Borden’s story
16 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Borden’s built-up area.
15% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BordenKent
A village of 528 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Borden Hall · Photo: Stefan Czapski · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
528
Census 2021 · Swale council
Median home
£515K
19 sales in 3 years
Median age
50
27% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
26%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
15%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Borden a good place to live?
Borden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Borden stand out
The 3 things Borden does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Peter and St Paul; 12.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.9 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
15% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
36% of commuters travel under 5 km.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Borden.
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Borden walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 15%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 30% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Borden sits below both Kent’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (27%) on this measure. The car carried 84% of commuters at the census.
15%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot8%
Train4%
Bicycle3%
Bus1%
36%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
£61K
mean household income, before tax
1.8%
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
A home in Borden sells for £515K, more than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns
That puts Borden above both Kent’s towns (£380K) and England’s towns (£308K). Private renters make up 9% of households.
£515Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Borden£515K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £702,500 | 12 |
61%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,114
average private rent a month, Swale council area
£2,438
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
Borden records more violent crime per resident than Kent’s towns or England’s towns, at 53.7 per 1,000 a year
On this, Borden is above both Kent’s towns (24) and England’s towns (22). Burglary and damage come to 18.3 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 42 crimes inside Borden’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 14 reports of anti-social behaviour.
53.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual24
Damage & arson5
Public order4
Other theft3
Other crime2
Burglary1
Drugs1
Vehicle crime1
Anti-social14
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.
53.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
18.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
21.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
42
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
More people in Borden live with a disability than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 23%
In the comparison, Borden comes above both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). Borden has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.1 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.
77%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 77%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Borden | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.6% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 18% | 17% |
78.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Borden is rich in listed buildings: 303 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.
For Borden, that is above both Kent’s towns (53) and England’s towns (39). Borden’s listed buildings include Church of St Peter and St Paul, Grade I. Borden has 16 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 1 Grade II*.
16listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II14
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Peter and St Paul Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
15%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
303
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
Children make up only 12% of Borden, fewer than in Kent’s towns and England’s towns
27% of residents are 65 or over, above both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%). The median resident of Borden is 50 years old. 26% of adults hold a degree.
50median age
BordenKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level26%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 90 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Borden | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.6% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 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 →Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway and 2 more in and around Borden
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Borden. Best known first.
Heritage railwayBredgar and Wormshill Light Railway4.1 km outside town, to the south
Heritage railwaySittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway3.8 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumSittingbourne Heritage Museum2.2 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway: Penny Mayes, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway: Mjroots, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Borden
14pages on Borden
The big questions
Safety53.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £515K · rent £1,114 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 months · busiest street MountviewSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 78.8 (men), 82 (women)Work & commute50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Borden’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SittingbourneNewingtonIwadeLower HalstowUpchurchTeynhamQueenboroughBorden
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borden | 528 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sittingbourne | 54,385 | 1.6 | C | B− | D | C |
| Newington | 2,691 | 2.2 | C | C+ | C− | C+ |
| Iwade | 4,533 | 3.1 | C+ | C | A− | C+ |
| Lower Halstow | 1,210 | 3.2 | — | C− | A | B− |
| Upchurch | 1,727 | 3.9 | — | C− | A− | B− |
| Teynham | 3,128 | 4.2 | C | B | C− | C+ |
| Queenborough | 3,915 | 5.9 | D | B | D | C− |
Lower Halstow and Upchurch have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Borden
How many listed buildings are there in Borden?
That is 12.4 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Peter and St Paul.
Is Borden expensive to live in?
Private rents in the Swale council area averaged £1,114 a month in August 2026.
About Borden
Village in Kent, England
Borden is a built-up area of 528 people, in the Swale 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
- 528 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Swale
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005274
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.