Folkestone grades C− overall against UK towns: better than 16% of UK towns, and #68 of 87 in Kent. Its strongest subject is walkability (A): 28% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Its weakest is safety (D): 49.7 violent and sexual offences and 17.2 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Among UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more, it has less crime per resident than 32%. The median home sold for £275,000 in the last three years, 5.3 times what households in the Folkestone and Hythe council area earn in a year.

StrongestAWalkabilityWeakestDSafety DHealth

What makes Folkestone stand out

The 3 things Folkestone does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Homes built before 1919

History

41% of homes built before 1919

Against 15% in the typical UK town

Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.

Claimant rate, against UK towns

Work

of 16 to 64s in 2026: more than in 95% of UK towns

DWP claimant count, January to August 2026.

Households renting privately

Housing

of households, against 21% across England’s towns

How Folkestone grades

Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Folkestone is from typical. American towns are graded separately.

How grading works

WalkabilityAOpen →SafetyDOpen →HealthLife expectancy 76.6 for men, 81.5 for womenDOpen →Hazard risk3.1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC⁻Open →Cost of livingrent £1,178 a monthC⁻Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £51,899C⁻Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 51% of towns in England; secondary results beat 79% of towns in EnglandB⁺Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

HistoryAOpen →Outdoors95% live within 400 m of a park; 45% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA⁺Open →Civic life1.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 84% live within 1 km of a libraryA⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Postcard image of Pavilion Hotel, Folkestone from 1850, 1850 · Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domain

Folkestone’s story

Folkestone in pictures

Historic England lists 226 buildings inside Folkestone’s built-up area, 2 of them Grade I, and 7 scheduled monuments.

41% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.

The archive holds 5 old photos and postcards going back to 1850.

c. 1890Lee's Promenade and Bandstand, Folkestone, England
c. 1890Lower Sandgate Road, Folkestone, England
c. 1890The beach and pier, Folkestone, England

Explore the history →

Nearby attractions

Sandgate Castle 1539 and 9 more in and around Folkestone

Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Folkestone. Best known first.

All attractions →

CastleSandgate Castle 1539in town

MuseumFolkestone Museumin town

CastleSaltwood Castle1.5 km outside town, to the west

MuseumThe Wing800 m outside town, to the northeast

CastleWestenhanger Castle4.8 km outside town, to the west

MuseumKent Battle of Britain Museum1.5 km outside town, to the north

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (6)

Sandgate Castle 1539: The original uploader was Jamesedits at English Wikipedia., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Folkestone Museum: Chris Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Saltwood Castle: Edgepedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Wing: Tim Heaton, CC BY-SA 2.0, 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

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Folkestone.

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C⁻

Benefit claims run higher in Folkestone, 4.9% of 16 to 64s, than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns

The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 28% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.

In the comparison, Folkestone comes above both Kent’s towns (2.7%) and England’s towns (2.3%). For 54% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.

28%walk, cycle or ride

How commuters got to work · March 2021

Driving68%

On foot18%

Bus5%

Train3%

Bicycle2%

54%

of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%

28%

worked mainly from home in March 2021

£52K

mean household income, before tax

4.9%

of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)

Walkability: more walkable than 94% of UK towns

Full pageFolkestone’s work & commute pageOpen the page

Jobs based here18,400 jobs based here · Public administration and defence is the biggest, 16%Commute map28% walk, cycle or ride Household income£52K a year · Mean household income Getting to work54% go under 5 km · Short trips to work

ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL

SchoolsB⁺

Results at Folkestone’s schools beat 69% of towns in England

Three of its 21 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

B⁺School Grade

School	Level	Pupils	Letter
Folkestone PrimaryLargest primary schoolPrimary	Primary	460	B⁻
The Folkestone School for GirlsLargest secondary schoolSecondary	Secondary	1,145	A
The Harvey Grammar SchoolTop results in townSecondary	Secondary	1,005	A⁺

Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 21 schools →

Safety

Folkestone has more crime per resident than 92% of UK towns

Town centres with shops, stations and nightlife record more crime per resident: police.uk counts crimes where they happen, not where victims live.

