Ash (Dover), #1 on this list · Photo: Colin Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0

Kent rankings · Civic life

Towns with the most civic life in Kent

Ash (Dover) ranks first on civic life among Kent’s 87 towns of 2,500+; 32 of the 87 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The Civic life Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): local registered charities per 1,000 residents and the share living within 1 km of a public library. The rank across England and Wales sits beside each letter. How grades work

Ash (Dover)

2,529 people

A⁺

Better than almost every UK town·#2 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Cranbrook

3,962 people

A⁺

Better than almost every UK town·#4 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Pembury

5,783 people

A⁺

Better than 98% of UK towns·#11 of 2,156 in England and Wales

All 87 towns, ranked

Civic life grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England and Wales links to the national list.

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87 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Ash (Dover)2,529 peopleA⁺#2 of 2,156 nationallybetter than almost every UK town

2Cranbrook3,962 peopleA⁺#4 of 2,156 nationallybetter than almost every UK town

3Pembury5,783 peopleA⁺#11 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 98% of UK towns

4Westerham3,390 peopleA⁺#67 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

5Sandwich4,258 peopleA⁺#73 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

6New Romney3,870 peopleA#95 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

7Hawkhurst3,683 peopleA#99 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

8Lydd3,911 peopleA#113 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

9Otford and Kemsing7,332 peopleA#133 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 93% of UK towns

10Marden3,489 peopleA#162 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

11Headcorn3,293 peopleA#187 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

12Edenbridge7,903 peopleA#216 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 91% of UK towns

13Joyden's Wood4,912 peopleA#234 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

14Coxheath8,453 peopleA#382 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 85% of UK towns

15Canterbury55,107 peopleA#384 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 85% of UK towns

16Hadlow3,168 peopleA⁻#395 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 85% of UK towns

17Staplehurst6,181 peopleA⁻#430 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 84% of UK towns

18Tenterden7,775 peopleA⁻#437 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 84% of UK towns

19Rusthall and Langton Green7,783 peopleA⁻#463 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 83% of UK towns

20Sevenoaks26,474 peopleA⁻#467 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 83% of UK towns

21Faversham20,941 peopleA⁻#476 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 83% of UK towns

22Hildenborough4,943 peopleA⁻#491 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 82% of UK towns

23Lenham and Harrietsham4,763 peopleA⁻#519 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 81% of UK towns

24Borough Green4,712 peopleA⁻#529 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 81% of UK towns

25Sturry4,857 peopleA⁻#577 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

26Southborough9,632 peopleA⁻#581 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

27Hythe14,613 peopleA⁻#597 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

28West Malling4,251 peopleA⁻#600 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

29Tonbridge36,136 peopleA⁻#616 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 78% of UK towns

30Minster (Thanet)4,739 peopleA⁻#626 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 78% of UK towns

31Folkestone51,987 peopleA⁻#641 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 77% of UK towns

32Sheerness13,253 peopleA⁻#650 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 76% of UK towns

33Cuxton3,039 peopleB⁺#687 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 73% of UK towns

34Meopham4,349 peopleB⁺#710 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 72% of UK towns

35Paddock Wood7,616 peopleB⁺#743 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

36Queenborough3,915 peopleB⁺#775 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 68% of UK towns

37Broadstairs25,780 peopleB#834 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 64% of UK towns

38West Kingsdown4,306 peopleB#836 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 64% of UK towns

39Longfield, New Ash Green and Hartley16,077 peopleB#905 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 60% of UK towns

40Royal Tunbridge Wells51,215 peopleB#981 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 57% of UK towns

41Dunton Green3,241 peopleB#1,006 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns

42Snodland11,820 peopleB⁻#1,016 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns

43Dartford69,131 peopleB⁻#1,039 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 53% of UK towns

44Larkfield26,147 peopleB⁻#1,057 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 53% of UK towns

45Ramsgate42,031 peopleB⁻#1,061 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

46Herne Bay24,873 peopleB⁻#1,076 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

T47Gravesend58,105 peopleB⁻#1,088 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 51% of UK towns

T47Hextable4,100 peopleB⁻#1,088 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 51% of UK towns

T47Maidstone109,503 peopleB⁻#1,088 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 51% of UK towns

50Bearsted8,349 peopleB⁻#1,098 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 51% of UK towns

