Lower Halstow’s story
4 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Lower Halstow’s built-up area.
18% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Lower HalstowKent
A village of 1,210 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Chris Whippet · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,210
Census 2021 · Swale council
Median home
£404K
60 sales in 3 years
Median age
46.5
24% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
29%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Lower Halstow a good place to live?
Lower Halstow has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (A): 10.5 violent and sexual offences and 7.2 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is cost of living (C−): median sale £404,000, 7.3 years of area income; rent £1,114 a month.
What makes Lower Halstow stand out
The 3 things Lower Halstow does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
12% 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.
Claimant rate, against UK towns
Work
1.3% claim jobless benefits
of 16 to 64s in 2026: fewer than in 92% of UK towns
DWP claimant count, January to August 2026.
How Lower Halstow grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Lower Halstow is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →Hazard risk1.5% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaCOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £61,951B+Open →WalkabilityC+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 75% of towns in England; secondary results beat 18% of towns in EnglandB−Open →HealthLife expectancy 79.3 for men, 84.1 for womenB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryCOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 4% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA−Open →Civic life1.7 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 Lower Halstow.
Safety
Lower Halstow has less crime per resident than 88% of UK towns
Violent crime ran at 10.5 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Kent’s towns (24.1) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 38 crimes inside Lower Halstow’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 7 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 29% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
10.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 78% 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 & sexual11
Damage & arson8
Public order6
Other theft4
Burglary3
Vehicle crime2
Shoplifting1
Drugs1
Anti-social7
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.
10.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
38
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
SchoolsB−
Results at Lower Halstow’s schools trail 54% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
B−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Halstow Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 200 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade C−
Most households in Lower Halstow own their home: 86%, more than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns
That puts Lower Halstow above both Kent’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%). 8% of households rent privately.
£404Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Lower Halstow£404K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £587,500 | 14 |
| Semi-detached | £410,000 | 23 |
| Terraced | £320,000 | 23 |
86%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,114
average private rent a month, Swale council area
£2,439
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
4 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.
Lower Halstow has 4 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 18% of its homes were built before 1919.
4listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II4
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
18%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
33
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Commuters in Lower Halstow travel far: only 16% 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 31% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
On this, Lower Halstow is below both Kent’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%). 12% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census.
12%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
Train5%
On foot5%
Bicycle1%
16%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
£62K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 36% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Is Lower Halstow a healthy place? 85% of its people say their health is good, above Kent’s towns and England’s towns
In the comparison, Lower Halstow comes above both Kent’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (82%). Lower Halstow has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.6 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.
85%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Lower Halstow | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.1% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
79.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Who lives here
Lower Halstow has fewer young adults than Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 8% are 15 to 24
For Lower Halstow, that is below both Kent’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). People 65 and over make up 24% of the town. Half the people of Lower Halstow are older than 46.5.
46.5median age
Lower HalstowKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level29%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Lower Halstow | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.7% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 29% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lower Halstow
14pages on Lower Halstow
The big questions
SafetyA10.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £404K · rent £1,114 a monthHousing16 sold in 12 months · busiest street School LaneSchoolsB−1 state schoolHealthB−Life expectancy 79.3 (men), 84.1 (women)Work & commuteB+50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC1.5% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Lower Halstow’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
UpchurchNewingtonIwadeSittingbourneGillinghamQueenboroughHalfway HousesLower Halstow
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Halstow | 1,210 | — | — | C− | A | B− |
| Upchurch | 1,727 | 0.9 | — | C− | A− | B− |
| Newington | 2,691 | 1.5 | C | C+ | C− | C+ |
| Iwade | 4,533 | 2.6 | C+ | C | A− | C+ |
| Sittingbourne | 54,385 | 3.7 | C | B− | D | C |
| Gillingham | 108,485 | 4.1 | C− | C+ | D | C− |
| Queenborough | 3,915 | 4.6 | D | B | D | C− |
| Halfway Houses | 4,396 | 5.7 | C | B− | C+ | C |
Upchurch has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Lower Halstow
Does Lower Halstow flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Is Lower Halstow expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £404,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £320,000, semi-detached houses £410,000 and detached houses £587,500.
About Lower Halstow
Village in Kent, England
Lower Halstow is a built-up area of 1,210 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
- 1,210 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Swale
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005173
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.