Hersden’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Hersden’s built-up area.
10% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HersdenKent
A village of 2,118 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: My another account · CC0
Population
2,118
Census 2021 · Canterbury council
Median home
£270K
61 sales in 3 years
Median age
34.5
13% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
16%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Hersden a good place to live?
Hersden has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is walkability (B): 16% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Its weakest is safety (D): 44.2 violent and sexual offences and 15.4 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Among UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, it has less crime per resident than 5%. The median home sold for £270,000 in the last three years, 4.8 times what households in the Canterbury council area earn in a year.
WeakestDSafety
What makes Hersden stand out
The 3 things Hersden does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
16% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
Only 13% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Secondary results, towns in England
Schools
Secondary results trail 91%
of towns in England, on GCSE results (Attainment 8, English and maths)
Primary results beat 89%. Department for Education.
How Hersden grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Hersden is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyDOpen →HealthLife expectancy 79.1 for men, 81.7 for womenCOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £56,947; 3.2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsCOpen →Cost of livingrent £1,280 a monthC+Open →WalkabilityBOpen →Hazard risk0.3% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 89% of towns in England; secondary results beat 9% of towns in EnglandB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsDOpen →Outdoors63% live within 400 m of a park; 2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsDOpen →Civic life1.4 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryDOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hersden.
History
2 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Hersden has 2 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 10% of its homes were built before 1919.
2listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
10%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
9
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
SchoolsB−
Results at Hersden’s schools trail 51% of towns in England
Its two schools are below.
B−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Meadows Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 188 | B |
| Orion SpiresLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 620 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
Safety
Hersden has more crime per resident than 88% of UK towns
Violence came to 44.2 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Kent’s towns (23.9) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 137 crimes inside Hersden’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 26 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 59% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
44.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 5% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual81
Damage & arson15
Other theft11
Other crime8
Vehicle crime6
Burglary5
Public order4
Drugs3
Anti-social26
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.
44.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
15.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
137
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
Life expectancy in Hersden is shorter than in 74% of UK towns
Women here live to 81.7 on average and men to 79.1 (2019–23). Hersden has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.3 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.
82%good or very good healthCHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Hersden | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.7% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
79.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.7
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C+
Hersden gets a C+ for cost of living grade
Half the homes sold went for more than £270K, below both Kent’s towns (£380K) and England’s towns (£308K).
£270Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Hersden£270K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £415,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £282,500 | 28 |
| Terraced | £250,000 | 14 |
| Flat or maisonette | £157,000 | 10 |
63%
of households own their home · England 61%
18%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,280
average private rent a month, Canterbury council area
£2,466
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 C
Fewer commuters in Hersden work nearby than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 21% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 21% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
On this, Hersden is below both Kent’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%). The car carried 82% of commuters at the census.
16%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving82%
On foot6%
Bus6%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
21%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
21%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£57K
mean household income, before tax
3.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B
Walkability: more walkable than 62% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
Children make up 22% of Hersden, above Kent’s towns and England’s towns
In the comparison, Hersden comes above both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). 13% of residents are 65 or over. Half the people of Hersden are older than 34.5.
34.5median age
HersdenKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
13%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level28%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Hersden | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 30% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 21% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 13% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hersden
14pages on Hersden
The big questions
SafetyD44.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £270K · rent £1,280 a monthHousing17 sold in 12 months · busiest street The AvenueSchoolsB−2 state schoolsHealthCLife expectancy 79.1 (men), 81.7 (women)Work & commuteC43% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Hersden’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SturryLittlebourneHerneWinghamCanterburyHerne BayRough CommonHersden
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hersden | 2,118 | — | — | C+ | D | C |
| Sturry | 4,857 | 1.5 | D | C | C | C |
| Littlebourne | 1,596 | 2.7 | — | C− | B− | C+ |
| Herne | 14,874 | 3.3 | C | C− | B | C |
| Wingham | 1,313 | 3.8 | — | C− | A | B+ |
| Canterbury | 55,107 | 4 | C− | C | D− | C |
| Herne Bay | 24,873 | 4 | D− | C− | C− | C− |
| Rough Common | 1,291 | 4.9 | — | D | A− | A− |
Littlebourne, Wingham and Rough Common have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Hersden
How much is council tax in Hersden?
Band D council tax in Hersden is £2,466 for 2026–27, more than in 55% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Hersden
Village in Kent, England
Hersden is a built-up area of 2,118 people, in the Canterbury 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
- 2,118 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Canterbury
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005305
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.