Hartley’s story
8 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Hartley’s built-up area.
40% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HartleyKent
A village of 447 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Chris Whippet · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
447
Census 2021 · Tunbridge Wells council
Median home
£385K
11 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.1
28% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
36%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Hartley a good place to live?
Hartley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Hartley stand out
The 3 things Hartley does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
35% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 7.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
28% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hartley.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Hartley: 28% are 65 or over, above Kent’s towns and England’s towns
In the comparison, Hartley comes above both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%). 8.5% of residents are aged 15 to 24. The median resident of Hartley is 51.1 years old.
51.1median age
HartleyKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
28%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level36%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 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.
| Hartley | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.5% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 28% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.1% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 36% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Only 8% of commuters in Hartley go to work without a car, fewer than in Kent’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 33% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Hartley, that is below both Kent’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (27%). 91% of commuters drove to work at the census.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot4%
Train2%
Bicycle2%
35%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
33%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£63K
mean household income, before tax
3.1%
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
More households own their home in Hartley than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 73%
Hartley sits above both Kent’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%) on this measure. 11% of households live in social housing.
£385Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Hartley£385K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £377,500 | 6 |
73%
of households own their home · England 61%
16%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,533
average private rent a month, Tunbridge Wells council area
£2,515
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 Hartley see less burglary and damage than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 3 per 1,000 a year
That puts Hartley below both Kent’s towns (12.3) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 22 crimes inside Hartley’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 8 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 50% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
21.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual11
Other theft4
Drugs3
Public order2
Damage & arson1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Anti-social8
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.
21.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
22
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 Hartley live with a disability than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 21%
On this, Hartley is above both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). Hartley has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.2 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.
80%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Hartley | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
81
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Old homes shape Hartley: 40% were built before 1919, more than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Conservation areas cover 100% of Hartley’s land, above both Kent’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (7%). For its size, Hartley has 179 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. Hartley has 8 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
8listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II8
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
40%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
179
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 →Sissinghurst Castle and Garden and 3 more in and around Hartley
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Hartley. Best known first.
Garden · National TrustSissinghurst Castle and Garden4.9 km outside town, to the northeast
GardenBedgebury National Pinetum3.7 km outside town, to the west
MuseumCranbrook Museum1000 m outside town, to the northeastAttractionAttractionThe Union Mill1.2 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Sissinghurst Castle and Garden: Hans Bernhard (Schnobby), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bedgebury National Pinetum: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cranbrook Museum: David Anstiss, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hartley
13pages on Hartley
The big questions
Safety21.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £385K · rent £1,533 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 months · busiest street Hawkhurst RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81 (men), 84.3 (women)Work & commute54% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Hartley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
CranbrookHawkhurstGoudhurstBenendenHorsmondenHurst GreenTicehurstHartley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartley | 447 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cranbrook | 3,962 | 1.2 | B | C+ | C− | B |
| Hawkhurst | 3,683 | 2.9 | B+ | C+ | C | B+ |
| Goudhurst | 1,104 | 3 | — | B− | C+ | A |
| Benenden | 1,409 | 3.1 | — | C− | A | B+ |
| Horsmonden | 1,580 | 5 | — | C | A− | A+ |
| Hurst Green | 1,181 | 5 | — | D− | B | A |
| Ticehurst | 1,464 | 5.2 | — | D− | C− | A− |
Goudhurst, Benenden, Horsmonden, Hurst Green and Ticehurst have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Hartley
How many listed buildings are there in Hartley?
That is 7.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Hartley expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £385,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the Tunbridge Wells council area averaged £1,533 a month in August 2026.
About Hartley
Village in Kent, England
Hartley is a built-up area of 447 people, in the Tunbridge Wells 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
- 447 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Tunbridge Wells
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005946
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.