residents say their health is good or very good
83% of Aylesham’s residents described their health as good or very good in 2021, against 82% across Kent’s towns. 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.
83%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Aylesham | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.8% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
79.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Safety
Violent crime runs high in Aylesham: 31.8 per 1,000 residents a year, above Kent’s towns and England’s towns
For Aylesham, that is above both Kent’s towns (23.9) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 354 crimes inside Aylesham’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 104 reports of anti-social behaviour. Among the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, Aylesham has more crime per resident than 74% of them.
31.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearCSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 26% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual170
Shoplifting49
Damage & arson44
Other theft24
Public order12
Other crime12
Vehicle crime11
Burglary10
Anti-social104
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.
31.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
354
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Fewer commuters in Aylesham work nearby than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 18% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 20% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Aylesham sits below both Kent’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%) on this measure. At the census, 15% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
15%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving83%
On foot8%
Train4%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
18%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
20%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
3.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B
Walkability: more walkable than 59% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B−
Few households rent privately in Aylesham: 8%, fewer than in Kent’s towns and England’s towns
That puts Aylesham below both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). 24% of households live in social housing.
£270Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Aylesham£270K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £350,000 | 45 |
| Semi-detached | £280,000 | 105 |
| Terraced | £250,000 | 109 |
| Flat or maisonette | £142,500 | 17 |
66%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,021
average private rent a month, Dover council area
£2,528
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Children make up 24% of Aylesham, above Kent’s towns and England’s towns
On this, Aylesham is above both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). Those 65 and older account for 12% of residents. Half the people of Aylesham are older than 33.2.
33.2median age
AyleshamKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
10%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level26%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Aylesham | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 24% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 34% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 20% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 12% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.4% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 26% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Goodnestone Park and 2 more in and around Aylesham
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Aylesham. Best known first.
Historic houseGoodnestone Park1.8 km outside town, to the northeast
Heritage railwayEast Kent Railway4.2 km outside town, to the southeastAttractionAttractionNorth Downs Way inlet100 m outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Goodnestone Park: Dhowes9, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- East Kent Railway: The Basingstoker, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Aylesham
15pages on Aylesham
The big questions
SafetyC31.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £270K · rent £1,021 a monthHousing69 sold in 12 months · busiest street Orchard PlaceSchoolsD1 state schoolHealthC−Life expectancy 79.8 (men), 83.1 (women)Work & commuteC43% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Aylesham’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WinghamSibertswoldBridgeEythorneLittlebourneEastryAsh (Dover)Aylesham
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aylesham | 5,788 | — | C− | B− | C | C− |
| Wingham | 1,313 | 3 | — | C− | A | B+ |
| Sibertswold | 1,619 | 3.1 | — | C− | B | C+ |
| Bridge | 1,539 | 3.5 | — | D | A− | B |
| Eythorne | 1,487 | 3.6 | — | C | B | C+ |
| Littlebourne | 1,596 | 3.6 | — | C− | B− | C+ |
| Eastry | 2,388 | 4.7 | — | C | B+ | C+ |
| Ash (Dover) | 2,529 | 4.9 | B− | C− | C | B+ |
Wingham, Sibertswold, Bridge, Eythorne, Littlebourne and Eastry have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Aylesham
Are schools in Aylesham good?
Primary results trail 85% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Kent council.
Is Aylesham safe?
Police recorded 354 crimes inside Aylesham’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 48% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
About Aylesham
Town in Kent, England
Aylesham is a built-up area of 5,788 people, in the Dover 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
- 5,788 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dover
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005532
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.