Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A village of 856 in Kent, South East.
Elham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
The 3 things Elham does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Elham’s built-up area.
36% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Elham.
6.3% of residents are 15 to 24, below Kent’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Retirement age and beyond: 37% of residents are 65 or older. Residents of Elham have a median age of 57.4. Graduates make up 44% of adults.
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Elham | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 14% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 37% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.9% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 44% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
There is one school here; it is shown below. Key Stage 2 results at the 2 primary schools within 3 km: 65% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). 82 pupils attend Elham’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elham Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 82 | C |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 39% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Working mainly from home: 39% of workers, higher than both Kent’s towns (30%) and England’s towns (31%). 82% of commuters drove to work at the census. In 2026, 2% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
The social rented sector houses 5% of households. Private renters make up 12% of households, below both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). Also worth knowing: from September 2023 to August 2026, 32 homes sold inside Elham’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £429,500.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £527,500 | 14 |
| Semi-detached | £434,000 | 7 |
| Terraced | £395,000 | 9 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Violence came to 11.7 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Kent’s towns (24) and England’s towns (22). In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 13 crimes inside Elham’s built-up area. 54% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
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.
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
The nearest A&E to Elham is William Harvey Hospital, 8.5 miles away. 4.3% of residents report bad or very bad health. One GP practice serves the town; 74% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
| Census 2021 | Elham | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Conservation areas cover 31% of Elham’s land, above Kent’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (7%) alike. Its listed buildings include the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Grade I. Historic England’s list names 52 listed buildings in the town: 1 Grade I, 3 Grade II*. The pre-1919 share of homes is 36%.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
4 notable people were born in Elham.
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elham | 856 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lyminge | 1,918 | 2.1 | — | D | A | A− |
| Hawkinge | 8,499 | 3.5 | C+ | D | B− | C |
| Folkestone | 51,987 | 5.3 | C− | C− | D | D |
| Capel-le-Ferne | 1,962 | 5.7 | — | C− | A− | B |
| Sibertswold | 1,619 | 5.8 | — | C− | B | C+ |
| Hythe | 14,613 | 5.9 | C | D | B− | C+ |
| Brabourne Lees | 1,479 | 6.2 | — | C− | A− | B+ |
Lyminge, Capel-le-Ferne, Sibertswold and Brabourne Lees have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 24.9 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary the Virgin.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £429,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £395,000, semi-detached houses £434,000 and detached houses £527,500. Private rents in the Folkestone and Hythe council area averaged £1,178 a month in August 2026.
Village in Kent, England
Elham is a built-up area of 856 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
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.
