Highsted’s story
9 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Highsted’s built-up area.
37% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HighstedKent
A village of 411 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
411
Census 2021 · Swale council
Median home
£406K
16 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.4
28% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Highsted a good place to live?
Highsted has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Highsted stand out
The 3 things Highsted does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 9 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
48% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Own outright
Housing
54% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Highsted.
Work & commute
Only 11% of commuters in Highsted 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 35% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Highsted, that is below both Kent’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (27%). The car carried 86% of commuters at the census.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot5%
Train4%
Bicycle2%
48%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
35%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£66K
mean household income, before tax
1.2%
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 Highsted
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rodmersham SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 128 | A |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Highsted is a town of owners: 82% of households own their home, above Kent’s towns and England’s towns
Highsted sits above both Kent’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%) on this measure. 11% of households rent privately.
£406Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Highsted£406K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £607,500 | 9 |
| Terraced | £280,000 | 5 |
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,114
average private rent a month, Swale council area
£2,421
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
Highsted records less violent crime per resident than Kent’s towns or England’s towns, at 5.7 per 1,000 a year
That puts Highsted below both Kent’s towns (24) and England’s towns (22). Burglary and damage come to 7.3 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 3 crimes inside Highsted’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 2 reports of anti-social behaviour.
5.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Damage & arson2
Violence & sexual1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social2
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.
5.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
3
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
Bad health is less common in Highsted than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.2% of residents
On this, Highsted is below both Kent’s towns (5.1%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Highsted 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.
86%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Highsted | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.2% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 18% | 17% |
82.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Old homes shape Highsted: 37% 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.
In the comparison, Highsted comes above both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (16%). For its size, Highsted has 219 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. Highsted has 9 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
9listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II9
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
37%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
219
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
An older town: 28% of people in Highsted are 65 or over, more than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns
People aged 15 to 24 make up 9% of the town, below both Kent’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). The median resident of Highsted is 48.4 years old.
48.4median age
HighstedKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
28%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar21%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Highsted | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 28% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.9% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway and 4 more in and around Highsted
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Highsted. Best known first.
Heritage railwayBredgar and Wormshill Light Railway4.3 km outside town, to the southwest
Heritage railwaySittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway4.2 km outside town, to the north
MuseumPines Garden4.5 km outside town, to the southeast
GardenDoddington Place Gardens4.5 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumSittingbourne Heritage Museum2 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway: Penny Mayes, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway: Mjroots, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Pines Garden: Kenneth Yarham, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Doddington Place Gardens: Penny Mayes, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Highsted
13pages on Highsted
The big questions
Safety5.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £406K · rent £1,114 a monthHousing5 sold in 12 months · busiest street Highsted ValleySchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82.3 (men), 83.9 (women)Work & commute54% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Highsted’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SittingbourneTeynhamNewingtonIwadeLower HalstowUpchurchLenham and HarrietshamHighsted
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highsted | 411 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sittingbourne | 54,385 | 1.7 | C | B− | D | C |
| Teynham | 3,128 | 2.9 | C | B | C− | C+ |
| Newington | 2,691 | 4 | C | C+ | C− | C+ |
| Iwade | 4,533 | 4.1 | C+ | C | A− | C+ |
| Lower Halstow | 1,210 | 4.9 | — | C− | A | B− |
| Upchurch | 1,727 | 5.6 | — | C− | A− | B− |
| Lenham and Harrietsham | 4,763 | 5.7 | C− | C | C− | B+ |
Lower Halstow and Upchurch have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Highsted
How many listed buildings are there in Highsted?
That is 9 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Highsted expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £405,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £280,000 and detached houses £607,500. Private rents in the Swale council area averaged £1,114 a month in August 2026.
About Highsted
Village in Kent, England
Highsted is a built-up area of 411 people, in the Swale 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
- 411 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Swale
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005316
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.