Cowden’s story
23 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Cowden’s built-up area.
52% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
CowdenKent
A village of 222 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Marathon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
222
Census 2021 · Sevenoaks council
Median home
£380K
10 sales in 3 years
Median age
52
28% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
25%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Cowden a good place to live?
Cowden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Cowden stand out
The 3 things Cowden does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
28% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Hever Castle and 6 more in and around Cowden
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Cowden. Best known first.
Historic houseHever Castle4.6 km outside town, to the north
CastleStarborough Castle4.8 km outside town, to the northwest
Historic houseHammerwood Park2.3 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric houseHistoric houseBassets Manor2.4 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumKent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry Museum Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry Museum4.3 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumThe Pooh’seum4.7 km 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 (3)
- Hever Castle: Nigel Lamb, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Starborough Castle: Wenceslas Hollar, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Hammerwood Park: Zadradr (Uploads), CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cowden.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Cowden than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 14% are under 15
On this, Cowden is below both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). Those 65 and older account for 28% of residents. Cowden has a median age of 52.
52median age
CowdenKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
28%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications26%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar11%
Degree level25%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 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.
| Cowden | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 28% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 26% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.8% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 11% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 25% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Cowden walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 5%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 36% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
In the comparison, Cowden comes below both Kent’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (27%). For 10% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
Train3%
On foot2%
10%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
36%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£72K
mean household income, before tax
1.9%
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
More households in Cowden live in social housing than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 31%
For Cowden, that is above both Kent’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). Owners make up 48% of households.
£380Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Cowden£380K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £407,500 | 6 |
48%
of households own their home · England 61%
14%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,809
average private rent a month, Sevenoaks council area
£2,458
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
Violent crime runs high in Cowden: 34.5 per 1,000 residents a year, above Kent’s towns and England’s towns
Cowden sits above both Kent’s towns (24) and England’s towns (22) on this measure. Police recorded 9 crimes inside Cowden’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 2 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 67% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
34.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual6
Other theft1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Drugs0
Anti-social2
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.
34.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
15
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
9
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
Only 70% of people in Cowden say their health is good or very good, fewer than in Kent’s towns and England’s towns
That puts Cowden below both Kent’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (82%). Cowden has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.1 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.
70%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 70%Fair 22%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Cowden | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 70% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.8% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 28% | 18% | 17% |
83.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Cowden is rich in listed buildings: 1,036 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.
Cowden’s listed buildings include Church of St Mary Magdalene, Grade I. Cowden has 23 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 1 Grade II*. Homes from before 1919 make up 52% of the total, above both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (16%).
23listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II21
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Magdalene Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
52%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
1,036
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 Cowden
13pages on Cowden
The big questions
Safety34.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £380K · rent £1,809 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 83.4 (men), 87.5 (women)Work & commute62% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Cowden’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Ashurst WoodDormanslandEdenbridgeForest RowGroombridgeEast GrinsteadMarlpit HillCowden
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowden | 222 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ashurst Wood | 1,508 | 3.8 | — | B− | A− | A |
| Dormansland | 2,300 | 3.9 | — | C− | A | B |
| Edenbridge | 7,903 | 4.1 | C+ | C | C− | B− |
| Forest Row | 3,881 | 4.3 | C+ | D− | B− | A+ |
| Groombridge | 1,077 | 4.6 | — | D | A+ | A+ |
| East Grinstead | 26,350 | 4.7 | A− | B | B− | A− |
| Marlpit Hill | 1,271 | 4.8 | — | D | C− | B |
Ashurst Wood, Dormansland, Groombridge and Marlpit Hill have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Cowden
How many listed buildings are there in Cowden?
That is 42.5 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary Magdalene. 52% of Cowden’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Is Cowden expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £380,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the Sevenoaks council area averaged £1,809 a month in August 2026.
About Cowden
Village in Kent, England
Cowden is a built-up area of 222 people, in the Sevenoaks 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
- 222 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Sevenoaks
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005820
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.