Violent crime ran at 49.7 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Kent’s towns (23.9) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 5,330 crimes inside Folkestone’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1,323 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 42% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.

49.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade

Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 32% of the 207 UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.

More crimeLess crime

Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026

Violence & sexual2,234

Shoplifting751

Damage & arson605

Other theft409

Drugs311

Public order294

Other crime183

Vehicle crime166

Anti-social1,323

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.

49.7

violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026

17.2

burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026

20.2

anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)

5,330

crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026

Full pageFolkestone’s safety reportOpen the page

Safety Grade49.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 · Folkestone has more crime per resident than 92% of UK towns Crime by typeViolence & sexual leads Vs. the neighboursAhead of 1 of its 7 graded neighbours Questions“Is Folkestone safe?”

data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL

History

Folkestone keeps more of its old housing than Kent or England’s towns: 41% built before 1919

The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.

For Folkestone, that is above both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (16%). Folkestone’s listed buildings include Church of St Martin, Grade I. Folkestone has 226 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 2 Grade I, 7 Grade II*.

226listed buildingsAHistory Grade

Listed buildings by grade · Historic England

Grade I2

Grade II*7

Grade II217

Among them · Grade I

Church of St Martin Grade I
Sandgate Castle Grade I

scheduled monuments

registered parks and gardens

41%

of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%

listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24

Full pageFolkestone’s history pageOpen the page

Homes by age41% built before 1919 · Older homes Listed buildings226 listed buildings Vs. the neighboursAhead of 6 of its 7 graded neighbours Questions“How many listed buildings are there in Folkestone?”

Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL

Health

Life expectancy in Folkestone is shorter than in 87% of UK towns

Women here live to 81.5 on average and men to 76.6 (2019–23). 21% of residents have a disability, above both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). The nearest A&E to Folkestone is William Harvey Hospital, 11.5 miles away.

79%good or very good healthDHealth Grade

General health, self-reported

Good or very good 79%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 6%

Census 2021	Folkestone	Kent	England
Good or very good health	79%	82%	82%
Bad or very bad health	6.5%	5.1%	5.2%
Disabled (Equality Act)	21%	18%	17%

76.6

life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)

81.5

life expectancy at birth, women

Full pageFolkestone’s health pageOpen the page

Health GradeLife expectancy: women 81.5, men 76.6 Getting care11.5 miles to A&E · William Harvey Hospital GP practices62% rate their practice good Census health79% in good health

ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL

HousingCost of living grade C⁻

More households rent privately in Folkestone than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 32%

Folkestone sits above both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%) on this measure. Owners make up 54% of households.

£275Kmedian sale

Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026

Folkestone£275K

Typical UK town£277K

By type	Median	Sales
Detached	£475,000	233
Semi-detached	£345,397	502
Terraced	£270,000	825
Flat or maisonette	£190,000	744

54%

of households own their home · England 61%

32%

rent privately · England 21%

£1,178

average private rent a month, Folkestone and Hythe council area

£2,530

council tax, Band D, 2026–27

Full pageFolkestone’s housing & cost pageOpen the page

House pricesMedian sale £275,000 Renting£1,178 a month · Average private rent Council tax£2,530 Band D · Council tax, 2026–27 Owners and renters54% own their home

HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL

Who lives here

A typical mix of ages for England

11% of residents are 15 to 24 and 19% are 65 or over, against 11% and 19% across Kent’s towns. 28% of residents 16 and over have a degree-level qualification (Kent 29%, England 34%).

41.3median age

FolkestoneKentEngland

KentEngland

Ages · share of residents

19%

Qualifications · residents 16 and older

No qualifications19%

Apprenticeship6%

A levels or similar17%

Degree level28%

Women and men · all residents

51% women, 49% men

About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.

