Densole’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Densole’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
20% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DensoleKent
A village of 888 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Jonathan Billinger · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
888
Census 2021 · Folkestone and Hythe council
Median home
£342K
35 sales in 3 years
Median age
56.9
36% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
23%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Densole a good place to live?
Densole has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Densole stand out
The 3 things Densole does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
28% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
36% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Own outright
Housing
57% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Densole.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Densole: 36% are 65 or over, above Kent’s towns and England’s towns
That puts Densole above both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%). Under-15s account for 10% of the population. The median resident of Densole is 56.9 years old.
56.9median age
DensoleKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
36%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level23%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 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.
| Densole | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.2% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 14% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 36% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.9% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 23% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Densole walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 9%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 27% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
On this, Densole is below both Kent’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (27%). 87% of commuters drove to work at the census.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot4%
Bus3%
Train2%
28%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
27%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£56K
mean household income, before tax
2%
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
Densole is a town of owners: 88% of households own their home, above Kent’s towns and England’s towns
In the comparison, Densole comes above both Kent’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%). Private renters make up 7% of households.
£342Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Densole£342K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £378,750 | 20 |
| Semi-detached | £310,000 | 15 |
88%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,178
average private rent a month, Folkestone and Hythe council area
£2,522
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
Homes in Densole see less burglary and damage than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 3.8 per 1,000 a year
For Densole, that is below both Kent’s towns (12.3) and England’s towns (9.4). Violent crime runs at 7.5 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 16 crimes inside Densole’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 5 reports of anti-social behaviour.
7.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Other theft8
Violence & sexual5
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Anti-social5
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.
7.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
16
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
Fewer people in Densole say their health is good than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 76%
Densole sits below both Kent’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (82%) on this measure. Densole has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.6 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.
76%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 76%Fair 17%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Densole | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 76% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 18% | 17% |
83.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
1 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Densole has 1 listed building inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 20% of its homes were built before 1919.
1listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
1
scheduled monument
0
registered parks and gardens
20%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
11
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Swingfield Preceptory and 4 more in and around Densole
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Densole. Best known first.
Abbey or priory · English HeritageSwingfield Preceptory2.6 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumKent Battle of Britain Museum1.2 km outside town, to the south
MuseumThe Wing4 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumRailway Museum3.8 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumFolkestone Museum4.9 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 (5)
- Swingfield Preceptory: Ron Strutt, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kent Battle of Britain Museum: Ron Hann, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Wing: Tim Heaton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Railway Museum: Gareth James, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Folkestone Museum: Chris Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Densole
13pages on Densole
The big questions
Safety7.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £342K · rent £1,178 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street Canterbury RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 83.3 (men), 84.5 (women)Work & commute48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Densole’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HawkingeFolkestoneCapel-le-FerneLymingeHytheSibertswoldDoverDensole
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Densole | 888 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hawkinge | 8,499 | 1 | C+ | D | B− | C |
| Folkestone | 51,987 | 3.1 | C− | C− | D | D |
| Capel-le-Ferne | 1,962 | 3.1 | — | C− | A− | B |
| Lyminge | 1,918 | 3.1 | — | D | A | A− |
| Hythe | 14,613 | 5.2 | C | D | B− | C+ |
| Sibertswold | 1,619 | 5.3 | — | C− | B | C+ |
| Dover | 36,349 | 6 | C− | B | D− | D |
Capel-le-Ferne, Lyminge and Sibertswold have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Densole
How much is council tax in Densole?
Band D council tax in Densole is £2,522 for 2026–27, more than in 69% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Is Densole expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £342,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £310,000 and detached houses £378,750. Private rents in the Folkestone and Hythe council area averaged £1,178 a month in August 2026.
About Densole
Village in Kent, England
Densole is a built-up area of 888 people, in the Folkestone and Hythe 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
- 888 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Folkestone and Hythe
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005790
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.