Darenth’s story
No listed buildings inside Darenth’s built-up area
8% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DarenthKent
A town of 2,588 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Stephen Craven · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,588
Census 2021 · Dartford council
Median home
£365K
72 sales in 3 years
Median age
37.6
15% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
25%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
C
#45 of 87 in Kent
Is Darenth a good place to live?
Darenth grades C overall against UK towns: better than 35% of UK towns, and #45 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 health (C−): life expectancy 78.2 for men, 82 for women. The median home sold for £365,000 in the last three years, 5.6 times what households in the Dartford council area earn in a year.
What makes Darenth stand out
The 3 things Darenth does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
14% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
35% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Rent against income, UK towns
Renting
£1,575 a month
Average private rent, 29% of what households in the area earn: more than in 94% of UK towns
ONS private rents, Dartford council area.
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results beat 91%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 28%. Department for Education.
How Darenth grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Darenth is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Hazard riskAOpen →HealthC−Open →SafetyC−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £59,311; 3.6% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 91% of towns in England; secondary results beat 28% of towns in EnglandBOpen →Cost of livingrent £1,575 a monthC+Open →WalkabilityB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsD−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 1.8 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsA−Open →Civic life0.4 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryD−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Darenth.
History
Most of Darenth is newer: only 8% of homes were built before 1919, below Kent’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
In the comparison, Darenth 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
8%
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
Health
Life expectancy in Darenth is shorter than in 79% of UK towns
Women here live to 82 on average and men to 78.2 (2019–23). Darenth has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.6 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.
82%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Darenth | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
78.2
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
Safety
Homes in Darenth see more burglary and damage than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 19.3 per 1,000 a year
For Darenth, that is above both Kent’s towns (12.3) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 320 crimes inside Darenth’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 51 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violent crime runs at 28.6 per 1,000 residents a year.
28.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 21% 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
Shoplifting171
Violence & sexual64
Damage & arson27
Vehicle crime18
Other theft11
Drugs9
Other crime7
Burglary4
Anti-social51
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.
28.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
19.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
16.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
320
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C+
Private renting is less common in Darenth than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 7%
Darenth sits below both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%) on this measure. Social housing holds 27% of households.
£365Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Darenth£365K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £365,500 | 48 |
| Terraced | £353,000 | 22 |
65%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,575
average private rent a month, Dartford council area
£2,404
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Darenth than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 14%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 24% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
That puts Darenth below both Kent’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (27%). 83% of commuters drove to work at the census.
14%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving83%
Train6%
On foot3%
Bus3%
Bicycle1%
Underground, tram1%
35%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
24%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£59K
mean household income, before tax
3.6%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 49% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
A town of families: 21% of people in Darenth are under 15, more than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns
On this, Darenth is above both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). People 65 and over make up 15% of the town. The median resident of Darenth is 37.6 years old.
37.6median age
DarenthKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
10%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level25%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Darenth | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 21% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 28% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.9% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 25% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Stone Castle and 2 more in and around Darenth
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Darenth. Best known first.
CastleStone Castle2.6 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumDartford Borough Museum and Library3.2 km outside town, to the northwestGardenGarden · National TrustSt John's Jerusalem1.3 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Stone Castle: Ken Brown, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dartford Borough Museum and Library: Clem Rutter, Rochester Kent, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Darenth
14pages on Darenth
The big questions
SafetyC−28.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £365K · rent £1,575 a monthHousing25 sold in 12 months · busiest street Coombfield DriveSchoolsBHealthC−Life expectancy 78.2 (men), 82 (women)Work & commuteC+46% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Darenth’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
South Darenth and Sutton at HoneHawleyBeanStoneHorton KirbyDartfordEbbsfleet ValleyDarenth
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darenth | 2,588 | — | C | C+ | C− | C− |
| South Darenth and Sutton at Hone | 4,091 | 1.2 | A− | B+ | C | B− |
| Hawley | 1,386 | 1.4 | — | C− | B | B |
| Bean | 1,633 | 1.5 | — | C+ | C | C− |
| Stone | 6,438 | 1.8 | C+ | C+ | D− | C− |
| Horton Kirby | 1,247 | 2 | — | C− | B− | B+ |
| Dartford | 69,131 | 2.2 | B | C+ | D | C |
| Ebbsfleet Valley | 2,989 | 2.6 | B− | C+ | D− | C+ |
Hawley, Bean and Horton Kirby have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Darenth
Is Darenth safe?
It has more crime per resident than most places its size: 79% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people report less. Police recorded 320 crimes inside Darenth’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 20% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
Is Darenth expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £365,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
Does Darenth flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Darenth
Town in Kent, England
Darenth is a built-up area of 2,588 people, in the Dartford 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
- 2,588 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dartford
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005084
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.