High Halden’s story
26 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside High Halden’s built-up area.
17% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
High HaldenKent
It is a village of 974 residents in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: John Salmon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
974
Census 2021 · Ashford council
Median home
£650K
53 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.3
26% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
21%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is High Halden a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so High Halden has no grades; its figures are still real. 8% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 26 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. The median sale price is £649,950.
What makes High Halden stand out
The 3 things High Halden 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%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Parish Church of St Mary; 11 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.3 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in High Halden.
Work & commute
The car carries 89% of commuters in High Halden, more than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 25% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims came to 2.9% of 16 to 64s in 2026, higher than both Kent’s towns (2.7%) and England’s towns (2.3%). 30% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. Of the commuters living in High Halden, 3% work in the town itself. For every resident in work, High Halden has 0.5 jobs.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot6%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
30%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
25%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£60K
mean household income, before tax
2.9%
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
Schools
The schools around High Halden
53% of pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one school is below. Attainment 8 at the one secondary school within 3 km averages 37.7, and just over a fifth of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Halden Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 105 | C+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Few households rent privately in High Halden: 10%, fewer than in Kent’s towns and England’s towns
The owner-occupied share of households is 74%. 16% live in social housing, between Kent’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,248 a month across the Ashford council area.
£650Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
High Halden£650K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £669,950 | 35 |
| Semi-detached | £407,500 | 13 |
| Terraced | £318,000 | 5 |
74%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,248
average private rent a month, Ashford council area
£2,398
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 hit High Halden harder than Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 20.2 per 1,000 residents a year
Violence came to 30.8 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Kent’s towns (24) and England’s towns (22). Over the year to August 2026, 62 offences were reported in High Halden, along with 16 incidents of anti-social behaviour.
30.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual25
Vehicle crime13
Damage & arson7
Other theft7
Public order3
Other crime3
Drugs2
Burglary1
Anti-social16
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.
30.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
20.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
16.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
62
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 High Halden say their health is bad than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 7.7%
Nearly a quarter of residents in High Halden live with a disability. At the census, 77% of people in High Halden called their health good or very good, below both Kent’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (82%). Seeing a GP means leaving High Halden: the nearest practice is 2.6 miles away.
77%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 77%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | High Halden | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.7% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 24% | 18% | 17% |
82.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
High Halden is rich in listed buildings: 267 per 10,000 residents, more than 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.
Of High Halden’s land, 100% lies in conservation areas, above Kent’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (7%) alike. Its listed buildings include the Parish Church of St Mary, Grade I. The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
26listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II25
Among them · Grade I
- Parish Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
17%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
267
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in High Halden than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 21% of adults
People 65 and over make up 26% of the town. The age that splits High Halden in two is 49.3. Just over a tenth of the population is aged 15 to 24, about level with Kent’s towns (11%) and below England’s towns (12%).
49.3median age
High HaldenKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications22%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level21%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 89 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.
| High Halden | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 26% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 22% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.9% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 21% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Kent and East Sussex Railway and 6 more in and around High Halden
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near High Halden. Best known first.
Heritage railwayHeritage railwayKent and East Sussex Railway3.3 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumColonel Stephens Railway Museum3.3 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumTenterden District Museum3.5 km outside town, to the southAttractionAttractionBiddenden Vineyards3.7 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumWoodchurch Museum3.9 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumExhibition and Model Railway3.3 km outside town, to the south
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about High Halden
13pages on High Halden
The big questions
Safety30.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £650K · rent £1,248 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street Pope GardensSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82.4 (men), 84.5 (women)Work & commute52% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
High Halden’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
TenterdenBethersdenBiddendenWoodchurchShadoxhurstHeadcornBenendenHigh Halden
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Halden | 974 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tenterden | 7,775 | 2.1 | C | C− | C | B+ |
| Bethersden | 1,008 | 2.7 | — | C− | B+ | B− |
| Biddenden | 1,345 | 2.9 | — | C | C+ | A− |
| Woodchurch | 1,201 | 3.8 | — | C− | B+ | B− |
| Shadoxhurst | 1,009 | 5.1 | — | C− | A | B− |
| Headcorn | 3,293 | 5.6 | C− | C− | D | B |
| Benenden | 1,409 | 5.9 | — | C− | A | B+ |
Bethersden, Biddenden, Woodchurch, Shadoxhurst and Benenden have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about High Halden
Is High Halden expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £318,000, semi-detached houses £407,500 and detached houses £669,950.
How many listed buildings are there in High Halden?
That is 11 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Parish Church of St Mary.
How much is council tax in High Halden?
Band D council tax in High Halden is £2,398 for 2026–27, less than in 59% 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 High Halden
Village in Kent, England
High Halden is a built-up area of 974 people, in the Ashford 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
- 974 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Ashford
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005897
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.