51Dover36,349 peopleB⁻#1,111 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 50% of UK towns

52Whitstable32,185 peopleB⁻#1,141 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

53Chatham76,956 peopleB⁻#1,184 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 47% of UK towns

54Gillingham108,485 peopleB⁻#1,202 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 46% of UK towns

55Margate63,315 peopleB⁻#1,224 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 45% of UK towns

56Deal28,992 peopleC⁺#1,232 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 45% of UK towns

57Swanley17,209 peopleC⁺#1,290 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 42% of UK towns

58Teynham3,128 peopleC⁺#1,309 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 41% of UK towns

59Rochester67,279 peopleC⁺#1,354 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 39% of UK towns

60Ashford82,143 peopleC⁺#1,375 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 38% of UK towns

61Aylesham5,788 peopleC⁺#1,389 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 38% of UK towns

62Sittingbourne54,385 peopleC⁺#1,416 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 37% of UK towns

63Minster (Swale)16,735 peopleC#1,486 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 34% of UK towns

64Swanscombe15,462 peopleC#1,501 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 33% of UK towns

65Northfleet29,892 peopleC#1,511 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 33% of UK towns

66Hoo St Werburgh8,758 peopleC#1,569 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 30% of UK towns

67Higham2,642 peopleC#1,577 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 30% of UK towns

68Whitfield6,509 peopleC⁻#1,717 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 24% of UK towns

69Herne14,874 peopleC⁻#1,721 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 24% of UK towns

70Istead Rise3,398 peopleC⁻#1,813 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 19% of UK towns

71Stone6,438 peopleC⁻#1,820 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 19% of UK towns

72South Darenth and Sutton at Hone4,091 peopleC⁻#1,846 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 17% of UK towns

73Dymchurch3,097 peopleC⁻#1,866 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 16% of UK towns

74Cliffe2,531 peopleC⁻#1,878 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 16% of UK towns

75Cliffe Woods2,689 peopleD#1,903 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 14% of UK towns

76Newington2,691 peopleD#1,906 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 14% of UK towns

77Halling2,926 peopleD#1,940 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 13% of UK towns

78Halfway Houses4,396 peopleD#1,990 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 10% of UK towns

79Kings Hill9,963 peopleD#2,042 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 7% of UK towns

80Iwade4,533 peopleD#2,044 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 7% of UK towns

81Chartham3,569 peopleD#2,059 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 6% of UK towns

82Littlestone-on-Sea5,271 peopleD#2,078 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 5% of UK towns

83Hawkinge8,499 peopleD⁻#2,093 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 5% of UK towns

84Eastchurch3,381 peopleD⁻#2,109 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 4% of UK towns

85Darenth2,588 peopleD⁻#2,130 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 2% of UK towns

86St Mary's Bay2,966 peopleD⁻#2,137 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 2% of UK towns

87Ebbsfleet Valley2,989 peopleD⁻#2,141 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 2% of UK towns

Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which town in Kent has the most civic life?

Ash (Dover) ranks first on civic life among 87 towns, with an A+: better than almost every UK town. Cranbrook and Pembury follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Civic life Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): local registered charities per 1,000 residents and the share living within 1 km of a public library. The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers Kent’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in Kent is on the county page.

Go deeper

More Kent lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Kent rankings →

Best places to live87 towns · #1 Hildenborough Best small towns56 towns · #1 Hildenborough Most affordable towns87 towns · #1 Sheerness Safest towns87 towns · #1 Cuxton Towns with the best schools87 towns · #1 Hildenborough Healthiest towns87 towns · #1 Otford and Kemsing Best towns for jobs & income87 towns · #1 Sevenoaks Most walkable towns87 towns · #1 Canterbury Towns with the lowest flood risk87 towns · #1 Ash (Dover) and 27 more Best towns for the outdoors87 towns · #1 Folkestone Most historic towns87 towns · #1 Sandwich Towns with the highest household incomes87 towns · #1 Kings HillDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax87 towns · #1 GillinghamDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters87 towns · #1 SheernessDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers87 towns · #1 DartfordDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers87 towns · #1 HawkingeDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts87 towns · #1 RamsgateDescribed, no letters Driest towns87 towns · #1 QueenboroughDescribed, no letters Wettest towns87 towns · #1 HawkingeDescribed, no letters

Sources: 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.