Horsmonden’s story
25 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Horsmonden’s built-up area.
32% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HorsmondenKent
Walking, cycling and public transport carry 11% of commuters. Some 1,580 people live in this village, in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Julian P Guffogg · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,580
Census 2021 · Tunbridge Wells council
Median home
£448K
48 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.5
22% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
38%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Horsmonden a good place to live?
Horsmonden’s schools beat most: primary results beat 93% of towns in England. Residents are healthier than most: life expectancy is 84.3 for men and 86.6 for women. Cost of living is its weak spot: a typical home costs £447,500 and rent runs £1,533 a month. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B for jobs & income and B− for hazard risk.
Figures: life expectancy and income, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · claimants, DWP · flood risk, Environment Agency. Horsmonden has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Horsmonden stand out
The 3 things Horsmonden does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 6.5 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%)
Life expectancy, against UK towns
Health
86.6 and 84.3 years
OHID Fingertips, 2019–23.
How Horsmonden grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Horsmonden is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Horsmonden has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 93% of towns in EnglandA+Open →HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedA+Open →SafetyAhead of most towns comparedA−Open →Cost of livingMedian sale £447,500, 6.6 years of area incomeCOpen →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesC+Open →Jobs & income2.2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →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.
HistoryUnusually rich in historyA−Open →Outdoors79% live within 400 m of a park; 50% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeC−Open →Civic life2.5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Horsmonden.
SchoolsA+
On exam results, Horsmonden’s schools beat 96% of towns in England
The one school in town appears below. Key Stage 2 results at the 3 primary schools within 3 km: 73% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). 195 pupils attend Horsmonden’s one primary school.
A+School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leigh Academy HorsmondenLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 195 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Health
Horsmonden’s life expectancy beats 96% of UK towns
85% of Horsmonden’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above Kent’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. A disability affects 15% of people here. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.7 miles away. At the census, 3.4% of people here described their health as bad or very bad.
85%good or very good healthA+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Horsmonden | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.4% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
84.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
Much of Horsmonden is a conservation area: 100% of its land, more than in both Kent’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Scaled to its population, that is 158 listed buildings for every 10,000 people in Horsmonden. 32% of its homes were built before 1919, above Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. None of the 25 listed buildings reaches Grade II* or Grade I; all are Grade II.
25listed buildingsA−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II25
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
32%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
158
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Violence is recorded less often in Horsmonden than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 13.3 per 1,000 residents a year
Homes saw 9.1 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, below Kent’s towns (12.3) and close to England’s towns (9.4). The 12 months to August 2026 brought 48 recorded crimes inside Horsmonden’s built-up area, and 11 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 46% of the crimes.
13.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 60% 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 & sexual22
Damage & arson6
Public order6
Other theft5
Other crime3
Burglary2
Vehicle crime2
Drugs1
Anti-social11
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.
13.3
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
5.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
48
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.
HousingCost of living grade C
Private renting is less common in Horsmonden than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 12%
71% of households own their home, higher than both Kent’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%). Behind the median of £447,500: 48 standard sales inside Horsmonden’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026. Council and housing-body homes hold 16% of households.
£448Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Horsmonden£448K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £575,000 | 20 |
| Semi-detached | £440,000 | 15 |
| Terraced | £358,000 | 7 |
| Flat or maisonette | £197,500 | 6 |
71%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,533
average private rent a month, Tunbridge Wells council area
£2,481
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 B
Fewer commuters in Horsmonden 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 40% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Two in five workers worked mainly from home, higher than both Kent’s towns (30%) and England’s towns (31%). The car carried 87% of commuters at the census. Before tax, the average household brings in £72K a year.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot8%
Train3%
Bus1%
21%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
40%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£72K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 35% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
Horsmonden is a graduates’ town: 38% hold a degree, more than in both Kent’s towns and England’s towns
Ages in Horsmonden split evenly at 45.5: half are older, half younger. Over-65s are 22% of the population. Children under 15 make up 19%, above both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%).
45.5median age
HorsmondenKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level38%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Horsmonden | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.3% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 38% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Scotney Castle and 3 more in and around Horsmonden
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Horsmonden. Best known first.
Castle · National TrustScotney Castle4.9 km outside town, to the south
Historic houseFinchcocks Music Museum3.4 km outside town, to the southPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustNational Trust Scotney Castle Estate4.5 km outside town, to the southAttractionAttractionMatfield House4 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Scotney Castle: Berit from Redhill/Surrey, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Finchcocks Music Museum: Clavecin, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Horsmonden
15pages on Horsmonden
The big questions
SafetyA−13.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £448K · rent £1,533 a monthHousing13 sold in 12 months · busiest street Maidstone RoadSchoolsA+1 state schoolHealthA+Life expectancy 84.3 (men), 86.6 (women)Work & commuteB58% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Famous people from Horsmonden
3 notable people were born in Horsmonden.
R
Ruth ThomasWriter · born 1967S
Simon WillardAmerican colonist · 1605–1676Photo credits
William Moon: Engraved by D. & H. Taylor, after a photograph by W. & A. Fry, CC BY 4.0
Horsmonden’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
GoudhurstPaddock WoodMardenPemburyFive Oak GreenCranbrookEast PeckhamHorsmonden
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horsmonden | 1,580 | — | — | C | A− | A+ |
| Goudhurst | 1,104 | 2.2 | — | B− | C+ | A |
| Paddock Wood | 7,616 | 3.3 | C | C | C− | B |
| Marden | 3,489 | 3.5 | B | C− | C | B |
| Pembury | 5,783 | 4.5 | B− | C | C− | B− |
| Five Oak Green | 1,436 | 4.6 | — | C+ | B | B− |
| Cranbrook | 3,962 | 5.3 | B | C+ | C− | B |
| East Peckham | 2,144 | 5.5 | — | C | B | B− |
Goudhurst, Five Oak Green and East Peckham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Horsmonden
Are schools in Horsmonden good?
Primary results beat 93% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Kent council.
How many listed buildings are there in Horsmonden?
That is 6.5 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Horsmonden expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £447,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £197,500, terraced houses £358,000, semi-detached houses £440,000 and detached houses £575,000.
Is Horsmonden safe?
Against all UK towns, it grades A−.
About Horsmonden
Village in Kent, England
Horsmonden is a built-up area of 1,580 people, in the Tunbridge Wells 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
- 1,580 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Tunbridge Wells
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005814
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.