Cliffe Woods’s story
No listed buildings inside Cliffe Woods’s built-up area
4% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Cliffe WoodsKent
A town of 2,689 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Anstiss · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,689
Census 2021 · Medway council
Median home
£485K
189 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.5
23% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
23%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
B
#23 of 87 in Kent
Is Cliffe Woods a good place to live?
Cliffe Woods grades B overall against UK towns: better than 57% of UK towns, and #23 of 87 in Kent. Its strongest subject is safety (A): 11.2 violent and sexual offences and 6 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is cost of living (D): median sale £485,000, 8.6 years of area income; rent £1,232 a month.
What makes Cliffe Woods stand out
The 3 things Cliffe Woods does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
94%of UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people
Safety
of UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.8 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Cliffe Woods grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Cliffe Woods is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingDOpen →SafetyAOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 34% of towns in EnglandCOpen →WalkabilityCOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £59,723; 2.5% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →HealthLife expectancy 81.4 for men, 84.3 for womenBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsD−Open →Outdoors62% live within 400 m of a park; 1.7 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB−Open →Civic life1.5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryDOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Rochester Castle and 17 more in and around Cliffe Woods
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Cliffe Woods. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageRochester Castle4.3 km outside town, to the south
CathedralRochester Cathedral4.5 km outside town, to the south
Castle · English HeritageUpnor Castle2.9 km outside town, to the southeast
Historic shipHMS Cavalier4.1 km outside town, to the southeast
CastleCooling Castle2.3 km outside town, to the northeast
Historic shipHMS Gannet4 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Rochester Castle: Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rochester Cathedral: Raggatt2000, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Upnor Castle: Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- HMS Cavalier: en:User:Swpmre, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cooling Castle: shirokazan, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- HMS Gannet: Paul Englefield from Leamington Spa, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cliffe Woods.
History
Cliffe Woods has fewer old homes than Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 4% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
In the comparison, Cliffe Woods comes below both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (16%).
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
4%
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
SchoolsC
Results at Cliffe Woods’s schools trail 69% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
CSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cliffe Woods Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 421 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade D
More households own their home in Cliffe Woods than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 89%
For Cliffe Woods, that is above both Kent’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%). Private renters make up 6% of households.
£485Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Cliffe Woods£485K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £590,000 | 118 |
| Semi-detached | £378,000 | 52 |
| Terraced | £180,000 | 19 |
89%
of households own their home · England 61%
6%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,232
average private rent a month, Medway council area
£2,363
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
Among the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, Cliffe Woods records less crime per resident than 94% of them
Violent crime ran at 11.2 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Kent’s towns (24.1) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 58 crimes inside Cliffe Woods’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 11 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 48% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
11.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 94% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual28
Vehicle crime7
Other theft6
Burglary5
Damage & arson4
Public order4
Other crime3
Shoplifting1
Anti-social11
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.
11.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
58
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 B
Fewer commuters in Cliffe Woods work nearby than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 23% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 29% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Cliffe Woods sits below both Kent’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%) on this measure. At the census, 11% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot5%
Train4%
Bus1%
Underground, tram1%
23%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
£60K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 33% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Just 3.1% of people in Cliffe Woods say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Kent’s towns and England’s towns
That puts Cliffe Woods below both Kent’s towns (5.1%) and England’s towns (5.2%). One GP practice serves the town; 54% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey. 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.
85%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Cliffe Woods | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.1% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 18% | 17% |
81.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Who lives here
Fewer people in Cliffe Woods hold a degree than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 23%
On this, Cliffe Woods is below both Kent’s towns (29%) and England’s towns (34%). 23% of residents are 65 or over. The median resident of Cliffe Woods is 45.5 years old.
45.5median age
Cliffe WoodsKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level23%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Cliffe Woods | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.1% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 23% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cliffe Woods
14pages on Cliffe Woods
The big questions
SafetyA11.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £485K · rent £1,232 a monthHousing46 sold in 12 months · busiest street Timberland RiseSchoolsC1 state schoolHealthBLife expectancy 81.4 (men), 84.3 (women)Work & commuteB51% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Cliffe Woods’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ChattendenCliffeHighamHoo St WerburghHigh HalstowShorneRochesterCliffe Woods
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cliffe Woods | 2,689 | — | B | D | A | B |
| Chattenden | 2,417 | 1.7 | — | C− | D | C+ |
| Cliffe | 2,531 | 1.9 | B− | C | B− | B− |
| Higham | 2,642 | 2.1 | B− | D | B− | A− |
| Hoo St Werburgh | 8,758 | 2.7 | D | C− | C− | C |
| High Halstow | 1,823 | 3.2 | — | D | A | B− |
| Shorne | 1,038 | 3.3 | — | D | B | A− |
| Rochester | 67,279 | 3.4 | C | C+ | D | C− |
Chattenden, High Halstow and Shorne have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Cliffe Woods
Is Cliffe Woods expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £485,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £180,000, semi-detached houses £378,000 and detached houses £590,000.
Are schools in Cliffe Woods good?
Primary results trail 66% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Medway council.
About Cliffe Woods
Town in Kent, England
Cliffe Woods is a built-up area of 2,689 people, in the Medway 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
- 2,689 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Medway
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005044
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.