Etchinghill’s story
Old homes in Etchinghill: 33% built before 1919
Historic England lists 6 buildings inside Etchinghill’s built-up area.
33% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
EtchinghillKent
A village of 621 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: N Chadwick · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
621
Census 2021 · Folkestone and Hythe council
Median home
£430K
45 sales in 3 years
Median age
53.4
31% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Etchinghill a good place to live?
Etchinghill has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Etchinghill stand out
The 3 things Etchinghill 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%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
31% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Etchinghill.
Who lives here
Etchinghill skews older, with 31% of residents 65 or over, more than Kent’s towns or England’s towns
That puts Etchinghill above both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%). Under-15s account for 13% of the population. The median resident of Etchinghill is 53.4 years old.
53.4median age
EtchinghillKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Etchinghill | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.8% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Commuters in Etchinghill travel far: only 19% go under 5 km, fewer than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns
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.
On this, Etchinghill is below both Kent’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%). 9% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot4%
Bus2%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
19%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
36%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£62K
mean household income, before tax
1.6%
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
Most households in Etchinghill own their home: 91%, more than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns
In the comparison, Etchinghill comes above both Kent’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%). 5% of households rent privately.
£430Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Etchinghill£430K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £522,500 | 25 |
| Semi-detached | £412,500 | 14 |
| Terraced | £367,500 | 6 |
91%
of households own their home · England 61%
5%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,178
average private rent a month, Folkestone and Hythe council area
£2,562
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
Burglary and damage are rarer in Etchinghill than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.2 per 1,000 residents a year
For Etchinghill, that is below both Kent’s towns (12.3) and England’s towns (9.4). Violent crime runs at 11.8 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 11 crimes inside Etchinghill’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 3 reports of anti-social behaviour.
11.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual3
Public order3
Other theft1
Burglary1
Drugs1
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social3
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.
11.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
11
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
More people in Etchinghill live with a disability than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 22%
Etchinghill sits above both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%) on this measure. Etchinghill has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 0.7 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.
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Etchinghill | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.2% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 18% | 17% |
80.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Etchinghill keeps more of its old housing than Kent or England’s towns: 33% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
For its size, Etchinghill has 97 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above both Kent’s towns (53) and England’s towns (39). Etchinghill has 6 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
6listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II6
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
33%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
97
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 →Saltwood Castle and 5 more in and around Etchinghill
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Etchinghill. Best known first.
CastleSaltwood Castle3.2 km outside town, to the south
CastleWestenhanger Castle4.4 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumKent Battle of Britain Museum3.4 km outside town, to the east
MuseumRailway Museum2 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumHythe Town Museum4.5 km outside town, to the southCastleCastleWestenhanger4.2 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 (4)
- Saltwood Castle: Edgepedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Westenhanger Castle: Ian Knox, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kent Battle of Britain Museum: Ron Hann, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Railway Museum: Gareth James, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Etchinghill
13pages on Etchinghill
The big questions
Safety11.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £430K · rent £1,178 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street Canterbury RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.1 (men), 82.6 (women)Work & commute52% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Etchinghill’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
LymingeHawkingeHytheFolkestoneLympneCapel-le-FerneBrabourne LeesEtchinghill
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etchinghill | 621 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lyminge | 1,918 | 1.1 | — | D | A | A− |
| Hawkinge | 8,499 | 2.9 | C+ | D | B− | C |
| Hythe | 14,613 | 3.1 | C | D | B− | C+ |
| Folkestone | 51,987 | 3.7 | C− | C− | D | D |
| Lympne | 1,074 | 3.9 | — | D | A+ | B− |
| Capel-le-Ferne | 1,962 | 5.2 | — | C− | A− | B |
| Brabourne Lees | 1,479 | 5.2 | — | C− | A− | B+ |
Lyminge, Lympne, Capel-le-Ferne 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.
Questions about Etchinghill
How many listed buildings are there in Etchinghill?
That is 4 times the typical UK town for its size. 33% of Etchinghill’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Is Etchinghill expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £430,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £367,500, semi-detached houses £412,500 and detached houses £522,500. Private rents in the Folkestone and Hythe council area averaged £1,178 a month in August 2026.
About Etchinghill
Village in Kent, England
Etchinghill is a built-up area of 621 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
- 621 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Folkestone and Hythe
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005847
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.