High Halstow’s story
Historic England lists 2 buildings inside High Halstow’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade I.
10% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
High HalstowKent
A village of 1,823 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Clem Rutter, Rochester Kent · CC BY 2.5
Population
1,823
Census 2021 · Medway council
Median home
£414K
70 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.8
21% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
27%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is High Halstow a good place to live?
High Halstow has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (A): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is walkability (D): 8% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £413,500 in the last three years, 7.4 times what households in the Medway council area earn in a year.
What makes High Halstow stand out
The 3 things High Halstow 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%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.5 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Own outright
Housing
42% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
How High Halstow grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far High Halstow is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityDOpen →Cost of livingrent £1,232 a monthDOpen →Hazard riskAOpen →SafetyAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 45% of towns in England; secondary results beat 19% of towns in EnglandCOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £62,406; 1.7% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →HealthLife expectancy 79.3 for men, 85.1 for womenB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildings, 1 Grade IC−Open →Outdoors76% live within 400 m of a park; 1.7 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB−Open →Civic life3.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryBOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in High Halstow.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Commuters in High Halstow travel far: only 10% go under 5 km, fewer than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 30% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
High Halstow sits below both Kent’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%) on this measure. 90% of commuters drove to work at the census.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
Train4%
On foot2%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
10%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
£62K
mean household income, before tax
1.7%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 11% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsC
Results at High Halstow’s schools trail 72% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
CSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leigh Academy High HalstowLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 241 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade D
Most households in High Halstow own their home: 85%, more than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns
That puts High Halstow above both Kent’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%). 8% of households rent privately.
£414Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
High Halstow£414K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £520,000 | 34 |
| Semi-detached | £362,500 | 22 |
| Terraced | £317,500 | 10 |
85%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,232
average private rent a month, Medway council area
£2,422
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 are rarer in High Halstow than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.8 per 1,000 residents a year
On this, High Halstow is below both Kent’s towns (12.3) and England’s towns (9.4). Violence comes to 13.7 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 41 crimes inside High Halstow’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 10 reports of anti-social behaviour.
13.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 74% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual27
Other theft4
Burglary2
Drugs2
Other crime2
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Bicycle theft1
Anti-social10
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.
13.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
41
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
History
2 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
High Halstow has 2 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 10% of its homes were built before 1919.
2listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II1
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Margaret Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
10%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
11
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
87% of people in High Halstow say their health is good or very good, more than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns
In the comparison, High Halstow comes above both Kent’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (82%). High Halstow has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.9 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.
87%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 9%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | High Halstow | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 18% | 17% |
79.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Who lives here
Fewer people in High Halstow hold a degree than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 27%
For High Halstow, that is below both Kent’s towns (29%) and England’s towns (34%). Children are 16% of the town. Half the people of High Halstow are older than 44.8.
44.8median age
High HalstowKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
21%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar23%
Degree level27%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| High Halstow | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 21% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 23% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 27% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Upnor Castle and 4 more in and around High Halstow
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near High Halstow. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageUpnor Castle4.9 km outside town, to the southwest
CastleCooling Castle2.3 km outside town, to the west
FortCockham Wood Fort3.8 km outside town, to the south
FortDarnet Fort4.7 km outside town, to the southeastWildlife parkWildlife parkThe Fenn Bell Conservation Project1.5 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Upnor Castle: Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cooling Castle: shirokazan, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cockham Wood Fort: Nigel Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Darnet Fort: DavidAnstiss, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about High Halstow
14pages on High Halstow
The big questions
SafetyA13.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £414K · rent £1,232 a monthHousing23 sold in 12 months · busiest street Harrison DriveSchoolsC1 state schoolHealthB−Life expectancy 79.3 (men), 85.1 (women)Work & commuteB50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
High Halstow’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Hoo St WerburghChattendenCliffeCliffe WoodsAllhallowsCanvey IslandHighamHigh Halstow
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Halstow | 1,823 | — | — | D | A | B− |
| Hoo St Werburgh | 8,758 | 1.9 | D | C− | C− | C |
| Chattenden | 2,417 | 2.6 | — | C− | D | C+ |
| Cliffe | 2,531 | 2.9 | B− | C | B− | B− |
| Cliffe Woods | 2,689 | 3.2 | B | D | A | B |
| Allhallows | 1,684 | 3.7 | — | C− | D | C− |
| Canvey Island | 38,004 | 5.1 | C | C | C | C− |
| Higham | 2,642 | 5.2 | B− | D | B− | A− |
Chattenden and Allhallows 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 Halstow
Is High Halstow safe?
Police recorded 41 crimes inside High Halstow’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 66% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
Is High Halstow expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £413,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £317,500, semi-detached houses £362,500 and detached houses £520,000.
Are schools in High Halstow good?
GCSE results trail 81% of towns in England, and primary results trail 55% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Medway council.
About High Halstow
Village in Kent, England
High Halstow is a built-up area of 1,823 people, in the Medway 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
- 1,823 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Medway
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005017
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.