Bethersden’s story
38 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Bethersden’s built-up area.
32% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BethersdenKent
A village of 1,008 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Colin Park · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,008
Census 2021 · Ashford council
Median home
£461K
30 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.8
28% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
25%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
13%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Bethersden a good place to live?
Bethersden has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (B+): 14.9 violent and sexual offences and 9.6 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is schools (D−): primary results beat 4% of towns in England. The median home sold for £461,250 in the last three years, 7.8 times what households in the Ashford council area earn in a year.
What makes Bethersden stand out
The 3 things Bethersden does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Margaret; 15.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
13% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.7 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Bethersden grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Bethersden is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 4% of towns in EnglandD−Open →Hazard risk5.9% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaDOpen →Cost of livingrent £1,248 a monthC−Open →SafetyB+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £62,489; 2.9% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsCOpen →WalkabilityC+Open →HealthLife expectancy 80.6 for men, 83.4 for womenB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History32% of homes built before 1919AOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 2.4 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC+Open →Civic life7.9 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryA−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bethersden.
SchoolsD−
Results at Bethersden’s schools trail 98% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
D−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethersden Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 117 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
History
Bethersden is rich in listed buildings: 377 per 10,000 residents, 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.
Bethersden sits above both Kent’s towns (52) and England’s towns (39) on this measure. Bethersden’s listed buildings include Church of St Margaret, Grade I. Bethersden has 38 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
38listed buildingsAHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II37
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Margaret Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
32%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
377
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C−
Private renting is less common in Bethersden than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 11%
That puts Bethersden below both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). Owners make up 69% of households.
£461Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bethersden£461K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £830,000 | 13 |
| Semi-detached | £393,000 | 11 |
69%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,248
average private rent a month, Ashford council area
£2,444
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
Bethersden has less crime per resident than 71% of UK towns
Police recorded 35 crimes inside Bethersden’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 8 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 46% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking, so it runs higher than U.S. “violent crime”.
14.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 52% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual16
Damage & arson10
Other theft4
Vehicle crime2
Drugs1
Weapons1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social8
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.
14.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
35
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 Bethersden work nearby than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 9% travel under 5 km
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.
On this, Bethersden is below both Kent’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%). 13% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census.
13%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving85%
On foot5%
Train4%
Bus3%
Bicycle1%
Underground, tram1%
9%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£62K
mean household income, before tax
2.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 45% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Disability is more common in Bethersden than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 20% of residents
In the comparison, Bethersden comes above both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). Bethersden has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.7 miles away. 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.
80%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Bethersden | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.6% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
80.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Who lives here
Bethersden skews older, with 28% of residents 65 or over, more than Kent’s towns or England’s towns
For Bethersden, that is above both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%). Children under 15 make up 15% of residents. Half the people of Bethersden are older than 50.8.
50.8median age
BethersdenKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
28%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level25%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Bethersden | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.6% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 28% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.3% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 25% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bethersden
13pages on Bethersden
The big questions
SafetyB+14.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £461K · rent £1,248 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 months · busiest street The StreetSchoolsD−1 state schoolHealthB−Life expectancy 80.6 (men), 83.4 (women)Work & commuteC60% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD5.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Bethersden’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ShadoxhurstWoodchurchTenterdenBiddendenAshfordCharingFinberryBethersden
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethersden | 1,008 | — | — | C− | B+ | B− |
| Shadoxhurst | 1,009 | 3.2 | — | C− | A | B− |
| Woodchurch | 1,201 | 3.8 | — | C− | B+ | B− |
| Tenterden | 7,775 | 4.5 | C | C− | C | B+ |
| Biddenden | 1,345 | 5 | — | C | C+ | A− |
| Ashford | 82,143 | 5.1 | C+ | B | C− | C− |
| Charing | 2,170 | 6.1 | — | C− | B− | B− |
| Finberry | 1,571 | 6.1 | — | C | C+ | B+ |
Shadoxhurst, Woodchurch, Biddenden, Charing and Finberry have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bethersden
Are schools in Bethersden good?
Primary results trail 96% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Kent council.
How many listed buildings are there in Bethersden?
That is 15.5 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Margaret.
Does Bethersden flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Is Bethersden expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £461,250, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £393,000 and detached houses £830,000.
About Bethersden
Village in Kent, England
Bethersden is a built-up area of 1,008 people, in the Ashford 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
- 1,008 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Ashford
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005830
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.