Hawley’s story
No listed buildings inside Hawley’s built-up area
25% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HawleyKent
A village of 1,386 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Dr Neil Clifton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,386
Census 2021 · Dartford council
Median home
£423K
52 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.5
22% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
25%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Hawley a good place to live?
Hawley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is schools (A+): primary results beat 91% of towns in England; secondary results beat 97% of towns in England. Its weakest is cost of living (C−): median sale £423,000, 6.5 years of area income; rent £1,575 a month.
What makes Hawley stand out
The 3 things Hawley does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Secondary results, towns in England
Schools
Secondary results beat 97%
of towns in England, on GCSE results (Attainment 8, English and maths)
Primary results beat 91%. Department for Education.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
How Hawley grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Hawley is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 91% of towns in England; secondary results beat 97% of towns in EnglandA+Open →Jobs & income1.6% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →WalkabilityCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 81.1 for men, 84.1 for womenBOpen →SafetyBOpen →Hazard risk0.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsC−Open →Outdoors24% live within 400 m of a park; 3% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeDOpen →Civic life2.2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryCOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hawley.
History
Old homes shape Hawley: 25% were built before 1919, more than in Kent’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list has no building inside Hawley’s built-up area.
0listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
25%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C−
Hawley is a town of owners: 89% of households own their home, above Kent’s towns and England’s towns
Renting privately is how nearly one in ten households live. 2% live in social housing, lower than both Kent’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). Behind the median of £423,000: 52 standard sales inside Hawley’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£423Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Hawley£423K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £526,000 | 13 |
| Semi-detached | £392,000 | 25 |
| Terraced | £392,500 | 14 |
89%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,575
average private rent a month, Dartford council area
£2,431
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Fewer commuters in Hawley walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 10%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For 36% of commuters, work was under 5 km away. 87% of commuters drove, above Kent’s towns (75%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. The average household earns £67K a year before tax.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
Train5%
On foot2%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
Underground, tram1%
36%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£67K
mean household income, before tax
1.6%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 26% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Disability is less common in Hawley, 14% of residents, than in Kent’s towns and England’s towns
Hawley has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.5 miles away. Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 4.3% of the town. The nearest A&E to Hawley is Darent Valley Hospital, 1.8 miles away.
83%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Hawley | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 18% | 17% |
81.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Young towns look healthier on these answers, which aren’t adjusted for age; the Health Grade uses measures that are, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
Safety
Hawley records 18.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year, against 24.1 in Kent’s towns and 22 in England’s towns
53% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Police recorded 47 crimes inside Hawley’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 8 reports of anti-social behaviour. Homes saw 9.1 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, lower than Kent’s towns (12.3) and near England’s towns (9.4).
18.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 40% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual25
Damage & arson6
Other theft5
Drugs3
Public order2
Burglary2
Other crime2
Weapons1
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.
18.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
47
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
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.
Who lives here
Children make up only 15% of Hawley, fewer than in Kent’s towns and across England’s towns
25% of adults hold a degree, lower than both Kent’s towns (29%) and England’s towns (34%). Retirement age and beyond: 22% of residents are 65 or older. Ages in Hawley split evenly at 45.5: half are older, half younger.
45.5median age
HawleyKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level25%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Hawley | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.3% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 25% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Stone Castle and 3 more in and around Hawley
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Hawley. Best known first.
CastleStone Castle3.7 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumDartford Borough Museum and Library2.1 km outside town, to the north
Historic houseHall Place and Gardens5 km outside town, to the northwestGardenGarden · National TrustSt John's Jerusalem1.4 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Stone Castle: Ken Brown, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dartford Borough Museum and Library: Clem Rutter, Rochester Kent, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hall Place and Gardens: Wellingwebsite at English Wikipedia Later versions were uploaded by P Ingerson at en.wikipedia., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hawley
15pages on Hawley
The big questions
SafetyB18.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £423K · rent £1,575 a monthHousing21 sold in 12 months · busiest street Alfred RoadSchoolsA+HealthBLife expectancy 81.1 (men), 84.1 (women)Work & commuteA53% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Hawley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
DarenthSouth Darenth and Sutton at HoneDartfordHextableHorton KirbyJoyden's WoodStoneHawley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawley | 1,386 | — | — | C− | B | B |
| Darenth | 2,588 | 1.4 | C | C+ | C− | C− |
| South Darenth and Sutton at Hone | 4,091 | 1.5 | A− | B+ | C | B− |
| Dartford | 69,131 | 1.7 | B | C+ | D | C |
| Hextable | 4,100 | 1.8 | B+ | C | C+ | C+ |
| Horton Kirby | 1,247 | 2.3 | — | C− | B− | B+ |
| Joyden's Wood | 4,912 | 2.4 | A | C− | B+ | A |
| Stone | 6,438 | 2.6 | C+ | C+ | D− | C− |
Horton Kirby has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Hawley
Are schools in Hawley good?
Among the strongest in England: GCSE results beat 97% of towns in England, and primary results beat 91% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). Places are handled by Kent council.
Is Hawley expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £423,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £392,500, semi-detached houses £392,000 and detached houses £526,000.
Is Hawley safe?
Against all UK towns, it grades B. Burglary was rare, with 2 reports in the year.
About Hawley
Village in Kent, England
Hawley is a built-up area of 1,386 people, in the Dartford 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
- 1,386 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dartford
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005082
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.