Ages and qualifications in Folkestone
	Folkestone	Kent	England
Under 15	17%	18%	18%
15–24	11%	11%	12%
25–44	26%	25%	27%
45–64	26%	26%	25%
65+	19%	19%	18%
No qualifications	19%	18%	18%
Apprenticeship	6%	5.7%	5.3%
A levels or similar	17%	18%	17%
Degree level	28%	29%	34%

Full pageFolkestone’s Who lives here pageOpen the page

Ages41.3 median age · 19% are 65 or over Households22,944 households · 54% own their home Where people were born15% born outside the UK Questions“What is the population of Folkestone?”

ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Folkestone

15pages on Folkestone

The big questions

SafetyD49.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 Cost of livingC⁻Median home £275K · rent £1,178 a month Housing624 sold in 12 months · busiest street Sandgate Road SchoolsB⁺21 state schools HealthDLife expectancy 76.6 (men), 81.5 (women)Work & commuteC⁻70% of working residents work in the town Flood & hazardsC⁻3.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk

Out and about

OutdoorsA⁺95% live within 400 m of a park AttractionsClimateJuly highs of 22°C (71°F), 807 mm of rain a year Weather

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 41.3 · 51,987 people HistoryA226 listed buildings, 2 Grade I Town Hall & politicsCouncil area: Folkestone and Hythe Famous people71 born here, among them William Harvey

Landmarks

226 listed buildings in Folkestone, 2 of them Grade I.

All landmarks →

Sandgate CastleGrade I listed

Church of St MartinGrade I listed

Wells HouseGrade II* listed

Former Martello Public HouseGrade II listed

Photo credits

Sandgate Castle: Photo: Jamesedits · Public domain · Church of St Martin: Photo: John Salmon · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wells House: Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domain · Former Martello Public House: Photo: John Baker · CC BY-SA 2.0

Famous people from Folkestone

71 notable people were born in Folkestone.

See all 71 →

William HarveyEnglish physician (1578-1657)

Noel ReddingEnglish rock and roll guitarist (1945–2003)

Jill EllisAmerican soccer coach and executive · born 1966

Richard AshworthBritish politician (born 1947)

William Hall-JonesNew Zealand politician (1851-1936)

Kitty GordonBritish actress (1878–1974)

Photo credits

William Harvey: After Daniël Mijtens, Public domain · Noel Redding: A. Vente, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl · Jill Ellis: Lorie Shaull, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Richard Ashworth: Leila Paul, CC BY-SA 3.0 · William Hall-Jones: Herman John Schmidt 1872-1959 [1], Public domain · Kitty Gordon: Kromo Gravure Photo Co. out of Detroit, Michigan, Public domain

Folkestone’s neighbours

The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →

All towns in Kent →

HawkingeCapel-le-FerneHytheLymingeLympneDoverWhitfieldFolkestone

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	Miles	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Folkestone	51,987	—	C⁻	C⁻	D	D
Hawkinge	8,499	2	C⁺	D	B⁻	C
Capel-le-Ferne	1,962	2.3	—	C⁻	A⁻	B
Hythe	14,613	3.8	C	D	B⁻	C⁺
Lyminge	1,918	4.6	—	D	A	A⁻
Lympne	1,074	6.1	—	D	A⁺	B⁻
Dover	36,349	6.4	C⁻	B	D⁻	D
Whitfield	6,509	7.5	C	C	C⁻	C⁺

Capel-le-Ferne, Lyminge and Lympne have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.

Questions about Folkestone

How many listed buildings are there in Folkestone?

That is 1.8 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Sandgate Castle.

Is Folkestone safe?

It has more crime per resident than most places its size: 68% of the 207 UK towns and cities of 50,000 or more report less.

Does Folkestone flood?

Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.

About Folkestone

Large town in Kent, England

Folkestone is a built-up area of 51,987 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: 51,987 (Census 2021)
Council: Folkestone and Hythe
County: Kent
Region: South East
Area: 5 sq mi (12.9 km²)
ONS code: E63005914

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.