Lower Higham’s story
3 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Lower Higham’s built-up area.
23% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Lower HighamKent
A village of 685 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Chris Whippet · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
685
Census 2021 · Gravesham council
Median home
£358K
23 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.7
20% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
13%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Lower Higham a good place to live?
Lower Higham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Lower Higham stand out
The thing Lower Higham does most differently from other towns.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Rochester Castle and 10 more in and around Lower Higham
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Lower Higham. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageRochester Castle4.4 km outside town, to the southeast
CathedralRochester Cathedral4.6 km outside town, to the southeast
Castle · English HeritageUpnor Castle4.6 km outside town, to the southeast
Historic shipRussian Foxtrot B-39 (U 475)4 km outside town, to the southeast
CastleCooling Castle4.4 km outside town, to the northeast
FortCoalhouse Fort4.2 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Rochester Castle: Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rochester Cathedral: Raggatt2000, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Upnor Castle: Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Russian Foxtrot B-39 (U 475): Hammersfan, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cooling Castle: shirokazan, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Coalhouse Fort: The original uploader was Sue Wallace at English Wikipedia., CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lower Higham.
Work & commute
Commuters in Lower Higham travel far: only 12% 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 29% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Lower Higham, that is below both Kent’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%). 13% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census.
13%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving85%
Train8%
Underground, tram2%
On foot2%
Bus1%
12%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
29%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£67K
mean household income, before tax
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 Lower Higham
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higham Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 210 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Private renting is less common in Lower Higham than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 7%
Lower Higham sits below both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%) on this measure. 78% of households own their home.
£358Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Lower Higham£358K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £358,750 | 12 |
| Flat or maisonette | £171,500 | 6 |
78%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,336
average private rent a month, Gravesham council area
£2,492
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
Homes in Lower Higham see more burglary and damage than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 18.4 per 1,000 a year
That puts Lower Higham above both Kent’s towns (12.3) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 20 crimes inside Lower Higham’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 6 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 55% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
21.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual11
Damage & arson4
Other theft2
Vehicle crime2
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Burglary0
Anti-social6
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.
21.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
18.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
20
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
85% of people in Lower Higham say their health is good or very good, more than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns
On this, Lower Higham is above both Kent’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (82%). Lower Higham has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.5 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 health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Lower Higham | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.7% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
82.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
3 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 Higham has 3 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 23% of its homes were built before 1919.
3listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
23%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
44
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
Lower Higham has fewer young adults than Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 8.2% are 15 to 24
In the comparison, Lower Higham comes below both Kent’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Under-15s account for 17% of the population. Lower Higham has a median age of 44.7.
44.7median age
Lower HighamKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level28%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Lower Higham | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.2% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 26% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.7% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lower Higham
13pages on Lower Higham
The big questions
Safety21.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £358K · rent £1,336 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street Gore Green RoadSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82.6 (men), 84.6 (women)Work & commute48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Lower Higham’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HighamCliffe WoodsShorneCliffeChattendenRochesterGravesendLower Higham
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Higham | 685 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Higham | 2,642 | 0.8 | B− | D | B− | A− |
| Cliffe Woods | 2,689 | 1.5 | B | D | A | B |
| Shorne | 1,038 | 1.9 | — | D | B | A− |
| Cliffe | 2,531 | 2.7 | B− | C | B− | B− |
| Chattenden | 2,417 | 2.9 | — | C− | D | C+ |
| Rochester | 67,279 | 3.3 | C | C+ | D | C− |
| Gravesend | 58,105 | 3.6 | D | C− | D | C− |
Shorne and Chattenden have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Lower Higham
Is Lower Higham expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £357,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £171,500 and semi-detached houses £358,750. Private rents in the Gravesham council area averaged £1,336 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Lower Higham?
Band D council tax in Lower Higham is £2,492 for 2026–27, more than in 62% 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.
Who lives in Lower Higham?
At the 2021 Census, 8.2% of Lower Higham’s 685 residents were 15 to 24 and 20% were 65 or over, against 12% and 18% across England’s towns.
About Lower Higham
Village in Kent, England
Lower Higham is a built-up area of 685 people, in the Gravesham 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
- 685 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Gravesham
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005055
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.